| 'Park' Victory
How BET's ''106 & Park'' hip-hopped past ''TRL'' -- By tapping into the teen R&B market, the three-year-old video-countdown show finds itself routinely trouncing the MTV rival by Evan Serpick Scores of preteens shriek and swoon as pop heartthrob Mario heads into a midtown TV studio. The singer is there for a brief chat with the show's host, who then breathlessly reels off the top 10 most-requested videos of the day. All the while, a giddy, manic audience offers unconditional squeals of approval. If you're looking for Carson Daly, prepare for a letdown: This isn't ''TRL.'' It's BET's ''106 & Park,'' and cohosts AJ and Free trump Carson's Nielsen numbers daily. ''Park'' (airing weeknights at 6) has grown quietly since its September 2000 debut and now not only tops its MTV counterpart but also has helped launch the careers of hip-hop and R&B new jacks like Bow Wow and B2K. Currently a stalwart presence in the urban-music industry, ''Park'' is appointment TV for labels looking to break new acts. ''It's in our mission statement,'' says Kevin Liles, president of Def Jam, home to Ashanti and Ludacris. ''There are five things you need to do to be successful: Sign a superstar with a great image, have a great first single, get great word of mouth, get them on the radio, and get them on '106 & Park.' Those things start projects.'' At the same time, ''Park'' has single-handedly reinvigorated the adolescent-pop-R&B genre made famous by artists like the Jackson 5 and New Edition. ''One of the things that fueled 106 & Park was the absolute dearth of [urban] artists that 14- to 16-year-old girls could lose their minds over,'' says BET VP of music programming Stephen Hill. ''It was just one of those obvious holes. You've got credible hip-hop, you've got adult hip-hop, you don't have that New Edition group. '106 & Park' was intended to be the perfect vehicle.'' And it's driving acts up the charts: Virtually every recent successful R&B and hip-hop rookie with pop appeal got their start on ''106 & Park'' (which recently moved downtown from its titular East Harlem studio). Artists including Alicia Keys, B2K, and Ashanti debuted their videos on the show and went on to shock unaware industry insiders with massive opening-week record sales. Just last month the eponymous debut album from ''Park'' project Mario (who only cracked the ''TRL'' countdown after weeks on ''Park'') landed at No. 9 on the Billboard albums chart, selling 91,000 copies its first week. ''The impact of the show has been amazing on so many artists' careers,'' says ''Park'''s AJ, whose public appearances inspire as much adolescent fanfare as the guests. ''There hasn't been a lot of room in pop for the hip-hop and R&B flavor.'' BET's upstart countdown is also rocking MTV's world. So far this season, ''106 & Park'' leads ''TRL'' in total households (708,000 vs. 599,000), leaving ''TRL'' producers scrambling to book such ''106 & Park'' faves as Bow Wow (who appeared on ''TRL'' June 27) and Mario (who dropped by July 2). ''It's not like Leno and Letterman or something like that,'' ''TRL'' host Daly says of the competition. ''We've never really acknowledged it as far as altering anything we've done on 'TRL.''' That's probably a good thing, because MTV will have a hard time breaking BET's lock on the pop-hop market--especially when it comes to wooing a legion of artists who owe their careers to ''Park.'' ''I am Mr. '106 & Park,''' boasts Bow Wow, whose first single debuted on the show in September 2000. ''They...played my stuff first and put me out there. They helped me get a leg up. I'll always bring my videos there first.''
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| Fans caught in rain for 106 & Park |
| Hundreds of umbrella carrying fans circled Durham’s Carolina Theatre last Thursday for BET’s 106 and Park, part of BET’s Black Star Power Tour. Even in the rain, fans waited hours to attend a taping of the countdown video program. The show features interviews, and performances of today’s hottest stars of Hip-Hop and R&B. The 900-plus fans that did manage to make it into the theatre got to check out performances by The Cash Money Millionaires, Petey Pablo and Cee-Lo. The purpose of the tour is to thank all the cities supporting BET for the last 22 years, said show hosts Free and AJ. Durham was the host city for two tapings for the new season. Along with interviews and performances the show gives undiscovered talent a chance, with the popular segments “Do You” and “Freestyle Friday.” Rocky Mount singer “6L7” was featured in the “Do You” segment. The multi-talented Queen Latifah came through to talk to AJ and Free about her role in the up-coming movie “Brown Suga” with Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs. Cee-lo, Petey Pablo and The Cash Money Millionaires were also guest for the taping. of the show. CMM moved the crowd performing the single “Way of Life,” the latest from member “Lil Wayne.” Petey Pablo also performed his hit song, “Raise Up.” Pablo and Mannie Fresh of CMM offered advice on getting the best out of life to an audience of mainly students.” “Say your prayers and aim high,” said Fresh. Pablo told students to stay focused and avoid the stereotypes. “Never mind the shoes and the jewels, just do you and stay focused on where you really want to be,” said Pablo. The shows will air on BET in December.
"106 AND PARK" GIVES TRL RATINGS HELL: BET video countdown is networks most successful show yet.
 | | Free & AJ, hosts of BET's 106 & Park | (Apr. 10, 2002) *Some may be surprised that a black show is beating its white counterpart in the ratings. After all, that is a feat seldom accomplished in TV land. When comparing "106th and Park" to Carson Daly's TRL "Total Request Live" the similarities are apparent. Same video countdown format, but one is doing better in the ratings than the other. Can you guess which one? "106 & Park," which airs at 6 p.m. ET, draws 673,000 viewer a day. Carson Daly’s "Total Request Live," which airs at 3:30 p.m. ET, brings in just over 651,000. The BET show has succeeded in accomplishing a virtual coup-de-tat and has become the station's most popular show ever while doing so.
Interviews Transcript of Justin's Phone Interview on BET 106 & Park
Free: Justin form Nsync! Now, Justin we are about to peep your new joint, it's called Gone. Now you co-wrote and produced this song, what did the idea and inspiration come from?
Justin: Well it's funny, uh, when I wrote this song it was actually a lot simpler than um, than I, when I started out I mean. It was basically about, I mean, yall are gonna kinda laugh at me when you get this. My girl went to the beauty shop and she told me she was gonna be back in a couple hours, and she was, she didn't tell me she was gonna get her hair and her nails done and she was gone for like five, six hours. And so I started to actually kind of like, and I was kind of like sitting there, and I was like "Man, I'm bugging out, she's gonna be back anytime!" You know, and that's what I thought was kind of humorous...and I was like you know what that's the song right there. You know I just rolled with that ball, and obviously when it got to the point where I actually wanted to make the point in the chorus, and go the distance from the bridge it got a lot deeper. And I wanted to go deeper with the concept, but that's initially where it came from.
AJ: Now the song is becoming really popular in the urban market. When you recorded it did you have a feelin that it would do that?
Justin: Honestly, uh, when I first wrote the song I didn't particularly write it for us. I didn't even think that the record company would think we could do it...that people would actually respond to it, but it came from the heart and that's what you have to think about.
AJ: So, Justin, are you a big romantic?
Justin: Yea, I'm a sucker man.
AJ: She was only gone for five hours man...and you started writing a song!
Justin: ehh...uhh
Free: AJ, you ain't right!
AJ: You wanna introduce the new joint of the day Justin?
Justin: Yes..check it out. It's us NSYNC. We're invading, we're invading BET. It's "Gone".
*cuts to vi
AJ: That was the new joint of the day ya'll..Nsync with Gone.
Free: Beautiful video!
AJ: You still there man?
Justin: I'm here.
AJ: How is it working with the director, Herb Ritz
Justin: He's real cool, real calm. He totally got everything we wanted to do with the video and we knew that...ya know sometimes when you put a storyline in the video it comes off kind of cheesy and it comes off kind of wack, but I mean he I knew the way he was gonna shoot it..I mean it's just beautiful. You really catch the emotion of the whole video...
Free: One big picture.
AJ: Talking about the storyline and everything..you was rolling aroung there.
Free: I saw a kiss!
Justin: Easy!!!!!
Free: He said "Easy"!
Justin: Easy man!
AJ: You got a girlfriend, did you get any flack?
Justin: Come on man!!!!
Free: Come on what?!
AJ: Holla back man, you on 106 & Park dog!
Justin: I mean look, I'm a man, and yes..
AJ: You got flack!! "I'm a man and uhh..!"
Justin: Hey, you gotta girl?
AJ: Heyy! I'm looking dog, you could hook me up man?
Free: "I'm looking???"
Justin: Free would you get flack?
Free: Uhh, what?! *laughs* If I was in the vid kissing somebody or would I give you flack if you was my man?
Justin: Right.
Free: Oh yea, because you don't have to kiss that girl in that video. You can act like your kissing without kissing, but you know it's the entertainment business, and you gotta understand...and Britney knows she was in a guy in her last video.
AJ: Lucky... Did you get mad about that?
Justin: You can't, you can't. I know she didn't mean it, and she loves me with all her heart.
*AWWWs all around studio*
Justin: Ohh, I hear yall.
Free: Do you go to the video set or you just stay away?
Justin: I mean, yea..come on. I wouldn't wanna put myself there you know
AJ: That's over the limit...
Justin: yea...you just trust, you trust.
AJ:What's the most romantic thing you've done for your girl?
Justin:Uhh, off the top of my head...cause I'm doing stuff all the time, gotta keep it fresh.
Free: Tell 'em again Justin! Tell 'em again..you gotta what?
Justin: You have to keep it fresh!
*applause*
Justin: Off the top of my head last christmas I took us to Vail and we spent a week in the new years up in the mts..it was just the two of us and rented out this really nice log cabin. It was real cool
Free: Not everyone can go to Vail, you can go to Brooklyn..same thing, same thing, pay attention..lock your door...
*talking over each other*
Free:Well we love your video, all you have to is vote,go to BET.COM to vot for that song on the count down!
Free:Justin we also heard your flirting with some acting rolls, what's going on?
Justin: Well, I don't wanna say anything yet cause you know how the movie business takes twice as long as the music bussiness, and I don't wanna put anyone out on the limb and say I'm doing a project and you know...there's definetly possibilities for some really cool stuff.
AJ: What would be the perfect role for you?
Justin: You know what? The way I look at that whole thing is that I would want to do somehing people would not expect us to do.
AJ: Like a convict?
Justin: Kinda like Billy Bob Thorton in "Bandits"..it took me half of the movie to figure out that was him, and I could really appreciate that.
Justin: Thanks to BET, thanks to all of yall for putting the video out for us, it really means a lot to us.
Free: I'll see you when you come through next time?
Justin: Oh yes, oh yes.
Free: You can tell us the AJ story!
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