ESPN2’s chunk of sports
and entertainment programming aptly titled Block Party is making a comeback Tuesday
nights this summer, with hip-hop and sports stars at center stage.
In addition to new episodes
of the returning show, Streetball: The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour, three new series
are slated to air: a televised form of the radio show 2 Live Stews, All Muscle
with Funkmaster Flex, and It’s the Shoe.
The half-hour Streetball
series is first on the line-up and airs for 12 weeks. The AND 1 crew visits
30 cities in an attempt to uncover rising local talent.
Tour newcomers Spyda, Baby
Shack, and Pharmacist join veterans like Half Man, Main Event, and Professor
to compete with players contending for an AND 1 spot and endorsement deal.
Airing at 1:30 a.m., 2 Live
Stews features Atlanta radio hosts Doug and Ryan Stewart examining controversial
issues and events in sports.
Hot 97 DJ and car fanatic
Funkmaster Flex brings his 2 a.m. show, All Muscle, where he interviews sports
figures and spotlights their whips. The show features sports stars like Terrell
Owens, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Mike Bibby among others.
It’s the Shoes, hosted by
Bobbito Garcia, a VIBE contributing writer and author of Where’d You Get Those?,
completes the nightly programming.
The half-hour series delves
into the intriguing world of sneakers and includes celebrity and athlete profiles
while highlighting the latest kicks and personal collections of stars like Nelly,
Missy Elliott, Carmelo Anthony, and Allen Iverson.
Running from June
21 through August 9, with Streetball continuing until September 6, Block Party
begins airing at 1 a.m. ET during the first week of programming, then moves
to its regular midnight slot.
