My name is Imohale Rice, my title is Talent Coordinator. I basically deal with bookings of signed acts for 106th & Park, 106th & Park Prime, and The Center, as well as bookings of DJs for Rap City.
What’s your background? Did you go to college?
Yeah, I went to Westchester Community College for Communications & Media Arts. But it was kinda broken up, like a semester here and there. I went there for a semester, went to Leeman College, couldn’t afford that, went back to Westchester to try to finish up. From there, I just took the road of internships. My first internship was with News 12, and I really focused on news editing. I wouldn’t say that it wasn’t fun, but it was just not for me – dealing with the reality of other people’s bad situations. Then I was offered a job and it fell through, so I just took my chances coming down to BET every single day for like two weeks to try to get an internship. I was an intern for like a year and a half. It was an unpaid internship, so I was working another full-time job as a security guard overnight. I was really busting my tail.
When you were going to college, is this the job you hoped to get?
I always knew I wanted to be in entertainment as far as television. Usually, college students have a minor or something they can fall back on. I didn’t have that. It was just television all the way around. I woulda been anybody’s intern for however long to get here.
What were your responsibilities as an intern?
When I started at BET, I was the 106th & Park intern. I was learning how to create a format and learning the whole structure of the show. I learned how they do a cell, how they break it down, how they switch to a video and come back, just little things of that nature.
What surprised you the most working at BET? In other words, what do you think is the biggest misconception when it comes to television?
For one, I think people get the misconception of how big a studio is. I walked in there like, Oh…. It’s really small. And a lot of my friends think that Tigga’s really shooting a show in his crib, in his mother’s basement. It’s not like that at all.
How do you choose which artists to book?
We deal directly with the record labels and their video promotions department. If an artist has a video out that we’re airing, that artist is more accessible as far as getting booked.
Have you ever gone out on a limb and booked somebody that really wasn’t getting played at the time?
Not really. I think my first witnessing of that would be B2K, way before they were hot. But I don’t think that a lot of people outside the industry understand that BET creates a lot of careers for a lot of individuals. Half the time, you won’t see these people on MTV or VH1 unless we’re highlighting them first. That’s just the truth.
Is the Top 10 list really based on viewer’s votes?
(laughing) I’m gonna pass on that one.
What’s a typical day like for you?
I’m really the individual who greets the artist, makes sure they’re prepped, and makes sure that they know what topics are going to be discussed on the show. I have to make sure the producer meets up with them, and I have to make sure they’re actually in the studio on time so we’re not running late. I’m just the all-around guy.
Have you had any crazy fans flipping out on set or anything?
Our security team is real serious. You not getting past. But, we had a lot of incidents where fans will try to come in the buildling and say that they’re a part of the entourage. I’ve seen it all. It’s funny to me, but I don’t laugh out loud because I know if I wasn’t in this position I might act like they do. People do a lot of crazy things when it comes to artists. The real eye-opener for me was when I first went to Spring Bling, and 50 Cent was out there. This girl was completely naked, dancing from her hotel room, trying to get his attention.
Have you had an artist that was a real diva, somebody that required a lot of attention?
Actually, I would have to say Jaheim. He’s a cool guy, though. Basically, we have two green rooms. One is bigger than the other. It was a day where we had Tyrese and Jaheim on the same show, so obviously Tyrese is going to have the bigger room because he’s a more established artist as well as a performer and actor. Jaheim basically took the bigger room and we were like… uh, okay... But it worked out, because Tyrese doesn’t have a big head. He didn’t argue about the room.
What’s the worst part about your job?
I love it all. I really can’t complain because I think about all the jobs I had before this. I was a customer service manager at the Whiz, an electronics store. I worked at Modell’s in the sneaker department. I could still be working there, so I appreciate my job.
Are there any celebrities that you were really excited to meet?
Yeah, I’m a real fan of Jay-Z. I got to meet him, he’s real cool. He’s real quiet. The funny thing is, before I got to BET I thought I would be real excited. The first star I met here was P Diddy, and my whole response to it was like, “Oh. He’s here. Okay.” It wasn’t really nothing big. Everything after that, I just treat it like my job. I can’t act like a fan even though I like all their music.
What’s your ultimate career goal?
My ultimate goal is to be a director, and right now I produce my own show out here locally called “Volume 2: Another Sound of Hip-Hop.” I don’t plan on staying in television though, I hope to break into film. But I know that television is easier as far as making a name for yourself, and then you can branch off and do different things.
How do you choose which DJs appear on Rap City?
If they have a well-put-together press kit with a bio and a mix CD, they go to the top of the pile. Other than that, as I receive ‘em I really try to put everybody on. But they definitely have to send something in. Even if a DJ has already built up a name for themselves, I always request a press kit because the producers want to know more about the DJs. Especially if it’s a situation where they don’t have a guest on the show, they want to focus more on the DJ and allow them to promote their CD or radio station or whatever they wanna promote. We don’t want the DJs to be boring, ‘cause this is their time to shine. I don’t think there’s many outlets for DJs to get the shine they deserve, so Rap City is really the best show for them. DJs can send a press kit to: BET, Attn: Imohaile Rice, 555 West 57th St. 10th Floor, New York, NY 10019.
- Interview & photo by Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com
