Mentor and the Hip-Hop Owls: A Christmas Story (lost TV special; 1998)
Mentor and the Hip-Hop Owls: A Christmas Story was an hour long Christmas TV special starring popular American rappers Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott that was produced in 1998. The special was distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Pay TV, directed by Lee Rolontz, and produced by Ernie Fritz.[1]
The special featured Busta and Missy performing alongside actors in owl costumes in order to "bring a message of togetherness and charity during the holidays", with intentions to "explore Christmas and Kwanzaa traditions through song and dance".[2] The special also featured appearances from the rap group The Biv 10 Pee Wee All Stars and Missy Elliott's protégé Nicole Wray, with Busta and the All Stars performing an R&B rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas", and Missy and Nicole performing a duet version of "Joy to the World".
The special was reported to have been nationally syndicated on The WB,[3] though a Nicole Wray fansite claimed that her song from the special (and presumably by extension, the special itself) went unreleased (though there is no evidence to support this claim).[4] Regardless of whether it aired or not, the special has since fallen into complete obscurity, with no images or footage resurfacing in the years since its production, and an article in the December 19th, 1998 edition of Billboard serving as the only significant proof of its existence at all.[5]
References
- ↑ Web page about Ernie Fritz that references his involvement with the special. Retrieved 01 Dec '21
- ↑ Page on the TV Guide website about the special. Retrieved 01 Dec '21
- ↑ Reddit post about the special. Retrieved 01 Dec '21
- ↑ Archived Nicole Wray fansite that references the special (see Multimedia). Retrieved 01 Dec '21
- ↑ December 19th, 1998 edition of Billboard, page 23. Retrieved 01 Dec '21