Centric Television Party

The Centric television party at Lola’s in Martha’s Vineyard seemed to be one of the hottest tickets this summer, due in part to the summer punch inspired cocktails provided by presenting partner, Hennessy. Appropriately named KAWS & Effect, in honor of the release of the most recent Hennessy V.S. bottle collaboration with contemporary artist KAWS, the summer punch cocktail was a hit with the likes of Doug E Fresh, whose wife was quoted saying, “[He] doesn’t even drink cocktails back to back, it was delicious!”

Guests such as music mogul Berry Gordy, BET executives Michael Armstrong (SVP & GM BET International and Paramount Pictures Channels), Michael Pickrum (BET CFO), Cybelle Brown (VP, Brand Solutions), Carly Zipp (Senior Publicist), and VH-1 Red Carpet host Janelle Snowden danced to the tunes of Hennessy Collective DJ D-Nice’s classic set of old-school magic. Among those seen on the scene were ABC newswoman Carole Simpson, NBA standout Alonzo Mourning with wife Tracy Mourning, and VH1 personality

The blow-out bash thrown by Centric, the African-American oriented cable channel spun off from Black Entertainment Televison (BET)three years ago, has quickly become a highlight of the summer. It is a tough ticket.

"There has been a lot of demand, the momentum is building each year," said Depelsha McGruder, Centric's senior vice-president for business operations, and an Island visitor since her days at the Harvard Business School. "There's a long history of African-Americans coming to the Vineyard. They are exactly the target market we're trying to reach."

Additional guests: Eusi Skeete & Campbell Rudder (Barbados Tourism)