Newsgasm: Has-beens & wannabes on VH1′s Wild Life

VH-1 is launching a new batch of celebreality shows with enough of a tenuous musical connection that they’re being wrapped into one primetime block early next year. They haven’t decided on the night, but they’ve given it a name: Wild Life (we figure Washed Up Life didn’t track as well in the focus groups, but we all know why we watch).

From a notorious rap producer to paunchy former boy band singers, from aspiring white rappers to an aging celebutard Malibu rich kid, four of the six new shows revolve around musicians and demi-musicians trying to make a comeback, or find a way into the music industry.

And in what could be called the evening’s “Jerry Springer Moment,” two shows feature real stars demonstrating how it’s done.

All the new series have the familiar scent of VH1′s compelling tabloid reality sleaze–or at least a whiff of what they’re smoking in Ice-T’s Rap School:Irv Gotti Project is the flipside to MTV’s Rev Run’s House, following R&B and rap producer Irv Gotti as he attempts a comeback– “while also juggling his responsibilities as a husband and father”–after beating the rap on federal charges of using his music label to launder money for a drug kingpin.

Man Band has former boy-band members moving into together while trying to whip up new dance routines and a new act. With Bryan Abrams of Color Me Badd, ‘N Sync’s Chris Kirkpatrick, Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees and Rich Cronin of LFO (have you ever heard of LFO?), it promises to be a surreal life.

ego trip’s White Rapper Show: Ten contestants compete to become the “next great white rapper.” They call it a tribute to Eminem and the Beastie Boys, though some Vanilla Ice would make it more fun.

Here’s a chance to get involved: How about helping find a name for the Untitled Whitestarr project? It’s billed as a “comedic romp” following music heir (Lou Adler’s kid) and Mischa Barton boyfriend Cisco Adler and his Seventies-inspired rich kid rock band on their long quest for success beyond the gossip pages. This one has the potential to be a reality Entourage, or, more likely, The Malibu Monkees.

Then there are a couple of more serious-minded music-based series– Bridging the Gap gets two established artists to create a new track, and in Rags to Riches a musician or actor takes viewers on that very journey.

The Cisco Life?

–Tabloid Baby