Good Morning POU!
This week we will take a look at iconic and important moments in Hip Hop History. 30 years ago, no one though the genre would become the globally influencing behemoth that it is. Here’s a look at some of the moments and events that helped to create this incredibly and undeniably “black” creation.
4 years after The SugarHill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight”and the infant genre Hip Hop began to walk and run, New York DJ Ralph McDaniels and Lionel Martin created the first television program showcasing the videos of young Hip-Hop artists.
Video Music Box aired on the New York City-owned public television station WNYC-TV (now WPXN-TV) from 1984 to 1996. In 1996, the program moved to WNYE-TV after WNYC-TV was sold by the city to a private company.
Many artists from the Golden Age of Hip Hop made their debuts on Video Music Box. Although it is ostensibly a local show, its influence has been very widespread and has been considered a major factor in the growth of Hip-Hop music and culture. Its popularity undoubtedly led the largest music entertainment company at the time, MTV, to begin devoting airtime to Hip Hop.
On August 6, 1988, Yo! MTV Raps debuts on MTV and brings hip-hop videos to a national and worldwide audience. Hosted by Fab 5 Freddy , Dr. Dre & Ed Lover, the show’s format (interviews, videos, freestyles) becomes the template for all hip-hop video shows that followed on broadcast TV, cable and now the Internet.
Eric B. & Rakim‘s video for the title track of the album Follow the Leader was the first video to be shown on Yo! MTV Raps.
The pilot was one of the highest rated programs to ever air on MTV at that point. Only the Video Music Awards and Live Aid received greater ratings.
Shinehead‘s “Chain Gang” was the first video to be shown during a regular season episode. Meanwhile, Ice-T‘s “High Rollers” was the first video to be played during the weekday show. The classic Yo! MTV Raps logo was created by early graffiti writer, Dr. Revolt.
The ratings fell after pulling Public Enemy‘s video “By the Time I Get to Arizona” in 1991, claiming it was too violent. Yo! MTV Raps also came close to refusing to air the video for Cypress Hill‘s “How I Could Just Kill a Man.” It was only after an intervention from Vice President of Music and Artist Development at MTV, Sheri Howell, that MTV changed their minds.
Yo! MTV Raps had its series finale on August 17, 1995. Numerous high-profile names in the world of hip-hop closed the show out with a freestyle rap session. Salt-N-Pepa holds the distinction of appearing on the first (technically, the first episode to feature Fab 5 Freddy) and last episodes of Yo! MTV Raps.