''Rap City'' is a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, e ...
block that originally aired on the
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
(BET) network from August 11, 1989,
to November 8, 2008. The program was an exclusive showcase for
hip hop music videos, and features interviews with and
freestyles from popular
rappers
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, and often has guest
DJs
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
serve as co-hosts.
History
Conception
The show was created by former BET VJ/producer Alvin Jones, a.k.a. "The Unseen VJ". This was a spin-off of the "Rap Week" segment of ''
Video Vibrations'', also hosted by "The Unseen VJ". While its competitor ''
Yo! MTV Raps
''Yo! MTV Raps'' is an American two-hour television music video program, which first aired on MTV Europe from 1987 to mid-90s and on MTV US from August 1988 to August 1995. The American version of the program (created by Ted Demme and Peter Dough ...
'', which is now discontinued, mainly focused on all of the popular rappers, ''Rap City'' also included videos from up and coming underground rappers.
In the Spring of 1999, Stephen G.Hill President of Music Programming took ''Rap City'' from its format as a traveling show that went into the cities of the hottest rappers in the country, to an in studio format. Stephen G. Hill along with Senior Producer Craig Henry and Producer John Tucker was credited with creating a new show to fit a studio format the show was re-titled ''Rap City: Tha Basement'' Senior Producer Craig Henry created a 360° basement set that gave the illusion of a real basement and not a studio set. Producer John Tucker is noted for creating the iconic performance in the bathroom that became "The Booth".
Hosts and timeslots
Among notable previous hosts of the show are Chris Thomas (the first host of the show from
1989–
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
). Throughout his run, Thomas was also known as "The Mayor of ''Rap City''", or simply "The Mayor". Other hosts included Hans Dobson aka Prime (1989–1993), Prince DaJour (1991–1994),
Joe Clair
Joe Clair (born February 13, 1969), also known by the nickname "Joe Cleezy", is an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, VJ (media personality), VJ and actor. A native of the Seat Pleasant, Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., Clair is bes ...
(1994–1999),
Leslie Segar
Leslie Segar (born December 11, 1967), also known as "Big Lez", is a dancer, choreographer, radio and television personality, and fitness specialist. She is known as a host of '' Rap City'' and as the dancer in the opening credits of ''Living Sin ...
(a.k.a. Big Lez) (1994–1999),
Big Tigger
Darian "Big Tigger" Morgan (born December 22, 1972), also known as Big Tigg, is an American television/radio personality and rapper best known as the host of BET's '' Rap City'' and ''106 & Park''.
Biography
Morgan was born to a Jamaican immigra ...
(1998–2005), DJ Mad Linx (2005–2006), J-Nicks (2005–2006) and Q-45 (2006–2008).
On September 13, 1999, Stephen G.Hill President of Music Programming along with Senior Producer Craig Henry and Producer John Tucker credited with creating a new show to fit a studio format for ''Rap City'' the show was re-titled ''Rap City: Tha Basement'' and newly hosted by Big Tigger (a.k.a. Tigger), who succeeded Joe Clair and Big Lez. On August 28, 2000, BET moved the show to a new time slot at 4 p.m. On January 18, 2005, the show was repackaged and host Big Tigger was replaced by Mad Linx, a
DJ and radio personality. The transition was explained that Tigger's "mother" sold the basement and forced Big Tigger out to live with his father. On October 3, 2005, Mad Linx went on hiatus to host ''BET Road Show''. For several months, the show was hosted by J-Nicks, a native of
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. Occasionally, special guests (such as a hip hop star) would host ''Rap City''. The network also shortened the shows run time from two to one hour.
On December 28, 2005, BET returned the show to its original 5 p.m. time slot. Mad Linx returned to his weekday routine on February 2, 2006. J-Nicks left to work as a weekday radio DJ for
WHTA
WHTA (107.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Hampton, Georgia, and serving the Atlanta metropolitan area. It is owned by Urban One and it airs an urban contemporary radio format, focused on hip hop music. The studios and offices ...
Hot 107.9 FM in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. On August 14, 2006, Q45 replaced Mad Linx on the show. On September 25, 2006, the time slot for ''Rap City'' changed to 4 p.m., and then flipped back to 5 p.m. in October
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
. From that moment on, Q45 hosted the show on Weekdays. Mad Linx hosted ''Rap City Top 10'' on Saturdays and Big Tigger hosted the show as ''Rap City Presents...'' specials.
On September 17, 2007, BET changed the time slot of ''Rap City'' to 1 a.m. Eastern time. A time slot previously held by re-runs of ''
The Parkers
''The Parkers'' is an American television sitcom aired on UPN from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004. A Spin-off (media), spin-off of UPN's ''Moesha'', ''The Parkers'' features the mother-daughter team of Nikki (played by Mo'Nique) and Kim Parker ...
'' and other syndicated shows. In the timeslot that ''Rap City'' previously occupied, random music videos are now being shown. In October 2007, due to drop of ratings ''Rap City'' returned to its previous time slot at 5 p.m. In September 2008, ''Rap City'' obtained a new time of 3 p.m.
The Freestyle Booth
One of the most prominent and most popular segments of the show has been the freestyle booth. The booth was a segment that was added when ''Rap City'' becomes a studio format renamed ''Rap City Tha Basement''. Producer John Tucker is credited with creating the now iconic segment ''The Booth'' located in the basement bathroom, the elements gave a real grass roots raw feel the show. In these particular segments, the guests would lay exclusive new (or often recycled) vocals on the spot. This came to place around Big Tigger's tenure, which also included a guest DJ every week. Seemingly, this concept was scrapped when "Tha Basement" concept left but it has since returned. This is now seen as a major staple of ''Rap City'', although no hosts other than Joe Clair and Big Tigger have joined in during the freestyle sessions. On several occasions back in the early 2000s (decade), the freestyle booth was mostly, if not completely uncensored. Also when special guests come and leave they leave with a signature, in the booth, on the wall.
Finale
On October 1, 2008,
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
officially canceled ''Rap City'', its last airing was Saturday, November 8, 2008, and was replaced by now-cancelled
''The Deal'' on November 10, 2008. On Friday, June 12, 2009, a ''Rap City: Relapse'' special was aired on BET hosted by Big Tigger with guest
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
. On November 6, 2013, ''Rap City'' returned with another special called ''EM360'' with guest Eminem to promote his album ''
The Marshall Mathers LP 2
''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'' is the eighth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 5, 2013 by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album is Eminem's last to have the involvement of inde ...
''. In 2021, a ''Rap City '21'' special was aired with Big Tigger as a host, with
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...
as guest.
References
External links
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{{BET
1989 American television series debuts
1980s American music television series
1990s American music television series
2000s American music television series
2008 American television series endings
BET original programming
African-American television
Hip hop television