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We want to let everybody know where its at / Its right here: Yo!
Those words, rapped in unison by DJ Jazzy Jeff, the Fresh Prince (a.k.a.
MTV Raps, the networks first show dedicated entirely to rap music.
But when that very first episode ofYo!
MTV Rapsdebuted, it wasntreally a pilot yet it was more like an experiment.
Rap music and hip-hop culture had beencoming of age in New York for well over a decadebeforeYo!
MTV Raps; and DJ Jazzy Jeff, the hitmaker who appeared in that pilot/experimental episode.
We actually lived around the corner from each other[on Manhattans Lower East Side].
I lived on Ludlow; he lived on Orchard.
We would get together on Sundays and nosh.
Wed go down to Yonah Schimmel and get bagels, and wed do the whole thing up.
Doug Herzog:Ted and Peter had been big in-house cheerleaders for rap music.
And my boss [at the time] was a guy named Lee Masters, now known asJarl Mohn.
DJ Jazzy Jeff:We had two strikes against us.
Were doing Black music, and were doing hip-hop.
Radio in America was primarily segregated.
R&B theyd have other names that meant Black and those stations were separated.
It was a blend, and it was great.
It was how it should be.
Herzog:There were a bunch of guys from radio who programmed the videos.
It was like an army.
DJ Jazzy Jeff:When Run-D.M.C.
got Rock Box [on MTV], we were like,Okay, thats cool.
But it was just Run-D.M.C.
and then the Beastie Boys.
It was a very slow trickle to get videos on MTV.
Herzog:Ted and Peter were incredibly passionate about [doing a show].
They said, Youve got to give us a shot to do this.
McGrath:Look, we were living in New York City.
We were all down on the Lower East Side all the time.
Herzog:Ted was relentless with everything he did.
So when Ted had an idea he was excited about, he would go work the hall.
Hed go into my office, hed go into Judys office he just was selling, selling, selling.
That was the beautiful thing.
McGrath:Ted could talk you into doing anything.
DJ Jazzy Jeff:We just knew that were on this RunD.M.C.
tour for about four or five months.
We talked, and that was it.
It was really just: roll the cameras.
Herzog:Im sure it was all Ted and Peter [who planned the episode].
Thats how we tended to program those kinds of thematic weekends.
DJ Jazzy Jeff:Its funny because the hip-hop audience knew exactly who they were.
And everybodys like, We knew who Biz Markie was.
Fab 5 Freddy:I had just directed My Philosophy, my first video.
I remember somebody on the crew asking did I think this had a chance to be on MTV?
I knew MTV wasnt playing anybody besides Michael Jackson and maybe Prince.
I said, Man, Im sure MTV would not play this.
So dont even ask me that anymore.
I was shocked when [Dougherty] told me they had done that pilot.
Im like, What is he talking about?
I never thought any of this was going to happen.
I remember him telling me, We played the video.
I was like, What are you talking about, Peter?
We played your video.
Get somewhere and watch it.
I cant remember where I went.
I dont know who I had to call that had cable.
Herzog:The biggest needle-mover was doing thatYo!
MTV Rapsweekend, and those weekend ratings jumping off the charts.
The baseline of the web link was probably a 2.0.
Herzog:I could remember Lee Masters/Jarl Mohn being absolutely dumbfounded, like, Wow!
Did not see that coming.
Fab 5 Freddy: In essence, it pretty much was a pilot special that did incredibly well.
And at that point, they were like, We got to get a show on the air.
The idea was theyll see how it does, and the numbers continually were bangin, bangin, bangin.
They had something in that.
We shot the first shows in late summer and by that fall, it was rolling every week.
You could see the ratings pop when that show was on.
Fab 5 Freddy:MTV got it wrong [about hip-hop].
Im the guy that got the call when they made the attempt to begin to fix that ideology.
Peter respected my creativity and my insights.
He said, Man, what would work good for you?
What do you think would be a good way to do it?
I said, I dont want to be cooped up in that studio like those other VJs.
It felt more interesting and engaging to have you immersed in the world where the musics coming from.
We were like, Yo, how do we capture that?
Thats where we interviewed Das EFX.
Thats when the Ed Lover and Doctor Dre daily version came in.
MTV Rapsalso ceased to be the baby of two white dudes.
You think thats necessary?
And I was like, Yeah.
I dont think it should be run indefinitely by a couple white people.
Producer Jac Benson and producer-director Moses Edinborough became integral parts of the team.
It became fun, like, overnight.
All of a sudden, Teds blasting music.
It became like a clubhouse.
DJ Jazzy Jeff:You were excited when you were onYo!
MTV Raps,because by the time they got really big, it was a badge of honor.
MTV Rapsactually hit the air before Arsenio [Hall] entered late night.Yo!
MTV Rapsactually hit the air beforeIn Living Colorwent on Fox.
And I would sayYo!
MTV Rapsprobably had a little bit to do with that.
TV continues to be pretty white.
But you cant even imagine how white TV was back then.
I was very aware of the significance to that.
DJ Jazzy Jeff:Yo!
MTV Rapsput hip-hop in every home.
That was the thing that solidified it.
That was the thing, that a little kid growing up in Idaho could hear EPMD.
That helped with the sales.
That helped with the fan base.
That helped everything grow.
That was the time that I could sigh and say, I think hip-hop is here to stay.
