‘Yo! MTV Raps’ Debuts on MTV – Black History Month

By 1988, hip-hop was in its golden era and its presence had reached the mainstream.

MTV, which catered to the younger demographic, responded to this demand for hip-hop programming with its first television show catered to the culture: 'Yo! MTV Raps.'

During the show, which had several hosts including Ed Lover and Doctor Dre, and Fab 5 Freddy, many rappers visited the set, creating memorable hip-hop moments for years to come. MC Hammer, the Leaders of the New School, the late Tupac Shakur and Old Dirty Bastard.

'Yo! MTV Raps' had a seven-year run, ending in 1995. MTV revived it for a short time in 1996 to 1999, changing the name to 'Yo!' with a limited format that only played music videos.

Watch Rakim Perform 'Eric B. Is President' on 'Yo! MTV Raps'