BET'S RAP CITY IS DONE

BET network has confirmed plans to cancel its long-running Hip-Hop series Rap City, effective by the end of this month.

Created by broadcasting veteran Alvin Jones in 1989, the video series chronicled Hip-Hop’s growing video music market, competing directly with Yo! MTV Raps.

The fledgling series was able to distinguish itself from its larger MTV competitor by not just focusing on mainstream rappers, but also championing videos and interviews from underground and up and coming artists.

Originally hosted by “The Mayor of Rap City” Chris Thomas for its first several years, Rap City’s “golden age” was 1994-1999, when the program was hosted by the colorful and knowledgeable duo of Joe Clair and Leslie Segar AKA Big Lez.

In 1999, the two hour slot was repackaged as Rap City: Tha Basement and christened with new host Big Tigger.

Tigger’s run birthed the popular Freestyle Booth session, where MCs would feature their best rhymes or freestyles following their interviews.

After completing their verses, many times with Tigger joining in, the MC(s) would traditionally sign the booth’s wall.

These freestyle sessions produced memorable performances from artists such as Ludacris, The Roots, Killer Mike, Chamillionaire, Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Obie Trice, Xzibit, Cassidy and numerous others.

Since Tigger’s 2005 departure, the show failed to establish a concise direction, running through a myriad of hosts and focusing on commercial artists, which failed to showcase Hip-Hop’s diverse talent pool as done years before.

Consequently, the show was reduced to a one hour time slot as rating suffered.

The final Rap City episode will commence on October 29, making it the longest running Hip-Hop program at 19 years.

At press time, the show is scheduled to be replaced by The Deal, an hour long video series hosted by DJ Diamond Kutz on November 10.

Comment by ORANGE MOUND VET.AKA MR.22 SHOTS. on October 2, 2008 at 2:59pm: RAP CITY HAS BEEN OVER SINCE TIGGER LEFT JUST LIKE 106 EVERY SINCE FREE&A.J. GOT FIRED THAT SHIT IS WHACK NOW...

Comment by $<BIGG*MIKE>$ on October 2, 2008 at 3:36pm: yea it ben a good run for the show but what ever they try to replace it with is proubly not going to do that well unless they bring it back to the streets

Comment by mz @ll3rgic 2 brok3 on October 2, 2008 at 4:37pm: thats a damn shame bet aint shit nomore hell it aint worth watchin mtv got better shit going on bet all about makin other people happy wit that 2008 shit i guess

Comment by cye young on October 2, 2008 at 6:37pm: i cosign to dat...mtv shitting on em.....and orange i cosign again with you...i hated rap city...it was showing the same vids everyday...they just need to play vids we dont need to hear no talk...any news...let 106 tell us...but they do be promoting shit...so i guess..but im not sad...iy..

Comment by Skeet Dirty on October 2, 2008 at 8:05pm: Rap city is a classic. I remember taping every episode on the vcr so i could watch videos all day long. that was in the EPMD days. We need a dvd compilation or something...

Comment by mone on October 2, 2008 at 8:28pm: WE LOVE THE BASEMENT WHEN TIGGER WAS A HOST THERE WE WILL NEVER A 106 AND PARK LIKE IT WAS WITH FREE AND AJ THEY KEPT REAL AND TIGGER KEPT REAL HOSTING BOTH SHOWS TIGGER NEEDS TO COME BACK

Comment by NESEAN DA DON DADA on October 2, 2008 at 9:38pm: good dat shit was wack as fuck

Comment by AJizzle on October 2, 2008 at 10:34pm: Q45 was cool-but he wont no Tiger
BET aint what it is no more

Comment by Jordan M. on October 3, 2008 at 10:07am: I remember when I was in grade 7, I used to run home just so I could watch Rap City. Same with AJ, Q45 was iight better then the last two hosts they had but he was no Tigger.

Comment by CrystalShine on October 3, 2008 at 2:58pm: B.e.t. Fuck me up on this one. How r goin 2 get rid of a classic sho, that's just mean. There's no reason why they got rid of tha sho, but b.e.t. Is not lookin out 4 hiphop like they use 2. They puttin on bs shows now.