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Yo! MTV Raps is coming back sooner than you think. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, the iconic series’ return will feature live performances, interviews, cyphers, and more from newcomers and some of the best in the game. Conceited and DJ Diamond Kuts are the new hosts. This is real big for the culture.
Premiering on Paramount+ on May 24, the show kicks off with a Freddie Gibbstakeover before Latto on May 31, Saba on June 7, J.I.D on June 14, Shenseea on June 21, Tee Grizzley on June 28, IDK on July 5, and Trina on July 12. Others featured include Maino, Baby Tate, and Just Blaze, who also appear in the new trailer up above, exclusively shared by Complex.
“MTV is bringing back its most storied hip-hop series and music franchise Yo! MTV Raps for Paramount+. The return of Yo! MTV Raps will include hosted segments, live performances, cyphers, lifestyle content and serve as a comprehensive deep dive into the current state of hip-hop,” MTV and Paramount’s parent company ViacomCBS said in a statement back in February. “After its debut 33 years ago on August 6, 1988, Yo! MTV Raps became the premiere destination for all things hip-hop. The advent of the series was crucial to the rise of rap music worldwide, creating a global passion for the genre and greater hip hop culture, which has since become the most dominant force in mainstream music and pop culture worldwide.”
The show appears to include collectives like Pivot Gang and Dreamville as well, with the trailer featuring a scene from the “Down Bad” music video. The new iteration is executive produced by Kurt Williamson, Warren Oliver, and Michelle Kenner of HollandWest Productions, with Kim Velona heading production, and Bruce Gillmer and Jennifer Demme as executive producers for MTV
Alongside the new Yo! MTV Raps, starting May 5, hip-hop fans will be able to take to Paramount+ to stream 50 archival episodes from the show’s original run, which aired from August 1988 to August 1995. Also returning this year will be VH1’s Behind the Music and MTV’s acoustically-inclined performance series Unplugged.
