With their “Yo! MTV Raps” collection currently available for purchase, streetwear brand Stussy have released an accompanying documentary series detailing both the iconic music video program and the impact fashion has had on the genre of Hip Hop since its inception decades ago.
Titled “The Importance Of Yo! MTV Raps,” the first part in the series features appearances from Rakim, MC Lyte, ?uestlove, Alchemist, and a handful of other artists and industry veterans.
In the nearly eight minute-long video, The Roots’ ?uestlove spoke specifically on the excitement “Yo! MTV Raps” brought about during his early years while noted lyricist Rakim addressed the “worldwide effect” of the television show.
“Oh God, ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ was a religion. It was such a religion that I did not have cable. I would have my friends tape it,” ?uestlove revealed. “Saturday nights was like MTV day for most of America. But for me, Monday afternoon after school when I had the tape in hand. That is when I saw MTV.”
“The worldwide effect was like right now,” Rakim added. “Before that people had to kind of take they time with they marketing. You know, you might drop in the United States today and it might take you a month to drop overseas. It was just the way things was working and then what MTV did it was kinda blew it out of proportion to where artists like myself, we started picking our singles and our videos around MTV. Knowing that if we coming out with a single, we want to get the video down. Get that to MTV first.”
Later in the documentary, MC Lyte commented on the impact “Yo! MTV Raps” had on her music career as she spoke on the surplus of shows that resulted due to “Yo! MTV Raps.”
“Here you had a platform where you were reaching so many people across the world and I remember Fab 5 Freddy doing interviews when it was just a weekend show. And then they got Ed Lover and Doctor Dre for weekdays. Like, are you kidding? Like a real Hip Hop show…The request for performances shot up through the roof. I probably did over 250 dates a year. Simply because of that platform,” said MC Lyte.
Both Stussy documentaries can be seen below. To view the Stussy/Yo! MTV Raps collection, visit Stussy.com.
