R.I.P. Rap City
BET aired the Rap City finale over the weekend with relatively little fanfare. The episode, which is also streaming at BET’s memory hungry website, reunited all the hosts (from Chris Thomas to that string of nearly irrelevant bammas that followed Tigger) to talk to some past guests about their memories of the show. The whole affair was pretty understated and casual, which is probably appropriate. One of the shows main strengths, at least prior to Tigger’s exit, was the willingness of the personalities to be fans first and that was particularly apparent here, with all of them running into frame to recite old LONS lyrics or Joe Clair still geeking off the fact that KRS knew his name.
The guests themselves were nearly irrelevent in the presence of the hosts. Busta was happy, if predictably self aggrandizing (isn’t “Arab Money” just “React 2008″?) LL probably had the most poignant interview, talking about how, basically, the classic hip hop era that the show represented has completely passed, and how it might be time to just step back and let the youngins take over. He seemed genuinely sad. It’s good to see RZA and Rae are talking again, or at least pointing at each other. Luda, 50, Jeezy, Juelz, Jimmy, etc. were present as well and seemed reverent enough. Bow Wow had no business being there and Khaled remains the most obnoxious hip hop personality since the Burger King DJ (come to think of it they sort of look alike, iirc). It would’ve been nice if the artist selection was more representative of the shows entire existence, but I guess the BET execs no longer have D-Nice or Ras Kass or whoever in their rolodex.
Despite the dozen or so a-to-b list guests the Yo! moment never came. The final and only freestyle came from Tigger, which, again, is sort of appropriate given his history of mic hogging. Equally disappointing was how little archival footage was show. They pretty much ran only excerpts, most of which came from the post-2k era. It would be nice if someone at BET went up into those vaults and put the two decades of lost rapping. The only pre-Basement footage I could find on youtube is below: Pac racing John Singleton and a heavily compressed Born Jamericans interview.
And in honor of Rap City, I’ve decided to bring back the poll. Check the right sidebar to determine the best host.
Tumblin' Erb
November 10th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
This isn’t pre-basement, but its probably one of the hypest things i can remember from the show. Killer mike goes nuts for a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn3UCUFuigE
Sucks they chose to end it, but its been slipping since Tig left man… cant wait to get in my moms attic and dig out those VHS tapes.
November 10th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
WTF on the early poll results? How are people sleeping on the Mayor of Rap City??!?!?
November 10th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
As all rap blog trolls know, I’ve only been listening to rap for six years, so I went with Big Tigg. Bonus points for killing one of Kells’s most underrated singles.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
And I’m surprised Busta can even remember his Scenario verse with all the steroids he’s on. What a joke he’s become.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:20 am
fuck the internet, joe clair better win that shit. he was funny without being obnoxious, easily the best host they had.
November 11th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
“How are people sleeping on the Mayor of Rap City”
Because that era apparently aren’t on the net, i grew up with Joe Clair. I’m glad its over it was a long running joke.
November 11th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Yeah I think this sites readership skews towards those who were watching in the mid-late 90s. I’m definitely too young for the mayor. Dejour too.
I remember sort of hating Tigger when he first started (the whole basement format was a serious step down from the lez & clair travel the world and do intense theme episodes approach -they even alluded to this in the final ep) but he grew on me a lot. His cheeseball humor is sort of genius sometimes and now he gets my full respect if only for playing c-murder instrumentals at wizards games.
November 11th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Speaking of which, you should do another No Limit week. Weiss the other day said something about NL only having half a dozen good songs… kinda blew me away. It’s weird how it’s cool even in the more anal circles to like Cash Money, but No Limit, not so much. Like yeah, there’s some difference in quality there, but is it that big a difference?
November 11th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
No Prime on the poll? Did you forget him because he wasn’t there for the last episode? He’s my second favorite host behind Chris Thomas. Somebody’s got to have him as a favorite.
November 11th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Yeah I blacked out on prime, also before my time. Added…
November 11th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Tray – Weiss’ heart is in the right place but he has that shameful blogger tendency to make sweeping generalizations about things he knows nothing about. Maybe I will make a no limit album tracks mix, I’m trying to finish this other thing I’m putting together first.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Oh yeah, he definitely has a good heart. And yeah, I started blogging and it’s very tempting to make sweeping generalizations about crap I know nothing about. Like I was about to write a post saying that there hasn’t been any respectable boom bap since the Ownerz and everything since has been retro garbage (maybe not that Killa Sha album Robbie was hyping up a while ago), but, like, maybe I should go listen to Dart’s Top 80 Albums Of The Year before I pass judgment on a thing like that. Or actually listen to the Termanology album at least. But then I think, why should I, when I know I’ll hate the stuff? Like I heard the single, it’s this Pun-a-like with the voice of Tru Life cramming all these syllables together about how heismuchrealerthanalltheotherrappers.
November 15th, 2008 at 5:47 am
HOW ARE PEOPLE FORGETTING THE ILLEST NAUTILUS FLIP BY PETE ROCK ON THE RAP CITY INTRO? NO ONE MADE NAUTILUS SOUND LIKE DAT.
November 15th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Tray has a blog? Where is it?
November 15th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
“Speaking of which, you should do another No Limit week. Weiss the other day said something about NL only having half a dozen good songs… kinda blew me away. It’s weird how it’s cool even in the more anal circles to like Cash Money, but No Limit, not so much. Like yeah, there’s some difference in quality there, but is it that big a difference?”
There isn’t. They both were wack. Boom Bap Forever!!!
November 15th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Paytray.blogspot.com, Mr. Hunnit. It sucks, but has its moments.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
anyone have any old BET rap city vhs tapes they wanna sell me let me knowww..just email
August 8th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I like your site. I’m looking forward to more visits here. Thanks!