The End Of An Era: BET announces it's a wrap for popular Rap City show

While most of us real heads prolly knew that it was technically "over" after Big Tigger left, BET went ahead and confirmed rumors that had been swirling around that in fact yes, they will be officially cancelling Rap City: The Basement this fall. Although I hadn't tuned into the show (or BET for that matter) much since sometime around the early 2K, I have to admit I will miss it. Even though it had evolved from a "real deal" and credible hip-hop video/interview show with knowledgable hosts to a watered down R&B/top 40 deushbag fest, with hosts who at times were, well....plain corny, I will indeed miss it. Nothing personal against Mad Linx, J-Nicks or DJ Q45, but they were just subpar man....There's no hiding true talent and authentic presence in front of camera, but there's also no hiding when someone forces it and that's exactly what some of these dudes were doin'. I will cut those jokers a lil' slack though, mainly because their victims of my enamored views of earlier Rap City hosts like Prince Dejour, Big Tigger, Joe Cleezie and Big Lez. Those guys (Tigger, Clair, Lez, Dejour) knew hip-hop, had dope personalities, were relatable and laawd, Big Lez was so easy to look at. Lol, except for the latter, those are all traits that are super important for a host of an hip-hop themed show. Alas...the good producers that made it such a staple within the Hip-Hop community either moved on or helped with it's grotesque transformation, turning the program's loyal viewer's into it's most harsh critic's and sinking it's once soaring ratings.

When I first heard this news I thought to myself, "maybe this is for the best", Maybe, this will help the new generation of totally clueless hipster-rap fucko's in finding a voice that is more their own. Hell, I can't even act like my heroes are the bottom line anymore......I mean they've got underground artist's today that would make the one's that was poppin' in the ninetie's look like a bunch of depressed poets....I guess in a way everything comes full circle. After all, I was once the young upstart hip-hopper who shunned the older head's preference's for my own. Yup, that's right, I was the guy who was yelling that Yo MTV Raps wasn't shit compared to Rap City. I was the guy saying that yeah, Rakim is aaight, but he ain't fuckin wit these Wu-tang niggas! I was the guy lookin at ya played out gold rope chain, suede bally's and Ray ban's and smirking while I rocked a army fatigue jacket, Carrhart jeans, a fresh pair of wheat Timberlands and a walkman cassette player with the latest Clue mixtape blowing my eardrums out. So I can somewhat understand how an older idea (even though it wasn't the original format of it) like Rap City doesn't exactly resonate with the new kids.

The ninetie's were a great time for hip-hop and myself, and Rap City was a huge part of that. Whether you were waiting to see what gear Tigger was gonna be rockin', what dope artist or group was gonna be coming through to spit in the booth, or who the guest DJ was, Rap City could easily turn a bad day into an above average one. Rap City also kept you up to date on the latest happenings in the world of hip-hop and served as another reason why my generation was ultimatly the better and more informed fans. We actually had to listen and make an effort to understand the news when delivered by Joe Clair, Big Tigger or whomever was holding down the basement. Our news wasn't just a click away on the world wide web, or on satellite radio, we had to listen, process and finally form an opinion when it was reported that DMX was getting arrested. These days you can read about the Dark Man's run in's with johnny law on just about any blog or website 10 minutes after it happens. Information isn't at a premium anymore and it isn't treasured like it used to be. For fuck sakes, the first time I heard about Biggie bein' shot was by word of mouth, and that person saw it on guess where? Rap City.

The video's on Rap City were always top notch in the early days. Never straying too far from the same, un-flawed formula of only showing the best stuff, not the stuff that's also on the radio. My boy Caleb used to tape the videos they showed on Rap City man. I remember one day I found one of those old video mixtapes he had made and I was just in awe....the lineup was so good, I sat there for the whole hour watching all my old favorites like MC Ren, Redman, Big Pun and KRs-One. Rap City had a glorious prime and pretty much set the standard during that prime. Sadly, in today's greedy and hopelessly bad TV landscape of hyper-sensitive viewer's with incredibly short attention spans, rating's hungry producer's and conservative agenda big wigs, I don't think another show will ever have the chance to challenge Rap City's mid 90's supremacy.

BET has plans to replace Rap City with a new show called "The Deal", that supposedly will take the best elements of Rap City and mix them in with a new format, a format that also includes, among other lame ideas, pop-up's with facts about the given artist/group who's video is playing. Hmmmm.....that sounds familiar....could it be that BET is once again copying another wack ass, shitty MTV show and re-introducing it for minorities? Wow....thanks a lot Viacom. I guess that's why "elitist" and "staunch" heads like myself haven't bothered to look at MTV, VH1 and BET (all Viacom subsidiaries) since they were sophomores in high school....While everything continues to fall apart at a network that was once filled with ground-breaking shows and personalities I'll be watching TV One or reading a new book.

-BIG D O