YO! MTV Raps

YO! MTV RAPS made a comeback thanks to MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount+.

Hosted by rapper Conceited and DJ Diamond Kuts, the new edition will feature live performances, cyphers, and lifestyle content that aims to provide a deep dive into the current state of hip-hop music and culture. YO! MTV RAPS will premiere this spring on Paramount+ in the U.S., and all international regions where the streaming platform is available.

The original YO! MTV RAPS, which premiered in 1988, was a fan-favorite two-hour television music video program created by Peter Dougherty and Ted Demme, who also served as director. It was originally hosted by filmmaker and hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy before Dr. Dre and Demme’s high-school friend Ed Lover became series regular co-hosts. Bruce Gillmer, chief content officer of music at Paramount+ and president of music, music talent, programming, and events at Paramount, said in a statement, “YO! MTV RAPS is truly one of the most groundbreaking, iconic music series to date. The wildly popular franchise introduced  hip-hop to the world and along the way helped launch the careers of countless artists.”

Our friends at MTV,  executive producer Jen Demme, and creative director Esteban Serrano called on HollandWest to reimagine YO! When we first took on the task, we knew what kind of pressure we were up against given how iconic this show is. YO! was a place where Hip Hop artists broke. Our main mission was to keep its authenticity but what would YO! look like in 2022. We called on the best of the best to help us with that from the amazing architect and set designer Davon Johnson to the lighting master Shawn Kaufman. We also called on industry vet Eric Wycoff as director of photography. With Eric, we wanted to make sure we kept the vision of the old YO! in the way it was shot in a very docu sometimes first person point of view. We wanted to camera to never feel like it was locked off and something was always moving. We are very proud of what we were able to accomplish and the reception of the reboot made it more special.

Directors, Executive Producers
Warren Oliver | Kurt Williamson