Back in the day, radio stations did not or rarely play Hip Hop. If they did, it was usually at night or on the weekend. The same was true for rap videos, there was no YouTube, and music stations didn’t air rap videos that much. Maybe RUN-DMC or LL Cool J got some airtime but that’s about it.
That all changed, (well sort of) when BET followed the lead of then-rival MTV which had YO! MTV Raps started a show called Rap City. Similarly, to YO! MTV Raps Rap City not only play videos but interviewed most of the big names in Hip Hop. Unlike YO!, which was taken off the air in 1995, Rap City continued almost a decade into the early 2000s.
From the beginning, there have been several hosts of Rap City. From Mayor Chris Thomas to Big Lez. Probably the most memorable host of the show was Big Tigger. Not only because he was the longest tenure host (1998-2005) but also because he was part of one the most popular segments of the program.
In 1999, the show was re-packaged from a traveling show to in studio format which was now called Rap City: The Basement. With the new format, artists not only answered questions but had a chance to show their skills. The Freestyle Booth became iconic for the culture because it featured one of the essences of the culture which is lyrics.
However, oftentimes, not only did the emcee shine but also the host. Big Tigger became known to grab the mic with the artist and spit some dope rhymes himself.
Here are a couple of the memorable moments from the show, check them out below.
Although there have been several attempts to try to resurrect Rap City, even Tigger himself said in an interview last year that it was coming back, there hasn’t been anything that has duplicated it.
I got a chance to talk with Big Tigger about the impact of the show and his contribution to the culture. Check out the interview below.