YEARS ON AIR: 1994-1994
HOST: Michael Holman
It surely sounded like a good idea: an urban-flavored music show that would do for rap and street culture what Soul Train did for R&B, funk, and soul. In 1994, filmmaker-writer-impresario Michael Holman — who claims to be the first to use the word “hip-hop” in print — assembled a collection of rap stars and studio dancers (including, oddly enough, a young Vincent Gallo, billed as Prince Vince) and shot a 23-minute pilot for New York City’s WPIX. Alas, the show would not have the enduring appeal of Soul Train. After a single airing in June, the show was quickly abandoned, only to enjoy a second life when a DVD was released many years later.
NOTABLE GUESTS: Kool Moe Dee, Shannon, Special K, and Run-DMC (below, performing “Sucker MCs”)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrMIsIQPoE4]