Who's watching? From what I've seen it's a sensationally thorough examination of hip hop. Very well done.

I watched three hours of it last night and thought it was amazing.
the footage in part I from all the old school parties was so cool.
it will be interesting to see how it tackles the 90s through the present.

Yeah, it was great to finally see the originators get their props!

I'm watching it right now. They are touching a lot of the major bases and the insight is on point (especially the commentary on the early origins of west coast hip hop and gangsta rap).

It's awesome what they've documented, but they've left out a few things:

The role women played in Hip-Hop (Misogyny, The success of Salt & Pepa)

The Alternative to the mainstream (Tribe Called Quest, D La Soul, Digable Planets)

Outkast (The best Hip-Hop act out there now)


etc., etc., etc.,

NWF said:

Well, the concluding episode "Hip Hop America" comes on tomorrow. Maybe they'll cover that then.

Plus, they're airing a special right now called "Freestyle: The Story of Underground Hip Hop."
[Edited 10/7/04 23:02pm]

I was really getting into it, then "The Apprentice" came on. Anyways, it was cool looking back. LL was so young-looking (and it's clear he had his nose did). Rick Rubin's got the Mountain Man thing goin' on now.

I noticed Vanessa Williams (not the Miss America one) in somebody's video...LLs? or was it The Fresh Prince's?

Gotta catch the series again.

anyone knows when this will be on VH1 Europe??

I'm loving it!! The definitely left out the women of Hip hop which is disappointing.


Vanessa was in the Fresh Prince video. I think its interesting that ppl think Will Smith gets no love in the rap game and yet it seems differently.


I liked the freestyle battle.

The women are being discussed now. Most of the focus, however, is on Lil Kim and Foxy Brown - the sexual aspect of women in hip hop. I would much rather hear about Mc Lyte, Salt n Pepa, or Shante.

CynicKill said:

Likewise!

Hopefully they'll do a whole hour on women but if they're focusing JUST on Foxy and Kim then that's a shortchange. They did almost a whole hour on Run DMC which they should have but c'mon if they can do that then shurely they can represent the ladies.

NWF said:

Agreed! I would like to see them profile how woman have played an intricate role in hip-hop. From Salt N' Pepa, Queen Latifah to Foxy Brown, Lauryn Hill and even Lil Kim with her jacked-up self.


They briefly mentioned De La Soul on Wednesday's episode (about Gangsta Rap)


They DEFINITLEY need to profile how Atlanta and the south has been put on the map!

The problem is there's too much to cover, and like the "Jazz" series people will be upset that someone got the shaft.
[Edited 10/8/04 9:48am]

JANFAN4L said:

Well, it pretty much started with 'Ice-T' and 'N.W.A.', but they missed on some of the earlier artists such as 'Too Short', 'L.A. Dream Team', 'The Egyptian Lover', etc.. Although "Ice-T' and 'N.W.A.' may be the some of the early highlights, It would have been nice to see some of those guys get some props as well.

Rhondab said:

One of the episodes I watched, (although it was not in depth), featured female rappers "Sharock', 'Roxanne Shante', The Real Roxanne', 'Salt N' Peppa', 'Queen Latifa', and M.C. Lyte'.

Are we all talkin' 'bout the same show?: "30 Years Of Hip-Hop"
[Edited 10/8/04 10:57am]

I loved watching it especially the early 80's new york scene stuff that is my fav!! I would have liked to live there back then I like it better than the 90's west coast "gangsta" rap that was popular when I was a kid.

AsianConnection said:

I feel you.

They could've talked about Dre's early days in the World Class Wreckin' Cru and all the dances that came out at that time like the "Cabbage Patch" and the "Running Man," etc. (That would've been a cool little segment). AND WHAT'S UP WITH NANN MENTION OF RODNEY O & JOE COOLEY?

Matter 'fact, they could've touched on KDAY and the impact it had on radio back in the '80s, how it was the first 24 hour rap radio station (and it was based in Los Angeles).

Did they talk about the different social awareness movements like "Self Destruction/Stop The Violence" movement in the East and "We're All In The Same Gang" movement in the West? I tuned in kind of late.
[Edited 10/8/04 15:35pm]

Rhondab said:

The Fresh Prince definitely has a place in the hip hop strata. I'm glad the doc didn't stoop the level of reducing him to rapper-turned-actor. I really enjoyed that old footage with Will Smith backstage with LL, Run DMC, Russell Simmons and Public Enemy at the Def Jam Tour.

He has been down for hip hop since day one. He boycotted the Grammys, spoke up for Public Enemy when they were being criticized, etc. He's really cool.

Also, Hammer (all jokes aside) is a hip hop legend. When you think about it, that guy has history. He was deep in Oakland and he remembers being impacted by the Black Panthers and their free breakfast program. Hammer set the stage for a lot of emcees to get that crossover appeal. Eminem should be thankful to those cats like Hammer instead of lampooning him in his new vid.

AsianConnection said:

I caught that segment too. I was surprised that "Sequence" (Angie Stone's group) were not mentioned. They were the first female rappers I ever heard of.

I don't know if there's a video for SNP's " The Show Stopper" (there answer to Doug E. Fresh's "The Show"), but that would've been fun to see.

And again. What ever happened to the original Spinderalla?

Did VH1 give Slick Rick, EPMD & Third Base their props?

Did anyone catch the Krush Groove movie that game on afterwards ? I've seen the movie before I've been recently downloading some old school hip hop songs. I loved some of the songs from the movie. I wish I could get the soundtrack I can't seem to find it off of Amazon or music store .

Sheila E Holly Rock
Kurtis Blow If I Rule The World
Fat Boys All You Can Eat
Run DMC King Of Rock
Full Force Tender Love

JANFAN4L said:

I feel You right back! Damn, How did I forget about 'Rodney O & Joe Cooley'!
MY BAD!!

UptownDeb said:

Yeah, they (The Sequence) were mentioned as the first female rap group. Watch it again.
[Edited 10/9/04 7:17am]
[Edited 10/9/04 7:21am]

ok...question for the old schoolers... They were giving much love to Yo Mtv Raps...but I swore Rap City was on the air way before Yo.....

Is my memory failing?

I watched the two episodes about the very beginning of hip hop. They talked about The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, The Sequence, Blondie, Kurtis Blow, Africa Bambatta and the Soul Sonic Force, and Run DMC. They also showed the DJs and MCs throwing parties in the parks, breakdancing, and graffitti. These are the years that I enjoyed hip hop, when the music was about a party and the rappers dressed like stars instead of average, everyday thugs. When they got into the late 1980s and the slower, stripped down hip hop, I turned the channel.

JANFAN4L said:

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout. No Toddy T ("Batterram"), Low Profile (WC's first crew), KDAY (heartbreaking), etc... It sucks they didn't get their due, but oh well, so long as people like yourself KNOW what time it is.
WESTSIIIIDE!!!!!

It was alright

vainandy said:

Judging from some of your previous posts, I'm surprised you watched it at all.

In the early days of hip hop, I thoroughly enjoyed it and was the first to defend it. When the tempo slowed down and it started sounding like talking over a stripped down beat, I was the first to throw rocks at it. And when it totally took over to where that's all you hear and no more good music is being made because everyone is following that trend, I began hoping it would die.