Gen Z and even most Millennials are too young to remember when MTV played music. They came up in the YouTube era, where you can find any artist any time with a quick search instead of having to wait for your favorite to pop up in rotation. But the younger generation is now getting a taste of what growing up was like for music fans in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Paramount+, the streaming network that’s home to Paramount Media Networks shows, recently revived one of MTV’s seminal shows, YO! MTV Raps. It’s a throwback to a time when people were introduced to new music through videos, and you couldn’t just find an artist’s YouTube channel to see their latest release.
The reboot has several executive producers, including Warren Oliver and Kurt Williamson through their production company, HollandWest Productions. They say the program represents both an homage and a new direction, but most of all, it’s a salute to the unique genre of music.