Top 20 Hip Hop music videos from the "Yo! MTV Raps" era

[Woops]

"Yo! MTV Raps" page from MTV.com

The criteria:

1. Heavy rotation on "Yo! MTV Raps" (1988 to 1995)
2. Memorable images
3. Popularity/influence of the artist

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Parents Just Don't Understand" wasn't ranked because it was already in heavy rotation before "Yo! MTV Raps" aired in August of 1988. Though about a dozen   appeared to been very popular or also had heavy rotation on MTV (back when they actually aired music videos).

(with official YouTube links)

20. De La Soul "Buddy" (1989)
19. MC Hammer "Turn This Mutha Out" (1989)
18. Geto Boys "Minds Playing Tricks On Me" (1991)
17. Stop The Violence Movement "Self Destruction" (1989)
16. Naughty By Nature "OPP" (1991)
15. 2 Live Crew "Me So H___y" (1989)
14. NWA "Express Yourself" (1988)
13. Big Daddy Kane "Ain't Half Steppin" (1988)
12. Beastie Boys "Hey Ladies" (1989)
11. LL Cool J "Mama Said Knock You Out" (1991)
10. Boogie Down Productions "My Philosphy" (1988)
9. Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock "It Takes Two" (1988)
8. Eric B & Rakim "Microphone Fiend" (1988)
7. Salt N' Pepa "Push It" (1987, though probably had little or no airplay 'til 1988)
6. Ice Cube "It Was Good Day" (1993)
5. Public Enemy "Fight The Power" (1989)
4. Notorious BIG "Warning" (1994)
3. TuPac "Keep Ya Head Up" (1993)
2. Run DMC "Run's House" (1988)
1. Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang" (1993)

"It's Tricky" and "Walk This Way" would Run DMC's best. Though both predated "Yo! MTV Raps" by about three years.

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five "The Message"  (1982) is another good video, but not sure if it ever got played on MTV or on the show.

Videos from the "Yo!" era:

Sir Mix-a-Lot "Baby Got Back"
Tone Loc "Wild Thing" (or "Funky Cold Medina", which I saw for the first time some days ago   )
Young MC "Bust A Move"
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Summertime"

[Woops]

Forgot to mention it was ranked by MTV2 (the original hosts of 'Yo! MTV Raps'),


Saw Coolio's "Fantastic Voyage", which I haven't seen for over a decade. 

[Out of the Blue]

Coolio had that one big hit and then he seemed to disappear.  I don't think MTV gave any of his other music much of a chance.

[Woops]

Coolio also had "Gangsta's Paradise"  from the "Dangerous Minds" soundtrack, which Weird Al parodied as "Amish Paradise".

[Woops]

MTV2's celebration of the 20th anniversary of "Yo! MTV Raps" is much better than  Moronic TV did for the 20th anniversary of the channel. Though I didn't have MTV2 at the time.


Random classic videos (three within a half hour or five in an hour is better than nothing) and clips from the show before the video. The downside, they also throw in current garbage.


During the 20th, Moronic TV aired a day long special featuring classic promos, clips of music videos (like two minutes out of a 4/5 minute music video), interview bits, and that's it. Also a two hour celebration and some documentry specials about the network.

Plus, a mediocre DVD set featuring mostly forgettable videos from the mid 1990's.




During the 25th, MTV2 hardly did anything but an hour featuring 2 minute clips of popular videos from the years.

[Woops]

It's over. Now back to whatever garbage they're used to airing now... 

[Woops]

VH1 is doing one of those lists, this time it's "100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs"...

Like the majority  of there lists, it's mediocre


OK, Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" is #1

Wouldn't be suprised considering that Flava Flav is a staple on the network...



Not a fan of gangsta rap, though I like Dr. Dre's "Nothing But A 'G' Thang", but there's too much 2000's rap. Well atleast no Soulja Boy.

VH1 100 Greatest Rap Songs


Here's the Top 20

20. Kanye West featuring Jaime Foxx "Gold Digger"
19. Ice T "Colors"
18. 50 Cent "In Da Club"
17. Sir Mix-a-Lot "Baby Got Back"
16. Missy Elliott "Get Ur Freak On"
15. Eminem "Stan"
14. TuPac "I Get Around"
13. Wu Tang Clan "C.R.E.A.M."
12. LL Cool J "I Can't Live Without My Radio"
11. Jay Z "Hard Knock Life"
10. Kurtis Blow "The Breaks"
9. Salt N' Pepa "Push It"
8. Snoop Doggy Dogg "Gin & Juice"
7. Notorious BIG "Juicy"
6. NWA "Straight Outta Compton"
5. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 "The Message"
4. Run DMC featuring Aerosmith "Walk This Way"
3. Dr. Dre "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang"
2. Sugarhill Gang "Rapper's Delight"
1. Public Enemy "Fight The Power"

Favorites that weren't ranked...

Beastie Boys "Brass Monkey"
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince "Summertime"
LL Cool J "Mama Said Knock You Out"
RUN DMC "It's Tricky"
Positive K "I Gotta Man"
Salt N' Pepa "Let's Talk About Sex"
Onyx "Slam"
Mellow Man Ace "Mentirosa"
Fat Boys "Wipe Out"
Black Eyed Peas "Where's The Love?" (From the 2000's hip songs listed, this wasn't mentioned...    )

[Woops]

MTV2 treated the "Yo! MTV Raps" 20th anniversary better compared to "Headbangers' Ball" 20th (actually 21st)...


About a dozen clips were shown from excerpts from interviews, VJs (ie Ed Lover's dance), freestyle, and artists like Snoop Dogg reminiscing about the show to J Lo's brief appearance in a 1989 episode. The only setback was that the clips were "letterboxed" and about three videos were played in a half hour (or about 5 in an hour)  with current rap videos.

Also it lasted a month...



By MTV's 30th, VH1 Classic should air vintage Moronic TV interviews, programming (1st episode of "Yo!", full "Headbanger's", interviews, performances,  VMAs, specials), etc. 

 I heard that they aired reruns of "Club MTV" some years ago and played the first videos MTV aired on it's 25th...


Then again, that network only shows videos by night/morning and mostly movies, specials, and "Pop Up Video"... wouldn't be suprised if they start to air more  rejected VH1 garbage in less than 5 years.  Not to mention that MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central are owned by Viacom. 

[Out of the Blue]

Deborah was on at least two episodes of Club MTV.

[Woops]

A few are on YouTube, but non from Deb. There's one featuring a clip of Expose.

Oddly, Siouxsie & The Banshees also appeared, which I found odd since I never thought they were mainstream...

Only if that tape I recorded from 1997 didn't get ruined and/or taped over... Also a Samantha Fox clip was shown on a VH1 show that aired dance/pop videos that lasted a few months.

[Woops]

Ranking numbers of rap songs from MTV's year end countdowns 1986 to 1994

Plus. I'm sure there's more popular rap songs that were Top 40 hits in the '80's & 1990  from LL Cool J, Salt N' Pepa, De La Soul, Biz Markie, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, etc. Then again, there's more glaring omissions on MTV's year end lists...  


Also noticed a very low count on 1992, though there's a fair number of R&B and some rock along with alternative, which the network tend to have more favortism towards...


1986 1

20. Walk This Way – Run DMC

1987 3

98. Run DMC - It's Tricky
73. Fat Boys feat.  Beach Boys - Wipeout
50. Beastie Boys - (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)
 
1988 2

85. The Fat Boys feat. Chubby Checker - The Twist
22. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don’t Understand

1989 4

85. Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc
82. Friends - Jody Watley  feat. Erik B & Rakim
63. Bust A Move - Young MC
39. Wild Thing - Tone Loc

1990 6

99. Public Enemy- 911 Is A Joke
72. Digital Underground- The Humpty Dance
61. MC Hammer- Have You Seen Her
23. MC Hammer- Pray
7. Vanilla Ice- Ice Ice Baby  
1. MC Hammer- U Can't Touch This

1991 19

95 Anthrax feat. Public Enemy - Bring the Noise
88 REM with KRS One - Radio Song
81 Gerardo - Rico Suave
79 Urban Dance Squad - Deeper Shade Of Soul
77 Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch - Wildside
73 Hammer - 2 Legit 2 Quit
67 Heavy D & The Boyz - Now That We Found Love
61 Salt 'n' Pepa - Do You Want Me
57 C+C Music Factory - Things That Make You Go Hmmm
55 Another Bad Creation - Playground
49 PM Dawn - Set Adrift On Memory Bliss
43 Hammer - Addams Groove
39 LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out
33 Salt 'n' Pepa - Let's Talk About Sex
29 DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime
26 C+C Music Factory - Here We Go, Let's Rock N Roll
24 Naughty By Nature - O.P.P.
20 Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations
8 C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)


1992 7  
 
66 Kris Kross - Warm It Up
53 House Of Pain - Jump Around
47 Wreckx 'n' Effect - Rump Shaker
36 Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back
27 Arrested Development - People Everyday
22 PM Dawn - I'd Die Without You
16 Kris Kross - Jump

1993 17

100 Digable Planets - Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
87 2Pac - I Get Around
76 Ice Cube - Check Yo Self
61 Positive K - I Got A Man
51 Wreckx 'n' Effect - Rump Shaker (again)
44 Dr. Dre - Let Me Ride
39 Tag Team - Whoomp! (There It Is)
36 Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day
33 Snow - Informer
31 Salt 'n' Pepa - Shoop
30 PM Dawn - Looking Through Patient Eyes
26 Dr. Dre - Dre Day
22 Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain
18 Snoop Doggy Dogg - What's My Name?
16 Arrested Development - Mr. Wendal
13 Onyx - Slam
8 Naughty By Nature - Hip Hop Hooray
3 Dr. Dre - Nuthin' But A ‘G’ Thang


There's a good amount of rap videos on MTV's 1994 year end countdown, though mostly gangsta rap...


1994 20

93 Nuttin' but love/Heavy D & the Boyz
91 Funkdafied/Da Brat
88 Heaven 'n Hell/Salt-n-Pepa
77 Sure Shot/Beastie Boys
73 Do you see/Warren G
69 U.N.I.T.Y./Queen Latifah
63 You know how we do it/Ice Cube
59 Getto Jam/Domino
52 I Remember/Coolo
49 Here comes the hotstepper/Ini Kamoze
46 cantaloop/US3
40 Doggy Dogg world/Snoop Doggy Dogg
34 Bop Gun/Ice Cube
30 This D.J./Warren G
24 None of your business/Salt-n-Pepa
21 Murder was the case/Snoop Doggy Dogg  
11 Regulate/Warren G  
8 Fantastic Voyage/Coolio
5 Whatta Man/Salt-n-Pepe w/ En Vogue
3 Gin and Juice/Snoop Doggy Dogg

[Woops]

Heavy D passed away. He was 44  

All condolences to his family, friends, and fans.


One of his best known hits from the early 1990's: Now That We Found Love

"Mr. Big Stuff"

He also provided the theme for "In Living Color".

[Out of the Blue]

That's sad to hear.  I liked that guy.