MTV Reinvents “Yo! MTV Raps” Across Linear and Digital Platforms Kicking Off With 30th Anniversary

by Kathy Grear 05/03/2018

Network Will Live Stream Event Featuring Eric B & Rakim, KRS ONE, Flavor Flav, EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, T-Money, Fab Five Freddy, Fat Joe and More

New York — Thirty years after its premiere on MTV, “YO! MTV Raps” legacy continues to have a lasting influence on hip-hop and pop culture. To celebrate this milestone anniversary, MTV will reinvent the franchise for a new generation as both a linear and digital series across its platforms. To kick things off, show alumni, artists and fans will gather for the “YO! MTV Raps: 30th Anniversary Experience” on Friday, June 1st at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, which will be live streamed by MTV.

After its debut on August 6th, 1988, “YO! MTV Raps” became the premiere source for all things hip-hop. The advent of the series was crucial to the rise of hip-hop, and created a worldwide appreciation of the genre, which has since become one of the most influential in mainstream music.

The “YO! MTV Raps: 30th Anniversary Experience” will bring together an all-star line-up of the series’ alumni and hip-hop legends including Big Daddy Kane and the Juice Crew, Eric B & Rakim, Doug E. Fresh, KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions, Fat Joe, Yo-Yo, Onyx, EPMD, Flavor Flav, YBT Tap the bottle reunion, Black Sheep, DAS EFX, Special Ed, Pharcyde, Brand Nubian, Nice & Smooth, Melle Mel & The Furious Five, Kid Capri, DJ Skribble, Red Alert, Chuck Chillout, Fab 5 Freddy, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, T-Money and others for a night to remember.

The event will also feature special tribute videos from Eminem, Method Man, Redman and more.

For more information about the event, tickets and additional artist announcements, follow “YO! MTV Raps: 30th Anniversary Experience” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

For more details, visit www.yomtvrapsexperience.com

Tickets to the show go on sale on Friday, April 20 at 10AM ET and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com and barclayscenter.com or by calling 800-­745-­3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office beginning at 12PM ET on Saturday, April 21.

The “YO! MTV Raps: 30th Anniversary Experience” is the brainchild of Charlie Stettler, who, with his partner Lynda West, managed and developed the careers of the Fat Boys, Ed Lover & Doctor Dré, Leslie “Big Lez” Segar and DJ Skribble, among others. Stettler, along with “YO! MTV Raps: 30th Anniversary Experience” co-producers Blue Williams, Matthew Kemp, Sal Abbatiello and DJ Skribble, helped usher in the hip-­hop mainstream revolution. The live stream is Executive Produced by Eric Conte, of Content.23 Media.

About Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment:
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) develops and operates state-of-the-art venues and manages premier sports franchises, delivering dynamic content and experiences for audiences. BSE oversees programming, marketing, sales, and operations for Barclays Center; NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum; LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre; and Webster Hall. BSE manages and controls the Brooklyn Nets and its NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets, as well as the business operations of the NHL’s New York Islanders. Barclays Center, which opened on September 28, 2012, offers 17,732 seats for basketball, 15,795 for hockey, and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and has 101 luxury suites, four bars/lounges, four clubs, and Parm Italian Restaurant & 40/40 CLUB by Tanduay Rum. NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, reopened on April 5, 2017 after undergoing an extensive renovation. The Coliseum offers 14,500 seats for basketball, MMA and boxing, 13,900 for hockey, up to 15,000 for concerts, and 4,500 seats for its theater configuration. With a focus on emerging businesses, BSE identifies and creates alliances, strategic partnerships and other business opportunities to ensure the success of its assets.

About MTV:
MTV is a global youth culture brand inspired by music. For more information, check out mtvpress.com. MTV is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA)