Yo! MTV Raps will go international in 2019 as the network announced plans to bring a special, limited edition version of the groundbreaking hip-hop show to MTVs offshoots in Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa.
A U.K. edition of Yo! MTV Raps will debut on September 25th, with versions centered on the rap scene in Germany, Southeast Asia and Africa to follow in 2019. Each edition will enjoy a 20-episode run, with the potential for a longer series order, Variety reports.
Our reimagined Yo! MTV Raps series will celebrate all aspects of hip hop culture and the global force it has become. Music will of course be at the heart of each episode, MTV Internationals global head of music and talent Bruce Gillmer said in a statement. Relaunching this legendary franchise with local perspectives will give todays generation of hip hop lovers a fresh platform to share their passion and love for hip hop all over the world.
Earlier this year, MTV announced plans to reinvent Yo! MTV Raps for the series 30th anniversary; the show debuted in August 1988. While plans for a U.S. relaunch have yet to be cemented, Yo! MTV Raps celebrated its 30th birthday with an all-star concert featuring many of the hip-hop acts spotlighted in the series.
Doctor Dre, who along with Ed Lover co-hosted Yo! MTV Raps, told Rolling Stone in April, Yo! MTV Raps actually put hip-hop on the map around the globe. From southeast Asia to Peru, Argentina. Antarctica even used to watchYo! MTV Raps. I used to get from mail from many different African nations including Wakanda.
MTV has been in a nostalgic mood in 2018 as the network has also announced reboots of Daria, The Real World, Aeon Flux and, most recently, The Hills.