Now off the air since the mid-nineties, the more youthful among us might best recall Yo! MTV Raps as the show Ice Cube's pal Short Dog was watching on his eponymous "Good Day." ("What's the 'haps on the craps? Shake 'em up, shake 'em up...") For the uninformed: the show debuted at the peak of the hip-hop revolution in the eighties, when televised music videos were at their peak, and MTV was the numero uno destination for America's coolest cats.

Now, over twenty-five years since it was first canceled, Paramount+ have announced that the show is to return exclusively on the streamer.

The return of the trailblazing show, once the nexus of hip-hop culture in the United States, will be helmed by battle rapper Conceited and DJ Diamond Kuts. "The reimagined global iteration will include hosted segments, live performances, cyphers, and lifestyle content," a release for the show promises, "and serve as a comprehensive deep dive into the current state of hip-hop." The world of hip-hop has changed significantly since the eighties: it now inarguably stands as the most dominant force in American music, with a broader shift from the braggadocio of gangster rap to the self-conscious introspection pioneered by such modern artists as Drake, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), and Kendrick Lamar.

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Image via Paramount+

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The series' original run was pivotal to the growth in popularity of rap music worldwide, embedding the genre and greater hip-hop culture across the globe. This announcement comes just after Paramount revealed a slew of new content to hit their streaming platform, including every movie made by the studio for theatrical release from 2024 — albeit with a traditional theatrical window. Projects include a new animated Transformers film, Mission Impossible 8, and the third installment to John Krasinski's post-apocalyptic A Quiet Place trilogy.

Bruce Gillmer, the CCO for music at Paramount+, said:

"“Yo! MTV Raps is truly one of the most groundbreaking, iconic music series to date. The wildly popular franchise introduced hip hop to the world and along the way helped launch the careers of countless artists. Conceited and DJ Diamond Kuts are the perfect pair to bring new life and energy to our storied past, as we merge the show’s legacy with the fresh faces of hip hop’s present and future, taking YO! worldwide to a whole new generation of fans on Paramount+.”

Yo! MTV Raps is set to hit Paramount+ at some point in the spring. Executive producers for the series include Kurt Williamson, Warren Oliver, and Michelle Kenner of HollandWest Productions. Kim Velona is head of production. Bruce Gillmer and Jennifer Demme serve as executive producers for MTV.

Here's a clip from the classic show: