Growing up in the Bronx, New York as teenager has given me a certain love for rap music. However, I can’t say that I support most of the hip hop that we hear on the airwaves today. Most of it is just downright rated X because of the lyrical content.
Whatever happen to hip hop of the old days, when you were able to enjoy hot beats and lyrics that didn’t degrade women or promote violence. What happen to Whodini with songs like “Friends” and Will Smith’s “Summertime”.
When I heard about a new show that was coming to VH1 called “Ego Trip’s White Rapper Show”, I had to check it out for myself. Since the first rhymes flowed in the parks of the Bronx and South Bronx, historically, most of rap’s major emcees have been African American. Then, in the 1980’s, NYC’s Beastie Boys changed the face of rap music and crossed over rap’s race divide to great world wide fame.
In 1999, Marshall “Eminem” Mathers did the same, becoming the undisputed King of Rap and blew the critics away when his first project went multi platinum. These days , Slim Shady seems to be more involved in domestic issues than in making hits. VH1 seems to be really concerned about rap’s future, and thus a reality TV show is born.
Who will be the next great white emcee of the new millennium?
That’s the question that was answered on the new VH1 series.
The show is hosted by white rap legend Michael “MC Serch” Berrin (of the group 3rd Bass – said to be the missing link between the Beasties and Eminem) – and produced with Ken Mok and his 10×10 production team (the people that are also behind Tyra Bank’s mega hit America’s Next Top Model), Ego Trip’s White Rapper Show will go where no other network has dared to go before in hopes of finding the next great white emcee.
There were 10 final contestants from many different backgrounds that were chosen to live in the “White House”. They had to sleep, compete, eat and make hot lyrics together. Every week there was one less white rap hopeful and more and more sneakers hanging on the line.
It came down to the final four where, Persia, Jus Rhyme, John Brown and Shamrock were left to battle it out and unfortunately, Persia chocked and was asked to step off which left just three. The following week Jus Rhyme lost his battle and his sneakers and then there were two.
The California native turned Brooklyn boy John Brown certainly seemed to have some skills on the mic, but in the end, Shamrock from the ATL took the battle and the prize of $100,000.00. Shamrock vowed that after he hooked up his boy for looking out for him and helping his family, that it was going to be all about the music. I wish you all the best Shamrock and try and keep it clean!
