Peter Dougherty, who played an influential role in introducing rap to mainstream MTV audiences by way of‘Yo! MTV Raps,’ passed away earlier this month on Oct. 12 from a heart attack. He was 59.
“MTV Raps” debuted in August 1988 and grew almost instantly after first airing. It eventually became a weekly show hosted by Fab 5 Freddy in October of 1988. By March 1989, the show was airing daily with hosts Ed Lover and Dr. Dre and went on to become the highest rated show in MTV history.
In 2013 for the 25-year anniversary of Yo! MTV Raps, iconic streetwear brand Stüssy teamed up with Yo! to released a two-part documentary to commemorate the show’s impact on hip-hop culture. “Yo! MTV Raps transmitted the culture of Rap to millions of homes at a time when there were only a handful of local outlets to see a rap video,” Stussy wrote in a statement. “The style, the trends, the language of Rap began to influence popular culture and by the time the show left the air in 1995, the genre was no longer the best kept secret.”
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