

loves to make grandiose statements about how important this competition is. Meanwhile, Chance loves to simply state when something is “not good.” T.I. At one point, Cardi compares someone’s music video to bad sex. The touching scenes are balanced out by a healthy dose of comedy courtesy of the judges’ raw energy. These anecdotes add much more weight to the competition. A lot of the artists carry stories of perseverance-whether that means leaving a poverty-ridden household, or performing in memory of a lost one. Those were great because we finally started to learn more about the actual contestants, both personality-wise and background-wise (the music video episode did a nice job of highlighting these aspects). 16 episodes included cyphers, rap battles and music videos. Things have really started to heat up though. Nonetheless, it was cool seeing the star power.

Most of them were honestly too nice (although Snoop Dogg and Quavo had some hilarious moments they seemed baked to be honest.). Superstars like Snoop Dogg, Big Boi, Twista, Jadakiss, Quavo and Royce de 5’9” appear in their respective cities. The auditions also feature some guest judges and uproarious montages of the worst performances (I love the one where the kid wears a baby around his neck). And since each audition was held in their respective homes (Chicago, Atlanta and New York), there’s a great deal of competition between the judges as well. There’s a lot of fun to be had between T.I.’s tough-guy stoicism, Cardi’s raucous laughter, and Chance’s blunt criticisms. The contrasting personalities of each judge is what really makes the preliminary rounds so appealing. and Chance the Rapper are the main ones) decide who goes on to the next round. Aspiring artists rap a verse, and the judges (Cardi B, T.I. The first four episodes are probably the least interesting, mainly because it follows the same mundane audition formula as past music competitions. And honestly, why shouldn’t be? The show encapsulates hip hop culture to the fullest.
Rhythm and flow beanz vs flawless episode tv#
The prize is a hefty $250,000-making this one of the most expensive programs in rap TV history. The concept of the show is plain and simple whoever is the best all-around rapper, wins. So far, seven episodes have been released, with the final three coming out Wednesday Oct. It’s funny, charming, socially conscious, and surprisingly well-structured. No one can convince me otherwise.Īnother undisputed fact (I sound like a millennial, don’t I?) Netflix may have just found their hidden gem with Rhythm & Flow-the newest, and maybe most delightful rap reality show ever. For example, 13 Reasons Why is a disgrace to entertainment, while Big Mouth is the show of our generation. Their contributions are normally hit or miss, especially when it comes to their TV shows.

The longtime streaming service has recently morphed into a dumping ground for content that wouldn’t find prosperity in a conventional location ( movies especially-though I do enjoy their originals). Sorry, just being honest.īut alas! Netflix is here to save the day. Places like CBS or ABC would much rather rake in the revenue off of low-brow sit-coms that only appeal to white middle class families ( The Big Bang Theory and The Middle are common scapegoats). Too many networks aren’t willing to take risks on past failures. It’s tough to land any nationally-televised program without a prior blueprint, let alone a successful one. Virtually all of them were cancelled at some point throughout their tenure, leading many to believe a “Rap American Idol” would never be possible.Īccording to Breihan, a lot of the above-listed shows developed in an era when reality television was still trying to find its footing in a dense landscape. Much of the column presents all of these shows as failures because well, they were. Some were funny ( Ego Trip’s The White Rapper Show), some were weird ( Celebrity Rap Superstar) the rest were borderline forgettable. In his most recent summary, Breihan compiles a range of different hip hop reality shows over the past millennium. On Wednesday, Stereogum writer Tom Breihan submitted a post for his phenomenal “Status Ain’t Hood” column-a weekly rap roundup that directly inspired what you’re reading now.
