Wax Poetics explains, "Yo! MTV Raps exploded onto cable television on August 6, 1988. Yo! MTV Raps was a huge hit because it was necessary. Perhaps the most potent catalyst in hip-hop’s infiltration of the mainstream, Yo! beamed future superstars and regional rap heroes alike into living rooms for the first time ever." On August 17, 1995, Yo! MTV Raps aired its final episode, which concluded with an epic freestyle cipher featuring legends like Rakim, KRS-One, Erick Sermon, MC Serch, Redman, Method Man, Craig Mack, Chubb Rock, Large Professor, Special Ed, and hosted by Doctor Dre and Ed Lover. From 1996 to 1999, MTV repackaged it as simply Yo! The repackaged version was far more stripped down. Yo! had a weekly slate of special guest hosts. For instance, Angie Martinez and Fatman Scoop served as its hosts. By 1998, Yo! had no guest hosts and became a one-hour program airing late Friday nights at 1 a.m. or 1:30 a.m. In 2000, MTV's outlet for hip-hop videos became Direct Effect, known since 2006 as Sucker Free. As time goes by, MTV has played less and less music videos, but you already knew that! I miss these old days, so once again, reminisce with me below...