Wait a minute, now. Didn’t Yo! MTV Raps start in 1988? Why would they go back in time to play videos from 1987? Well, there weren’t as many rap videos back then as you might think. But, more than that, 1987 had some songs so large, they’re still livin’ today. In the year of Yo’s inception, here’s a couple of oldies but goodies you might have seen on that 13″ screen. I know I did.

This fuckin’ video is so tight. If it doesn’t have you doing the wop instantaneously, you don’t love hip-hop. As “bad” as this whole mini-movie is–from LL handing out fliers “so these knuckleheads stop taking drugs” to his fist-clenchingly final “Awwwwwwwww…!!!!”–my favorite part was, is, and always will be Cool J “crushing a jellybean” next to a bunch of empty cable reels. Seriously, despite the car chases and gangsters, the best part is LL giving the prototypical “rapping to the camera” performance, dancing and crouching in an empty room, proving for all time why suckers fear and ladies love cool James.

Speaking of rapping to camera, few people showed us how to do it as well as the God, Rakim. There are old songs that sound old, and then there are songs that still rock a party to this day. Sure, I haven’t been to a party in a while, let alone one that was playing old-man rap. But I’m willing to bet this joint still gets the floor jumping. In Brian Coleman’s book Rakim Told Me (or the updated edition, Check The Technique), Rakim says of this song: “Back then I tried to think of slogans that somebody would want to put on the side of their car, or say all day. So that was like the ultimate.” And it still is. Note to Rob Rush: I have an idea for your back piece…

Man, if that don’t make you wanna rap, you ain’t a rapper. And most of the people who read this shit are rappers, so…go to it. If you get stuck, try making up new words, like “imaginate”! It worked for the best, it might work for you, too. If you do a really good job, maybe someone will sample your lyrics and make a new hook, just like they did with seemingly every other line of this song. If that isn’t a testimony to its place in the pantheon, I don’t know what is. And was that Flava Flav as the dancer? Also, don’t lie–you are kind of considering buying a sweatsuit right about now. Don’t. It works on Rakim. It won’t work on you. And neither will a gold rope. But I would still support you if you started rocking one of those. If I ever go platinum, please believe I’ma pick up a 30″ dookie that would make King Tee jealous.

Alright, y’all. 1987 was way too ill a year to be represented by two lonely videos, but I don’t have all night. Just watch those joints and enjoy a bygone era when hip-hop was all good and men still wore clothes that fit them. And stay tuned for the next installment of my court-appointed community service project, Yo!Tube. Until then…

‘87 was my favorite shit,

Grip Grand