October 16th 2023.
Alvin Jones has certainly earned his place in the hip-hop hall of fame. As the creator of BET's iconic show, "Rap City," Jones has been instrumental in the growth and success of the rap and hip-hop industry. Recently, he was honored at the BET Hip Hop Awards for his immense contributions to the network he joined way back in 1984.
At the time, hip-hop was still gaining traction and had very little visibility on the cable channel. Jones recalls, “We would take the rap videos and just stick them into Video Vibrations. In the beginning, there were not enough videos to do a two-hour show.” However, after a visit to New York City and attending a new music seminar, Jones had a revolutionary idea - he proposed creating a "Rap Week" on BET, where the channel would only play music videos from rap artists.
He remembers telling Hank Shocklee, founding member of rap group Public Enemy, “I will tell you what I'm going to do. I'm gonna play some rap videos. I'll do a whole week. If it ain't a commercial. It's a rap video. Boom." Launched ahead of Labor Day when kids were still at home, the program was a resounding success and ended up being “the highest-rated show in the history of BET.” As the show continued to gain traction and popularity, it eventually evolved into "Rap City," the iconic show we know and love today. Jones credits hosts like Chris Thomas and Big Tigger for aiding in its continued success, noting that "The show wasn't stale. It evolved.”
The documentary "Welcome to Rap City" premiered on BET on October 12th. Jones believes that the "Rap City" story highlights the power of collaboration and unity within the Black community. He says, "[Rap City] is what happens when Black folks work together. It's about each one teaching one. Teamwork makes the dream work.”
Alvin Jones has certainly left an indelible mark on the hip-hop industry, and we are forever grateful for his contributions!
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