Bridging The Gap

Queens-bred O.G MC Shan has been around the block. After running the 80s as both an intricate, yet sometimes disconnected piece of the Juice Crew puzzle, Shan's going for self nowadays upon releasing a new album and being part of Puma's YO! MTV Raps collective. Read what Shan had to say about the new generation of rap, his historic battle with KRS One's Boogie Down Productions, and his affinity for the Puma Clyde.

Complex: The new generation of so-called rap aficionado's don't really know the impact that YO! had, can you explain to them how important it was back then?
Shan: YO! gave us a show for hip-hop artists to have their videos played and get interviews on major syndication. It wasn't like it was a local thing, MTV played a big part in this, because there were other stations who were doing their thing, but MTV just catered to the rap section with their YO! MTV RAPS.

C: Today 106 and Park is ultra-popular, what do you see is the main difference between shows today and YO!?
Shan: They're more bougie now. More scripted and you got phony hosts up there. I don't like those new hosts on BET, They're fucking wack. I've seen much better work done by other people. They're so corny, and everyone wants to be like everyone else. I mean are you the host or do you want to be like the artist? Make up your mind. Sometimes the host thinks they're bigger than the artist. I don't really watch their show anyway though. Soon as AJ and Free left, forget about it, I'm not with it.

C: YO! started to get controversial and then it started to decline, guests would go off and then the hosts would try and have them hold back, do you think that hurt the show?
I think it hurt the show because they started to take the formula that made it [the show] work and changing it. It was working, but then they figured, OK, let's tame it down a little bit, and it hurt the show more than anything. Everything has to change, but sometimes things are better left alone. They don't do YO! anymore do they?


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