Peter Dougherty is a man that played a profound role in bringing Hip-Hop culture to MTV with ‘Yo! MTV Raps’. He unfortunately passed away on 12th October due to a heart attack, aged 59.

Dougherty was a strong believer and  advocate in pushing for MTV, which in the 1980’s aired a lot of Rock and Pop videos, to feature more black music. 

He had the backing of some significant faces in the Hip-Hop world in his corner, notably: the Beastie Boys, Rick Rubin and Fab 5 Freddy, and MTV’s Ted Demme. 
Yo! MTV’s first show debuted in August 1988, and would become the highest rated show in MTV history. It brought the best of the golden age tracks straight into our homes for many years. 

It also provided a platform for artists to reach a wider audience, not just in the States, but across the globe too with their music video’s.

After the first airing, it became an instant hit, which led to Fab 5 Freddy hosting a weekly show in October ’88. Come March 1989, the show was airing daily with its infamous duo of Ed Lover and Dr.Dre. 

The daily show was called ‘Yo! MTV Raps Today’. Which spawned the ‘Ed Lover Dance’ – he did his dance to ‘The 900 number’ by DJ Mark the 45 King. 

The show played an important role in spreading Hip-Hop culture across the globe; via MTV Europe, MTV Asia and MTV Latino, the Bronx-born movement was now accessible to millions. 

The show was sadly shelved in August 1995, and from ’96 – ’99, MTV repackaged it as Yo! It never had the same impact though. 

If like me, you grew watching Yo! MTV Raps back in the day, you will back me in bigging up brother Peter for his contribution to the culture. Salute and R.I.P.