Back when you were younger you parents probably told you bedtime tales of dinosaurs, cavemen and the time when MTV used to play videos. There was a time when MTV was a music based platform that gave their audiences access to new music and culture on a 24 hour cycle, but that was so long ago that those cavemen and dinosaurs may have existed on the same timeline.

When hip hop was making it’s forays into mainstream America, music videos were a huge component of depicting the lifestyle. Though initially resistant to playing hip hop music on the network, MTV saw the popularity of the genre rising at a fervent pace, and couldn’t resist getting their piece of the pie.

26 years ago this week MTV introduced Yo MTV Raps, their insider look at hip hop, to rave reviews and fanfare. From the first show to the last airing in 2004, MTV featured interviews, performances and candid moments with some of rap’s biggest stars and future moguls.

With this Throwback Thursday, we take a look back at some of the most poignant moments in this historic program, as it celebrates another posthumous birthday.

Old Dirty Bastard Drunk Freestyle

ODB brings out the inebriated bars in this freestyle influenced by classic Kung Fu flick “Drunken Master”

Method Man performs “Method Man” with the Wu Tang Clan

Wu-tang  has always been a influential force in hip hop but here Method Man shows you whe he’s the shining ninja star of the clan

Biggie Smalls interview and Freestyle

Any words from the Notorious BIG are golden so this interview where Big breaks down how the rap game is really like the crack game definitely a piece for the archives

Tupac interview

Pac pontificates about life, Takes you to the studio and hangs out with Coolio but the real gem is the Thug Life overalls. If some streetwear company doesn’t get those into reproduction they’re slipping.

Mary J. Blige and Grand Puba

Mary J. Blige and Grand Puba were both promoting appearances on each others albums, the two style trendsetters dropped through MTV with dope verses and smashing outfits.

(Bonus)

Old Dirty Bastard picks up his Food Stamps in a limo

Further canonizing the legend of ODB the Wu Tang wordsmith takes his own clan of seedlings to the Check Cashing spot to pick up his welfare check in a stretch limo

RELATED: #THROWBACKTHURSDAY: THE BEST WINEHOUSE RAPS

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