Articles

Ego Trip's the White Rapper Show

By Deekah Wyatt

Recently VH1 and Ego Trip teamed up for a reality show contest called The White Rapper Show. They searched nation wide for 12 finalists that would compete in challenges each week until only one was left standing. Famed DJ and a founding member of 3rd Bass, MC Search hosted and coached the young hopefuls as they brought their “A” game to prove they had the guts, talent, and stamina to be the next “Great White Hope”. Some of the contestants were “whack”, some showed promise, and most went home.
Though the White Rapper Show wasn’t as flashy as some of the reality television out there, the show did do something that most networks wouldn’t do for all the Emmys in the world…

They came to Detroit.

MC Search entered the contestants accommodations, nicknamed “Tha White House”, proclaiming at the top of his lungs “IT IS NOT A GAME, PEOPLE”; and bringing 3 white boys from no where near our sometimes tough city was the best way to show them that being the next White Rapper was not for the faint hearted. Calling it “The Mecca of white hip hop” and the “Battle Rap Capitol”, MC Search tells the 3 remaining rappers that they’re going to “the place where the most well known white MC in the world sharpened his teeth, sharpened his craft, and sharpened his skills”.

Upon arrival in our fair city the rappers are shown to their new digs, a trailer in what looks to be Warren or Center Line (NOT DETROIT). The reasoning behind the taste of trailer park living? You gotta pay your dues.

After settling in the rappers are taken on a tour of some of Detroit’s historical Hip Hop spots; such as the former location of “The Hip Hop Shop”, next door to Strictly Roots Music & Apparel on 7 Mile and Greenfield. Search introduced the rappers to TJ the Trouble Man, “the hip hop historian” and listened as he told the story of the Hip Hop Shop.

Search also introduced the rappers to Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope of the Insane Clown Posse and then cruised up to Clarkston to chat with Kid Rock over a game of pool.

In the final segment of the show, Search tells the young MCs that they’ll be going to the Shelter under St. Andrew’s Hall to battle rap 3 of the greatest battle rappers in the city: Bareda, La Peace, & Lo Louis.

In this writer’s opinion those wannabe MCs did a stand up job. Anyone else might have curled up in the fetal position and cried for their mommies, after hearing some of the punch lines they were dealt. The White Rappers hung in there, but they definitely learned their lesson.

When it comes to Hip Hop, in the words of MC Search… Don’t mess with tha D.