I don’t normally like the reality show genre. Ego Trip’s The (White) Rapper Show is just the latest in a long line of these shows. The difference about this one is that it is a show that represents hip hop culture in a respectful way. I like the way the word white is in parenthesis. I like that it is hosted by a hip hop icon, MC Serch.

MC Serch is one of only a few white artists to make it in hip hop. He belonged to a legendary group called 3rd Bass, put out a solo album, and started his own Serchlite promotions, all beginning in the 1980s. I have a lot of respect for the guy and appreciate what he has done with this show.

Each episode, Serch teaches the contestants about an aspect of hip hop culture. I am glad to see that there is a show out there doing this. I wish there were more like it. I don’t think that any of the contestants are going to become superstars in the industry, and for some reason I don’t even really care. The show is not like American Idol in any way. The group goes through challenges every week and at the end of every episode, the contestants have to write and perform a rap based on a topic that they are given.

There are other hip hop reality shows on the air but they are just empty. No disrespect at all to Run of Run’s House but I don’t need to see him raising his kids week in and week out. And I also don’t need to see women throwing themselves at the feet of Flavor Flav. These shows don’t represent hip hop or have anything positive to say about our culture. People watch them and I think that it helps to reinforce negative stereotypes that people outside of the culture have about hip hop. People can get all sorts of negatives wherever they look in any of these three shows. But I think that MC Serch is trying to keep it real on this show and is representing true hip hop culture. And for that I applaud him, and I tune in.