Kelly Carter On White Rapper Show

Seeking the next Eminem
‘(White) Rapper Show’ debuts Monday on VH1

January 7, 2007

BY KELLEY L. CARTER

FREE PRESS MUSIC WRITER

Blame Vanilla Ice and thank Eminem.

The only thing the two rappers really have in common is that they’re, well, white guys.

Unlike Ice, the Detroit rapper didn’t need to fabricate a saucy past life — and wear blinding, shiny outfits — in order to win fans. And even though Eminem has sold millions of albums and is one of the best-selling artists of the past decade, it’s still hard out there for a white rapper.

That cultural divide is front and center of a new VH1 reality series, “The (White) Rapper Show.” The show, coproduced by Ego Trip, a team that produces multimedia projects, is on a mission to discover the next great white rapper — and dig a bit into America’s attitudes about race, cultural legitimacy and an art form that was created (and has been historically dominated) by African Americans.

The show’s concept: A group of aspiring rappers moves into a house in the Bronx and goes through a series of competitions — with one contestant eliminated each episode.

And the host? Hip-hop legend MC Serch (real name Michael Berrin), who in the late ’80s was part of 3rd Bass, a ( 2/3 white) rap group that earned much respect in hip-hop circles and is best-known for the hit “Pop Goes the Weasel,” which famously trashed Vanilla Ice.

Serch, who lives in Oakland County with his wife, Chantel, and their three children, until last spring hosted the morning show at WJLB-FM (97.9). Serch chatted recently about the new show, which premieres at 10:30 p.m. Monday.

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