[Fab 5 Freddy]

From the personal collection of Fab 5 Freddy

Featuring the classic logo designed by early graffiti writer, Dr. Revolt, the present lot is one the most immediately recognizable images from Hip Hop's golden age—one of two original Yo! MTV Raps signs from the set of the hit show on MTV—directly from the archives of the program's former host.

Premiering on August 6, 1988, the two-hour weekly program Yo! MTV Raps would quickly become a Hip Hop institution, with host Fab 5 Freddy—legendary graffiti writer, arbiter of cool, and Hip Hop's cultural ambassador—guiding views through 120 lively minutes of music videos, interviews with artists, comedic breaks, educational Hip Hop 101-style segments, and live in-studio performances. The original program remained on-air until August 1995, closing out almost a decade of being Hip Hop's international cultural hub with a freestyle rap session from some of Hip Hop's most iconic stars— Rakim, KRS-One, Redman, Method Man, and Salt-N-Pepa taking the stage amongst others.

Fab 5 Freddy, is a visual artist, filmmaker and Hip Hop pioneer. In the late 1970s, he was a member of the Brooklyn-based graffiti group, the Fabulous 5, who specialized in painting the sides of subway cars. His name was first introduced to the pop culture scene when Blondie name-checked him in her 1980s hit "Rapture", saying "FAB 5 FREDDY told me everybody's fly." He went on to play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between the early rap and graffiti scene of New York's uptown, and the punk music and art scene of downtown. Before going on to host the wildly popular program Yo! MTV Raps, Freddy would co-produce the legendary film Wild Style with Charlie Ahearn in 1983.