T.I., Cardi B & Chance the Rapper's 'Rhythm + Flow' is very worth watching (new episodes out today)
Netflix’s new hip hop competition show Rhythm + Flow with judges T.I., Cardi B, and Chance the Rapper premiered its first four episodes last Wednesday (10/9), and three more just came out today (10/16). (The show wraps up its first season with its three final episodes next Wednesday, 10/23.) If you haven’t watched yet, it’s very worth checking out. It’s like American Idol or The Voice for rap, but actually an entertaining show and way too R-rated for NBC. In addition to the three main judges, more star power appears in the form of guest judges (Snoop Dogg in LA, Fat Joe and Jadakiss in NYC, Quavo and Big Boi in Atlanta, and Twista and Royce da 5’9″ in Chicago) and guest appearances (including one of the last-ever filmed appearances of the late Nipsey Hussle at 1500 Sound Academy, a scene with Anderson .Paak in the studio, a barbershop scene in Atlanta with Killer Mike, and more).
The judges are brutally honest, and funny, and some of the contestants are genuinely entertaining. One of the contestants is someone that readers of this website have probably heard of, Cakes Da Killa. (Cakes competes in an NYC round that took place at SOB’s, judged by Cardi, Fat Joe, and Jadakiss.) The show also gets into the backstories of some key contestants, adding a gripping reality TV show aspect that often gets you extra invested in some of the rappers. Watch the first seven episodes on Netflix now, and watch a just-released cypher with some of the contestants right here:
One of the contestants, The Lyrical Gift (who, spoiler, did not make it to the next round) has already written a diss track against one of the judges. When T.I. asked The Lyrical Gift how he got his name, he replied that he “got the gift part because I know everything I’ve got is a gift from God,” to which Quavo quipped, “You got, like, a gift but maybe it may not be, like…rap.” The Lyrical Gift has since responded with “Time’s Up Quavious,” which you can hear, alongside a clip of the scene where Quavo made said remark: