Netflix’s new hip-hop talent show, hosted by Chance The Rapper, Cardi B and T.I., will finally get underway next month. The show has already been labelled as the streaming service’s “answer to X Factor” as well as “rap’s American Idol”.
Here’s everything we know so far.
Latest updates:
- A third trailer has been released
What’s the premise of Rhythm + Flow?
Rhythm + Flow is Netflix’s first venture into the TV talent show terrain, with commentators noting the streaming service’s aims to rival the likes of X Factor, The Voice and American Idol.
The official Netflix bio for Rhythm + Flow reads: “Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, and Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris are searching for hip-hop’s best, undiscovered talent from Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City. Who will scrap their way to the top for a shot at the shine?”
Does Rhythm + Flow have a release date?
Yup: the first four episodes, which will cover the auditions, will drop on October 9. The second week of episodes will hit Netflix the week after (October 16), before the season wraps on October 23.
Is there a trailer for Rhythm + Flow?
Yes! A teaser trailer for the inaugural season was released on September 1 – check it out below.
Cardi B has also shared a new trailer for the show on Instagram. Check that out below.
Another trailer was released on September 25, featuring appearances from Nipsey Hussle, DJ Khaled, Snoop Dogg, Quavo, and more. “Success in this line of work looks a million different ways,” Chance The Rapper introduces the trailer. Watch it below now.
How many episodes of Rhythm + Flow will there be?
The first season of Rhythm + Flow will consist of 10 hour-long episodes.
Who are the judges for Rhythm + Flow?
The three judges have been announced as Cardi B, Chance The Rapper and T.I, all of which have past experience in television.
Before finding fame as a rapper, Cardi was one of the stars of VH1 reality show Love & Hip Hop: New York, while T.I is also no stranger to reality television. In 2009, T.I launched his own MTV reality show called T.I.’s Road to Redemption, followed by T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle on VH1 in 2011. Just last year, he appeared in a BET show about entrepreneurs called The Grand Hustle.
Chance, meanwhile, guest-hosted Saturday Night Live in 2017 and, last year, played the lead in a movie called Slice.
Who’s producing Rhythm + Flow?
Rhythm + Flow is being co-produced by John Legend’s own Get Lifted Film Co, with Legend, Jeff Gaspin, Jesse Collins, Nikki Boella, Jeff Pollack, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius, plus the three judges, all credited as executive producers.
What else has been said about Rhythm + Flow?
Following the show’s announcement, Chance took to social media to say that they’re looking for hip-hop artists that are “unsigned, dedicated and ready”, while Cardi marked the news by writing on Instagram: “DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES??”
In an Instagram video, Cardi B added that she was looking for “that diamond in the rough”. She continued: “I’m looking for somebody that when I’m going to my car I’m gonna remember their music, I’m gonna remember their face, I’m gonna remember their personality. We wanna find you, we wanna discover you.”
Meanwhile, T.I has said that the show will explore “all of the hoods, all the studios, all the nightclubs. Even the barbershops if necessary” to find “the next unreleased, underground hip-hop superstar”. He added: “You’ve never seen a show like this, and with us as judges, the authenticity is gonna be through the roof.”
Who’s the hottest undiscovered rapper you know? To let US know… Go to https://t.co/jyvtyoSNiy @chancetherapper @iamcardib @netflix It’s UP?????? pic.twitter.com/1WcoCAdG8w
— T.I. (@Tip) November 13, 2018
In a new interview with the LA Times, Chance The Rapper has said that “we aren’t trying to teach the contestants how to become famous” on the show. “We wanted to show them how to deal with being an artist: How to have the right stage presence, or how to make a dope music video, or how to collaborate with people from other genres.”
In the same interview, Cardi hammered home the idea of the show being about more than status, fame and money, saying: “I didn’t do this for the money,” Cardi said.
“I obviously got a bag for doing the show, but I just wanted to keep filming every single day. I was so excited to see what these contestants were going to come up with. I got so emotionally invested. I would do a record with a lot of them — especially the winner.”