Peter Dougherty, a creator of Yo! MTV Raps, passed away after suffering a heart attack while at at his house in New York October 12, according to The New York Times. He was 59.
Dougherty and Ted Demme made a Yo! MTV Raps pilot that aired in August 1988. In October of that year, the show was airing weekly with host Fab 5 Freddy. The program was the first to give Rap videos national exposure.
By March 1989, Yo! MTV Raps had become so successful that it was airing daily with hosts Doctor Dre and Ed Lover.
“He was there when things were happening,” the Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock says, “not just one thing, but all the big things.”
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In addition to his work at MTV, Dougherty directed videos, including the Beastie Boys’ “Hold It Now, Hit It.”
HipHopDX would like to extend its condolences to Dougherty’s family and friends.
