Cardi B is feelin’ the rhythm…
Netflix has released the first look at its 10-episode hip-hop competition series Rhythm + Flow starring the 26-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar.
Picked up straight-to-series in November, the show — hosted by Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and Tip “T.I.” Harris — will air over three weeks.
The first batch of four episodes will launch Wednesdays, October 9 and feature the audition process. Week two, launching October 16, will consist of episodes five through seven and cover cyphers, rap battles and music videos. The series will conclude Wednesday, October 23 with episodes eight through 10 and cover samples, collaborations and the finale.
Rhythm + Flow is the streaming giant’s first music competition series and features industry legends in a multiple-city (covering L.A., New York, Atlanta and Chicago) search for undiscovered artists. John Legend, Ty Stikloriusand Mike Jackson’s Get Lifted, Gaspin and his Gaspin Media, Jesse Collinsand his Jesse Collins Entertainment exec produce alongside Nikki Boella, Jeff Pollack, Cardi B., Chance the Rapper and Harris.
The weekly rollout is the first for a Netflix original series outside of talk shows like Patriot Act.
Sources say Netflix hopes releasing the episodes timed to each phase of the competition will help build momentum among viewers.
Of course the knock on Netflix among many in the creative community has been that the streamer’s all-at-once binge model of releasing episodes limits the amount of time programming remains a topic of conversation. It’s unclear if the weekly strategy implemented for Rhythm + Flow is the beginning of a shift in that model as Netflix begins to lose some of its top licensed programming like Friends and The Office and looks to keep buzzy offerings (like say Stranger Things or The Crown) in the conversation for longer periods of time.