Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. to judge new talent competition for hip hop on Netflix

Just about every major network on TV has given music talent competition a try.  It started with “American Idol” and now is ruled by NBC’s “The Voice,” while USA also has a competition going on for country music. ABC tried a show a couple of years ago, and this year Fox tried it with “The Four.” Well, now the streamers are getting into it, starting with Netflix. According to Variety, Cardi B will serve as a judge on the streaming leader’s on upcoming hip-hop music competition series, “Rhythm + Flow,” along with T.I. and Chance the Rapper. Additional artists and industry veterans will join them during the duration of the show. With the three big names signing on, Netflix has officially given the show the green light, after putting the project into development more than a year ago. Cardi B, T.I., and Chance the Rapper aren’t the only A-listers involved. Newly minted EGOT winner John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius will serve as an executive producer through Get Lifted Film Company, along with former NBC chairman Jeff Gaspin of Gaspin Media, Jesse Collins for Jesse Collins Entertainment, Nikki Boella, Jeff Pollack, Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. It’s unclear if Legend might appear in any on-camera capacity, though a host has not been named yet. Legend, by the way, is scheduled to be a judge on “The Voice” on NBC for the next season in early 2019.  “Rhythm + Flow” — launching in fall 2019 — is said to be “a classic, flashy competition series,” but with a twist, focusing specifically on hip-hop music, which has never been at the forefront of any major unscripted music TV competition. For Netflix, “Rhythm + Flow” marks a continuation in unscripted programming for the company, which has made a major push into non-scripted fare with content like the athletic competition series “Ultimate Beastmaster,” the Emmy-winning “Queer Eye” reboot, docuseries such as “Making a Murderer,” an interview series with David Letterman, and many attempts at late-night-type shows. But Netflix has never taken a crack at a music competition series, indicating a rare instance where the streaming giant is taking a note from the broadcast networks, which have had long-running, lucrative success with shows such as “American Idol” and “The Voice.” For Cardi B, insiders tell Variety that the rapper has been in talks with Netflix for quite some time regarding the show. Her involvement was made possible because of a relatively quick shooting schedule that won’t require too much time for the in-demand star — who, according to insiders, is getting a hefty seven-figure paycheck to serve as a judge for the 10 hour-long episodes. Auditions will begin this fall across the U.S., including in the judges’ hometowns of Atlanta, Chicago and New York. Local rappers from each audition city will serve as guest judges.