Celebrity Favorites: Ed Lover

Mac Miller has proven that his appreciation for old-school hip-hop stretches way beyond his 19 years. He first broke out with "Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza," a retread of Lord Finesse's 1996 underground single "Hip 2 Da Game." Miller was only 4 years old when Finesse's original dropped, and he wasn't even born when DJ Mark the 45 King dropped "The 900 Number" in 1987, but that didn't stop the rising rap star from sampling the classic cut on his single [article id="1673301"]"Party on Fifth Ave."[/article] Former "Yo! MTV Raps" host and current radio personality Ed Lover applauds Mac's penchant for digging in the crates.

During his run on "Yo!" Ed popularized the 45 King's classic by making it the theme music for his wacky "Ed Lover Dance." Each week, Ed would groove to the funky, horn-driven track, throwing his hands to the sky and swaying his hips back and forth.

"I appreciate Mac Miller bringing that back to the forefront like that. DJ Kool did it that a while ago with 'Let Me Clear My Throat,' but that's actually DJ Mark the 45 King's song called 'The 900 Number,' " Ed Lover told Mixtape Daily. "I just popularized it by using it for the 'Ed Lover Dance.' "

Though "Yo!" has long been off the air as a regular series, the "Ed Lover Dance" remains one of the most-memorable products of the show, even with younger rap fans. "Sometimes, I just go on Twitter and search my name, and you'll see people [write], 'Doin' the Ed Lover Dance,' " the former host said. "So, it's still cool. It's still cool to go out and have that record drop and have everyone turn around and look at you to see if you still gonna do the 'Ed Lover Dance.' "

Watch "MTV2 Presents: 'Yo! MTV Raps' Classic Cuts" at midnight ET/PT December 4, immediately after the Sucker Free Awards at 11 p.m. ET/PT on MTV2.

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