Videorgy

After being bombarded with a ton of negative publicity for banning Neil Young’s “This Note’s for You” video, has MTV relented and agreed to air the controversial clip? Not quite. But MTV has scheduled a major interview with Young, to air Aug. 19 on the network’s “The Week in Rock” program, where the singer will voice his complaints about corporate sponsorship. Better still, after the interview, MTV will air the clip in its entirety. “Our policy about not allowing blatant product plugs hasn’t changed at all,” said MTV chief Lee Masters. “But we see this as a news story--and since there’s been so much curiosity about this issue, we felt it made sense to air the clip in that context.” . . . MTV has expanded its rap coverage in a big way with “Yo! MTV Raps,” a new hip-hop special slated to become a series later this year. Produced by Ted Demme and Peter Dougherty, the show debuted last weekend with guest-host appearances by Run-D.M.C. taped during the group’s current tour. It’s always fun to see the relentlessly self-promoting rap group fooling around off-stage. (They worked in a plug for every album they’ve ever made.) But the best part of show was its exotic collection of rap video clips, many of which are rarely aired on MTV. Highlights included Eric B. and Rakim’s “Follow the Leader” (an eerie black-and-white gangster tale full of sly references to “Scarface”) and Boogie Down Prods.’ “My Philosophy,” which preaches a positive message of self-reliance (and pays frequent homage to the late Malcolm X).