PBS and BBC Studios has enlisted a roster of iconic Hip Hop artists for an upcoming four-part series called "Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World." As the title suggests, the documentary was birthed by Public Enemy legend Chuck D and producing partner Lorrie Boula and tells the story of the relationship between politics and the Hip Hop movement through first-hand accounts and archival footage. It also aims to illustrate how Hip Hop became a cultural phenomenon in the face of socio-political upheaval.
Among the many participants are B-Real from Cypress Hill, DMC, Grandmaster Caz, Eminem, Ice-T, Fat Joe, KRS-One, LL COOL J, MC Lyte, Monie Love, Abiodun Oyewole, Roxanne Shanté, and will.i.am as well as culture figures such as Rev. Al Sharpton, Sway Calloway, Nelson George, artist Lee Quiñones, photographer Ernie Paniccioli and author Dan Charnas.
"The Hip Hop community has, from the start, been doing what the rest of media is only now catching up to," Chuck D said. "Long before any conglomerate realized it was time to wake up, Hip Hop had been speaking out and telling truths. Working with PBS and the BBC is an opportunity to deliver these messages through new ways and help explain Hip Hop’s place in history and hopefully inspire us all to take it further.”
"Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World" will be available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video app, as well as on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO beginning on January 31. The box-set will arrive via the BBC iPlayer on January 21. In the meantime, watch Chuck kick some knowledge below.
