The Chuck D-produced PBS docuseries “Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World” will premiere January 31, 2023, the network said Wednesday.
Developed by the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and frontman of Public Enemy, the series will feature firsthand accounts from other rap legends such as Ice-T, Fat Joe, Run DMC, MC Lyte, will.i.am., Lupe Fiasco and more as it looks to delve into how hip-hop created a provocative narrative of America, PBS said at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour.
“The hip hop community has, from the start, been doing what the rest of media is only now catching up to,” said Chuck D, who produced the series alongside producing partner Lorrie Boula and in partnership with BBC Music. “Long before any conglomerate realized it was time to wake up, hip hop had been speaking out and telling truths. Working with PBS and 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.”
Boula added: “We brought the project to PBS and BBC Music because they are unparalleled at creating great documentaries. Chuck D and I look forward to working with them to take this account of such an important movement to the world. People are finally open to hearing and learning about the history of all Americans, and we want to deliver authentic, compelling and truthful stories to them.”
The four-part docuseries aims to recount the origins of the art form through the voices who were there at the beginning, creating an anthology of how the genre became a cultural phenomenon against the backdrop of U.S. history through intimate interviews and archival footage.
“PBS is excited to join with Chuck D, Lorrie Boula and BBC Music to bring this illuminating project to audiences across our platforms,” said Bill Gardner, Vice President of Multiplatform Programming and Head of Development for PBS. “Hip hop is one of the most influential artistic genres and cultural movements of our time, and we’re thrilled to tell a deep and unflinching story with one of its originators and most powerful voices.”
“Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World” is produced by BBC Studios for PBS and BBC Music. Gardner is the executive in charge for PBS with Chuck D and Boula serving as executive producers. Max Gogarty is the commissioning editor for the BBC, with Anna Sadowy as executive producer, Helen Bart as series producer, Yemi Bamiro as series director and Todd Williams as director.
