Chuck D-Produced Hip-Hop Series Kicks Off Black History Month On PBS

Fight The Power: How Hip-Hop Changed The World is a new four-part series on PBS, produced by Public Enemy’s Chuck D. Part one kicked off Black History Month and celebrated the rise of Black consciousness and the birth of hip-hop as a response to the social injustices of the 1960s and beyond.

Subsequent episodes will look at the evolution of hip-hop as a cultural movement over the last 50 years and feature interviews with a roster of hip-hop royalty, graffiti artists, historians, and more.

The first episode, “The Foundation,” explored how hip-hop rose out of slavery and protest and examined how Black political and religious leaders helped form and raise the awareness of the Black self. Chuck D once famously labeled hip-hop as “the Black CNN,” and the series will continue to inform across three more episodes.

The second episode, “Under Siege,” premieres February 7 and will look at how hip-hop became social commentary in the Reagan Era. The third episode, “Culture Wars,” premieres February 14 and will examine the rise in popularity of hip-hop during the Clinton years. The series’ fourth and final episode, “Still Fighting,” premieres February 21 and will explore hip-hop as a larger cultural phenomenon.

Fight The Power: How Hip-Hop Changed The World features an outstanding soundtrack, complemented by archival footage that dives deep into the history and music surrounding the birth of hip-hop. Check local PBS listings for showtimes or view via Prime Video.

Watch Fight The Power: How Hip-Hop Changed The World episode one, “The Foundation,” below:

Listen to Chuck D’s “Ultimate Hip Hop Playlist” assembled for Spotify: