Series synopsis
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World is a British documentary television series that premiered on BBC Two on January 21, 2023. It ended on January 28, 2023. It was created by Chuck D. It stars Chuck D, KRS-One, Grandmaster Caz and Melle Mel.
Public Enemy’s Chuck D leads a cast of hip-hop icons and leading African-American and Latino cultural commentators as they chart the factors that led to the birth of the revolutionary art form of hip-hop in 1970s New York, as well as the creation of the seminal hit The Message.
They evoke a picture of how, after the turbulence of the 60s and the civil rights struggles, desperate social conditions and the experience of countless dispossessed people of colour living in a city mired in crisis help ...
Premise
Public Enemy’s Chuck D leads a cast of hip-hop icons and leading African-American and Latino cultural commentators as they chart the factors that led to the birth of the revolutionary art form of hip-hop in 1970s New York, as well as the creation of the seminal hit The Message.
They evoke a picture of how, after the turbulence of the 60s and the civil rights struggles, desperate social conditions and the experience of countless dispossessed people of colour living in a city mired in crisis helped give birth to a new art form.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Chuck D as Self
- KRS-One as Self
- Grandmaster Caz as Self
- Melle Mel as Self
- Abiodun Oyewole as Self
- Nelson George as Self
- Hasan Kwame Jeffries as Self
- Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels as Self [RUN-D.M.C]
Supporting cast
- Lee Quiñones as Self
- Michael Holman as Self
- Douglas Colón as Self
- Rosa Alicia Clemente as Self
- LL Cool J as Self
- Fat Joe as Self
- Sway Calloway as Self
- Leah Wright Rigeur as Self
- John Forte as Self
- Al Sharpton as Self
- Kaye Whitehead as Self
- Killer Mike as Self
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 4 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 4 | January 21, 2023 | January 28, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Foundation Discover the factors that led to the birth of Hip Hop and its first socially conscious hit "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982. |
January 21, 2023 |
| 2 |
Under Siege Explore the 1980s and the birth of Hip Hop as social commentary in the Reagan Era with the emergence of artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Ice-T, and NWA. |
January 21, 2023 |
| 3 |
Culture Wars Experience the 1990s during the Clinton years and the unstoppable rise in popularity of Hip Hop, which becomes a force that is attacked by all sides of the political establishment. |
January 28, 2023 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 21, 2023 |
| Last aired | January 28, 2023 |
| Runtime | 59 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Saturday at 21:00:00 |