Chuck D-produced hip-hop docuseries coming to PBS in January

The four-part “Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World” will chronicle the genre’s origin and cultural impact.

PBS announced this week that it would air a four-part docuseries in January about hip hop and its influence on American culture. Public Enemy frontman Chuck D will narrate “Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World.” He also developed the show along with his producing partner, Lorrie Boula.

The program, named for the iconic Public Enemy song “Fight the Power,” will chronicle hip hop from its inception to its growth, exploring how the provocative art form became a cultural phenomenon that affected America in various ways. The series will use archival footage and in-depth interviews with rappers, artists and scholars to tell the story.

Grandmaster Caz (left) and Grandmaster Melle Mel appear in the four-part “Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World.” The documentary is scheduled to premiere Jan. 31, 2023 on PBS. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Bulova)

“The hip hop community has, from the start, been doing what the rest of media is only now catching up to,” said Chuck D. “Long before any conglomerate realized it was time to wake up, hip hop had been speaking out and telling truths.

“Fight The Power” features interviews with an impressive collection of rap music heavyweights, including  Ice-T, Run DMC, Will.I.Am., Lupe Fiasco and Fat Joe. The series also features interviews with innovators and pioneers of hip hop like Last Poets founder Abiodun Oyewole, the Cold Crush Brothers’ Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Roxanne Shanté.

PBS is working in tandem with BBC Music to create the docuseries.

“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 scheduled to premiere on Jan. 31, 2023.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Chuck D-produced hip-hop docuseries coming to PBS in January appeared first on TheGrio.