| Hip-Hop Evolution | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Developed by | Banger Films |
| Directed by | Darby Wheeler,Rodrigo Bascunan |
| Presented by | Shad |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Darby Wheeler,Rodrigo Bascunan,Russell Peters,Scot McFadyen,Sam Dunn,Nelson George |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO Canada |
| Release | April 29, 2016 (2016-04-29) – 25 September 2016 (2016-09-25) |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | 19 October 2018 (2018-10-19) – present |
Hip-Hop Evolution is a Canadian music documentary television series that originally aired onHBO Canada in 2016.[1] Hosted byJuno Award-winning artistShad, the series profiles the history ofhip-hop music through interviews with many of the genre's leading cultural figures.[2] The series is produced by Darby Wheeler,Rodrigo Bascuñán,Russell Peters,Scot McFadyen,Sam Dunn andNelson George. It won the 2016Peabody Award,[3] and the 2017International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming.[4]
The series was screened at the 2016Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival[5] before being picked up for broadcast by HBO.[1] In December 2016, it was added toNetflix for international distribution.[2]
Hip-Hop Evolution features in-depth, personal interviews with the progenitors ofDJing,rapping, andproduction, culminating in what is now taken to behip hop music and rap, adding to the existing understanding of hip-hop's earliest decades. Such original artists, producers, DJs, and promoters include:DJ Kool Herc,Coke La Rock,Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five,Fab Five Freddy,Marley Marl,Afrika Bambaataa,Kool Moe Dee,Kurtis Blow,Doug E. Fresh,Whodini,Warp 9,DJ Hollywood,Spoonie Gee,The Sugarhill Gang,Russell Simmons,Slick Rick,LL Cool J,Rick Rubin,Dana Dane,Vanilla Ice,Public Enemy,Michael Jackson,Perri "Pebbles" Reid,Jermaine Dupri &The Fat Boys.
The first episode documents the history of the inceptive hip-hop party at1520 Sedgwick Avenue inThe Bronx whereDJ Kool Herc, who thus emerged as a godfather of the tradition, DJed his sister's birthday party.[6]
The series went on to feature some of the most influential artists of the genre, without whom its current form would not exist, such asPublic Enemy,Beastie Boys,N.W.A,Ice-T,Rakim,Big Daddy Kane andLL Cool J, as well as documentingSchoolly D, from Philadelphia, as the influence forgangsta rap on the West Coast, as told by the words of Ice T. It limits its telling of the history at that point, as it documents that was the turning point in which Hip Hop had turned from an underground movement within music to a mainstream genre, that ripples its influence throughout contemporary culture.
In2016 the series was awarded aPeabody Award.[7] The series garnered fourCanadian Screen Award nominations at the5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017, for Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series, Best Editing in a Documentary Program or Series (Steve Taylor and Mark Staunton) Best Writing in a Documentary Program or Series (Rodrigo Bascunan) and Best Direction in a Documentary or Factual Series (Darby Wheeler). It won the awards for Best Biography or Arts Documentary and Best Editing. The series was also awarded with a 2017 International Emmy for Best Arts Programming.[8]
| Series | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | |||
| 1 | 4 | 4 September 2016 (2016-09-04) | 25 September 2016 (2016-09-25) | HBO Canada | |
| 2 | 4 | 19 October 2018 (2018-10-19) | Netflix | ||
| 3 | 4 | 6 September 2019 (2019-09-06) | |||
| 4 | 4 | 17 January 2020 (2020-01-17) | |||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Foundation" | Darby Wheeler | 4 September 2016 (2016-09-04) | |
In the 1970s,DJ Kool Herc,Afrika Bambaataa,Grandmaster Flash and the first rhythmic rappers lay the foundations of hip-hop in the South Bronx | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Underground to the Mainstream" | Darby Wheeler | 11 September 2016 (2016-09-11) | |
Bootleg tapes capture the energy of live battles,the Sugarhill Gang releases a Top 40 hit, and hip-hop meets art punk in downtown New York | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "The New Guard" | Darby Wheeler | 18 September 2016 (2016-09-18) | |
Run-DMC and Def Jam bridge the rap-rock divide. Innovators likeMarley Marl andRakim usher in a new sound, and Public Enemy raises consciousness | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "The Birth of Gangsta Rap" | Darby Wheeler | 25 September 2016 (2016-09-25) | |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | "The Southern Way" | Darby Wheeler | 19 October 2018 (2018-10-19) | |
2 Live Crew popularizes the Miami bass sound and scores a victory for free speech.The Geto Boys put Houston on the map, paving the way forUGK | |||||
| 6 | 2 | "Out The Trunk: The Bay" | Darby Wheeler | 19 October 2018 (2018-10-19) | |
In the Bay Area,Too Short channels pimp culture,MC Hammer becomes rap's first pop star, andDigital Underground introduces the world toTupac Shakur | |||||
| 7 | 3 | "Do The Knowledge" | Darby Wheeler | 19 October 2018 (2018-10-19) | |
KRS-One makes his mark at New York's legendaryLatin Quarter club.A Tribe Called Quest andDe La Soul cultivate an Afrocentric, jazzy style | |||||
| 8 | 4 | "New York State Of Mind" | Darby Wheeler | 19 October 2018 (2018-10-19) | |
In the early 1990s, a new wave of East Coast artists emerges, led byNas,Wu-Tang Clan and theNotorious B.I.G. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "A Tale of Two Coasts" | Darby Wheeler,Rodrigo Bascuñán | 6 September 2019 (2019-09-06) | |
With the rise ofN.W.A., gangsta rap andSuge Knight, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry climaxes with a lethal beef ensnaring the greatTupac Shakur. | |||||
| 10 | 2 | "Life After Death" | Darby Wheeler, Rodrigo Bascuñán | 6 September 2019 (2019-09-06) | |
In NYC, theNotorious B.I.G. fosters an empowering protégée,Lil' Kim. When the East-West feud claimsBiggie,Puff Daddy andJay-Z vie for the throne. | |||||
| 11 | 3 | "Pass the Mic" | Darby Wheeler | 6 September 2019 (2019-09-06) | |
Alternative hip-hop bubbles up from the streets;Mos Def spits in NYC, theFreestyle Fellowship chops it up in LA, andEminem battles on the circuit. | |||||
| 12 | 4 | "The Dirty South" | Darby Wheeler | 6 September 2019 (2019-09-06) | |
A hot, sticky music scene is born in Atlanta as the infectious hooks ofTLC andKris Kross yield to the gritty originality ofOutKast andGoodie Mob. | |||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "Bounce to This" | Darby Wheeler, Rodrigo Bascuñán | 17 January 2020 (2020-01-17) | |
| 14 | 2 | "The Southern Lab" | Darby Wheeler, Rodrigo Bascuñán | 17 January 2020 (2020-01-17) | |
Innovators explode out of the South: Houston'sDJ Screw slows hip-hop down, Memphis'sThree 6 Mafia goes dark, and Atlanta'sLil Jon brings the crunk. | |||||
| 15 | 3 | "The Super Producers" | Darby Wheeler | 17 January 2020 (2020-01-17) | |
Auteurs likethe Neptunes'Pharrell andChad expand the sonic palette.Timbaland andMissy Elliott lean forward.Kanye West andJ Dilla reimagine rap. | |||||
| 16 | 4 | "Street Dreams" | Darby Wheeler | 17 January 2020 (2020-01-17) | |
