Music pioneers Kenny Ogungbe, Dayo "D1" Adeneye, Paul "Play" Dairo and others dive into the rise of Afrobeats, the Nigerian global music phenomenon.
Social & External
The never-been-told story of RUN DMC, a group that met on the streets of Queens and went on to legitimize a criticized genre of music: hip-hop.
VH1 teamed up with acclaimed filmmakers Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman and famed author, award-winning entrepreneur, advertising executive, and record executive Steve Stoute for a 4-part documentary series based on Stoute’s best-selling book, “The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy.” VH1’s “The Tanning of America: One Nation Under Hip Hop” is a thorough examination of hip-hop as a cultural movement, whose profound influence in music, film, television, fashion, business, race relations and politics eventually paved the way for the election of Barack Obama. Stoute notes, “Since its birth, hip-hop has been a reflection of black America, but never before have we seen it cast as such a far-reaching agent of political change. This film paints an entirely new picture of the impact of hip-hop culture over the last 30 years.”
The Swagg Man case has sparked a buzz over the Internet. With paradise villas in Miami, luxury trips all over the world, shiny gold chains, and purple Euro notes galore, the rapper has been flaunting his success since 2009. But ten years later, the dream has lost some of its magic. As Swagg Man gets prosecuted for money laundering, he claims his innocence opposite former followers accusing him of swindling them.
The history of the city of Compton is spotlighted, featuring interviews with prominent residents and an examination of the impact drugs, gangs and political strife had on its music and culture.
Azad, Sido, Moses Pelham, Haftbefehl, Sabrina Setlur, Liz and many more talk about who made them what they are and what it means to live Hip Hop. Thanks to them, Deutschrap has developed into the most successful music genre in Germany over the past four decades.
LL COOL J charts the creation, evolution and ongoing legacy of Hip Hop not just as a genre but as a culture.
From underground beginnings to mainstream success, a look at how the influence of hip-hop culture spread through Polish society.
The Hip Hop Years is a three part series of one hour television documentaries, made for Channel 4 in 1999. The series was devised by David Upshal who produced, directed and narrated the series. He also produced the 33-track compilation CD which accompanied the series and co-wrote the book with Alex Ogg, also titled The Hip Hop Years. The series charts the definitive story of Hip Hop, rising from the streets of the Bronx to become, what Upshal calls, "the new Rock'n'Roll". The programmes combine archive clips and performance from TV, movies and music videos with specially shot material and interviews with key players.
A revealing look at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' journey from music mogul to high-profile sexual offender, featuring footage and insider accounts that expose both his groundbreaking success with Bad Boy Entertainment and the troubling shadows behind his empire.
The lives of an emerging superstar and a filmmaker intertwine in this intense, intimate docuseries charting Kanye West's career, filmed over two decades.
My Coolest Years is a television program that aired on VH1 in which actors, musicians, and other celebrities reminisce about their high school years.
Explore the history of activist Afeni Shakur and hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, two voices that could not be silenced. Told through the eyes of the people who knew them best, this series is an intimate wide-angle portrait of the most inspiring and dangerous mother-son duo in American history, whose unified message of freedom, equality, persecution and justice are more relevant today than ever.
Concrete Feeling tells the story of French hip-hop. It’s about rap as social comment and how French hip-hop climbed the charts to become the most popular music in France.
Ralph McDaniels goes way back to bring you classic videos from hip hop’s golden era. Each episode showcases rare videos tracing hip hop’s evolution in New York City.
Self-taught composer, turntable prodigy, and visionary producer, DJ Mehdi was the only French artist to bridge the gap between two seemingly opposing worlds: rap and electro. Thirteen years after his sudden passing, this documentary series, directed by his childhood friend Thibaut de Longeville, sheds light on the role of this free spirit in the rise of these two musical scenes in France during the 1990s and 2000s.
Rappers, writers and experts detail the influence of women on hip-hop music and culture in this docuseries honoring the trailblazers and game-changers.
