New Four-Part Series Explores the History, Impact and Importance of Hip Hop

The world of music was forever changed when a new and unique art form made its way into the forefront: Hip Hop. This year we’re excited to kick off Black History Month with a four-part series called Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World from January 31 thru February 21 on CET and Think^TV16.

Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World is a story of struggle, triumph and resistance that chronicled the emotions, experiences and expressions of Black and Brown communities through music. In the aftermath of America’s racial and political reckoning in 2020, the perspectives and stories shared in Hip Hop are key to understanding injustice in the U.S. over the last half-century.

Authored by Public Enemy’s Chuck D, who famously labeled Hip Hop as “the Black CNN” for bringing the stories of the street to the mainstream, this story will include personal testimonies of the MCs, DJs, graffiti artists, filmmakers, politicians and opinion formers who created and shaped its direction as it grew from an underground movement in the Bronx to the most popular music genre in the U.S. and the fastest growing genre in the world today.

The film features interviews from A-list talent like Killer Mike, Will.i.am, Monie Love, Ice-T, Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte and many more who paint a portrait of the unique relationship between Hip Hop and the political history of the U.S.

You can watch a preview of the show here: https://video.thinktv.org/video/preview-y4pdiq/.

It should be noted that while the series will premiere on January 31^st as originally announced, the remaining episodes will continue starting on February 14 due to the upcoming State of the Union address airing on February 7. Parts 3 and 4 will air back-to-back on February 21starting at 9pm. More information about the airdates and episodes can be found below:

Part 1: The Foundation
Tuesday, January 31, 9pm on Think^TV16 and CET

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.

Part 2: Under Siege
Tuesday, February 14, 9pm on Think^TV16 and CET

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.

Part 3: Culture Wars
Tuesday, February 21, 9pm on Think^TV16 and CET

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.

Part 4: Still Fighting
Tuesday, February 21, 10pm on Think^TV16 and CET

Follow the evolution of Hip Hop as its artists turn into multimillionaires and successful entrepreneurs. As a cultural phenomenon, Hip Hop continues to change history and is adopted as the voice of protest around the world.