Chuck D Tells ‘The Story of Hip-Hop’ in Four-Part PBS Docuseries

Public Enemy’s Chuck D is ready to tell the story of hip-hop in a four-part docuseries on PBS.

The Story of Hip-Hop with Chuck D, produced by BBC Studios, was developed by Chuck D and his manager Lorrie Boula and will follow the story of the influential musical genre and art over the past four decades.

Chuck D and Boula will serve as executive producers, working along with BBC commissioning editor Max Gogarty and Sam Emmery as executive producer and Helen Bart as series producer for BBC Studio and Bill Gardner, vice president of multi-platform programming and head of development at PBS. 

“Hip-hop is one of the most influential artistic genres and cultural movements of our time,” said Gardner in a statement. “We’re thrilled to tell a deep and unflinching story with one of its originators and most powerful voices.”

Boula and D initially approached PBS with the idea for the docuseries chronicling the rise of hip-hop and its impact on American culture.

“Chuck D and I look forward to working with them to take this account of such an important movement to the world,” said Boula. “People are finally open to hearing and learning about the history of all Americans, and we want to deliver authentic, compelling, and truthful stories to them.”

Hosted by D, the docuseries will include first-hand accounts from some of hip-hop’s most fundamental artists and will cover the birth of hip-hop, its role in the story of America from its New York City roots in the early ‘70s through the present day.

“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. Working with PBS and BBC is an opportunity to deliver these messages through new ways and help explain hip-hop’s place in history and hopefully inspire us all to take it further.”

Photos: Travis Shinn