How Hip-Hop Became Must-See TV

April 16, 2021

Originally published February 19, 2021.

Front Seat

This is what's driving hip-hop this week….

Last week we talked about hip-hop soundtracks being back. Well, now we’re going from the big screen to the small screen. Hip-hop is invading your TV. Or smartphone, depending on how you view your content. The big news this week is that Donald Glover got a bag from Amazon to bring his TV powers to the the streamer. And it was just one of many content tidbits to hit my inbox. With a lot of shows on my DVR that are hip-hop related, including “Hip-Hop Uncovered,” I’m wondering are we entering a new era in television history?

Back Seat

Respect my mind or die from lead shower.

Earlier this year, I wrote a 25 Predictions for 2021 post featuring a lot of friends and sharp industry minds putting their thoughts forward on what would happen over the next 365 days. A few themes emerged and I suggest you take a look at the full read. One in particular, though, has sat on the top of my brain for the past few weeks: hip-hop on TV.

Vibe head honcho Datwon Thomas predicted Saweetie would convert her social media prowess into a television opportunity. And Chanel Pettaway, publicist to all your favorite Timberland-rockin’ rappers, was emphatic on the prospects of her clients Jim Jones (the Love & Hip-Hop godfather) and Cam’ron appearing on the small screen. Well, this past week there were a slew of announcements that point to us entering either a golden age or peak era of hip-hop on TV.

It doesn’t matter if it’s scripted fare, non-scripted, reality, docuseries—the opportunities appear to be endless (…right now; hold tight on this).

The headliner is Donald Glover’s overall deal with Amazon Studios. The pact will bring the artist sometimes known as Childish Gambino and his creative efforts to Jeff Bezo’s company, in addition to the work of his brother, Stephen, who is behind much of the feel of their hit, “Atlanta.” Donald Glover is also rumored to have Malia Obama in a writers’ room for a project fitted around a Beyoncé like figure. Even if there’s no content that’s explicitly rap, the aesthetic is hip-hop (ala the Migos references in “Atlanta”) and with a dedicated vertical channel as a part of his deal, it’s not a stretch to assume the brothers Glover will tap into the culture for inspiration.

Suddenly, hip-hop is must-see TV, in every format and up and down the dial (and across input selections on your Samsung flatscreen.)

On the digital tip, Ludacris and Quavo are pressing further into the content biz. The former joins a long line of celebrities with cooking shows, by way of his Discovery+ offering “Luda Can’t Cook.” Food shows are the new talk show; announced to big fanfare and then lights out with quickness. Sorry, Chris Lova Lova. Quavo is taking his hoops interest to the next level with a YouTube Originals series called “Supreme Courts” that will find the young Atlanta star going from state-to-state to talk about basketball culture on some of the country’s most hallowed courts.

All this news is surrounded by upcoming works this year like the Tekashi 69 documentary and the Uptown Records miniseries, recent Lifetime movies on Salt-N-Pepa and Wendy Williams, and the current project making the most noise, FX’s “Hip-Hop Uncovered” docuseries featuring the story behind the infamous Haitian Jack, among other street legends.

Suddenly, hip-hop is must-see TV, in every format and up and down the dial (and across input selections on your Samsung flatscreen.)

“Empire” and “Power,” along with the Love & Hip-Hop franchise, are most responsible over the past 10 years for showcasing that big tent audiences can be activated around the culture. Those shows also netted major social media currency, particularly across Twitter, that predecessors like, say, “The White Rapper Show” or “Platinum” never could. The 20-year anniversaries of Biggie and 2Pac’s deaths also seemed to be an elixir as multiple productions on each appeared on various networks, opening the floodgates.

(Arsenio Hall, Keenan Ivory Wayans and Dave Chappelle will be on the receiving end of endless props for their work in making rappers who weren’t pop chart darlings a normal occurrence on TV. Also props to the work done on the big screen to help get us here, including The Fat Boys’ “Disorderlies” movie; RIP Prince Markie Dee. Will Smith, “Martin,” Andre Harrell’s “New York Undercover,” are all deserving of flowers, too.)

Today, we’re in the midst of a formative time in our country, advanced by technology (Apple’s iPhones, etc.), pushed by big business (the streaming wars; not only the competition among them but the metrics behind the battles that revealed hip-hop’s unquestioned pole position in pop culture) and brought to its current zenith by the pandemic and being homebound.

The hunger for hip-hop from the audience has always been ravenous, but the metabolism of distributors has now matched the pace.

In an age where Instagram Live productions being upstreamed to TV—”The Fat Joe Show” (Revolt), Verzuz (Apple TV)—makes the podcast to TV pipeline look dated—”Drink Champs” (Revolt), “85 South Show” (talent appearing on MTV2)—development execs have to make sure they can greenlight ideas faster than the Migos flow.

In addition, the audience is ballooning and suits have to program to a non-monolithic block. So we see “Growing Up Hip Hop” and “Loiter Squad” for the younger set and Bad Boy and Wu-Tang docs for the greying crowd. Somewhere along the line there’ll be an argument for “Euphoria” and new “Top Boy” episodes because of Drake’s attachment as an executive producer.

Not to mention the class of hip-hop journalists turned TV producers, showrunners and writers who will have a big say in what we see. And you better believe, some of those suits with the power to make things happen grew up with pictures of Nas and Lil Kim on their walls. The tables are turning like a DJ Premier scratch.

As a culture, we’ve proven to have sticking power through hashtags and trending topics; were on the verge of building toward real staying power with bigger deals and more announcements on the regular.

Don’t change that channel.

Props to some of my favorite TV + rap offerings over the years: “Run’s House,” “Hip-Hop: The Songs That Shook America,” “Rapture,” “Rhythm + Flow,” even the Kid N’ Play Saturday morning cartoon back in the day.

Trunk

Music, links, podcasts and videos I'm checking for.

  • Future, Lil Durk and Mulatto join forces with Chris Brown and Young Thug for the “Go Crazy (Remix).” [Listen]

  • Denzel Curry/Kenny Beats smoooooked this: "So.Incredible.pkg (Robert Glasper Version)" featuring Smino [Listen]

  • Memphis is on fire right now; Young Dolph x Key Glock connect on “Case Closed.” [Listen]

  • Kevin Gates returns with a new project, Only The Generals Part II. [Listen]

  • Time for CJ to show and prove with is new EP. [Listen]

  • Lil Uzi Vert and Travis Scott cooking up? [Read]

  • How Hov and Nip finally linked up for “What It Feels Like.” [Read]

  • Hit-Boy opens up about his work on the “The Judas and The Black Messiah” soundtrack. [Read]

  • Donald Glover and his brother got the bag from Amazon and will be setting up shop on Amazon Prime. [Read]

  • Ludacris partners with Will Packer on Discovery+ cooking show. [Read]

  • Alicia Keys, Quavo and more team with YouTube Originals for new series. [Read]

  • Complex: Why is There a Lack of Black Ownership in Streetwear? [Read]

  • Questlove lines up his next doc: on Sly Stone! (Common to executive produce. Groan.) [Read]

  • LL Cool J names a new prez for Rock The Bells [Read]

  • Kehlani covers Playboy [Read]; she also spoke to Rolling Stone. [Read] And Megan Thee Stallion covers Harper’s Bazaar [Read]; she also made the Time 100, along with J Balvin, Lil Baby, The Weekend and others. [Read]

  • Rest in peace Prince Markie Dee; The New York Times went long on the Brooklyn Puerto Rock. [Read]

  • The Heat Rocks podcast honored Mary J. Blige’s Mary album with Naima Cochrane. [Listen]

  • DJ Drama talks Gangsta Grillz that almost happened with Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott and more on the 85 South Show. [Listen]

  • YBN Nahmir and 21 Savage put a visual to their “Oppa Stoppa” collab. [Watch]

  • Jim Jones is automatic right now; here’s his latest vid for “Laps Around The Sun,” from his newly-released Harry Fraud joint LP, The Fraud Department. [Watch] [Listen]

  • EARTHGANG tell the Breakfast Club they have big things planned for this year. [Watch]

  • It was hip-hop week this past week on NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series; check out 2 Chainz, Rick Ross and Rae Khalil. [Watch] [Watch] [Watch]

  • The best interview this week, Fakeshore Drive boss goes one-on-one with Lupe Fiasco. [Watch]

Backseat Freestyle is written and produced by Jayson Rodriguez for Smarty Art, Inc. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email me: [email protected]. And follow me elsewhere:

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