The BEST episodes of Hip-Hop Evolution

Every episode of Hip-Hop Evolution ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Hip-Hop Evolution!

HIP-HOP EVOLUTION travels back to 1970s Bronx and Harlem, unveiling how hip-hop evolved from its beginnings as a New York house-party experiment, to the global phenomenon it is today, and more importantly, how it created a voice for the disenfranchised. Acclaimed Canadian MC and media personality Shad Kabango guides viewers through the evolution of the genre, travelling through NYC’s boroughs to speak with hip-hop’s originators and biggest stars. The power-house documentary features interviews with the musical legends and pioneers that started it all.

Last Updated: 10/7/2024Network: HBO CanadaStatus: Ended
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The Birth of Gangsta Rap
star
8.45
93 votes

#1 - The Birth of Gangsta Rap

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/25/2016

Ice-T uses Hip-Hop to reflect the violence of Los Angeles and inspires a new form of Hip-Hop: Gangsta Rap. N.W.A’s first album, Straight Outta Compton, shocks America. After the LA Rebellion, Dr. Dre makes The Chronic, and creates Hip-Hop’s first hardcore pop record.

Watch Now:Amazon
New York State of Mind
star
8.43
56 votes

#2 - New York State of Mind

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/19/2018

In the early 1990s, a new wave of hardcore East Coast artists emerges, led by Nas, Wu-Tang Clan and the Notorious B.I.G.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Foundation
star
8.41
119 votes

#3 - The Foundation

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/4/2016

Bronx-based DJs set Hip-Hop's sonic foundations. MCs, inspired by African American oral traditions, create the modern template for rap music, culminating with the emergence of Hip-Hop's first crew, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

Watch Now:Amazon
The New Guard
star
8.37
97 votes

#4 - The New Guard

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/18/2016

Run-DMC ushers in a new era of Hip-Hop. Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin build Hip-Hop's first empire, Def Jam. An unknown producer finds a new way to make beats and launches Hip-Hop's Golden Age, culminating in the epic fury of Public Enemy.

Watch Now:Amazon
From The Underground to The Mainstream
star
8.36
104 votes

#5 - From The Underground to The Mainstream

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/11/2016

Hip-Hop crews in the Bronx and Harlem begin to form around the DJs, but these pioneering groups never record any music. It would take R&B veterans to see the genre’s commercial potential and create Hip-Hop's first hit, "Rapper's Delight."

Watch Now:Amazon
A Tale of Two Coasts
star
8.34
53 votes

#6 - A Tale of Two Coasts

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/6/2019

With the rise of N.W.A., gangsta rap and Suge Knight, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry climaxes with a lethal beef ensnaring the great Tupac Shakur.

Watch Now:Amazon
Do the Knowledge
star
8.32
50 votes

#7 - Do the Knowledge

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/19/2018

KRS-One makes his mark at New York's legendary Latin Quarter club. A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul cultivate an Afrocentric, jazzy style.

Watch Now:Amazon
Pass the Mic
star
8.13
52 votes

#8 - Pass the Mic

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/6/2019

Alternative hip-hop bubbles up from the streets: Mos Def spits in NYC, the Freestyle Fellowship chops it up in LA, and Eminem battles on the circuit.

Watch Now:Amazon
Life After Death
star
8.11
46 votes

#9 - Life After Death

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/6/2019

In NYC, the Notorious B.I.G. fosters an empowering protégée, Lil’ Kim. When the East-West feud claims Biggie, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z vie for the throne.

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The Super Producers
star
8.00
42 votes

#10 - The Super Producers

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/17/2020

Auteurs like the Neptunes' Pharrell and Chad expand the sonic palette. Timbaland and Missy Elliott lean forward. Kanye West and J Dilla reimagine rap.

Watch Now:Amazon
Out the Trunk: The Bay
star
7.96
53 votes

#11 - Out the Trunk: The Bay

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/19/2018

In the Bay Area, Too $hort channels pimp culture, MC Hammer becomes rap's first pop star, and Digital Underground introduces the world to Tupac Shakur.

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The Southern Way
star
7.91
56 votes

#12 - The Southern Way

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/19/2018

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 for UGK.

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The Dirty South
star
7.87
45 votes

#13 - The Dirty South

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/6/2019

A hot, sticky music scene is born in Atlanta as the infectious hooks of TLC and Kris Kross yield to the gritty originality of OutKast and Goodie Mob.

Watch Now:Amazon
Street Dreams
star
7.61
46 votes

#14 - Street Dreams

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/17/2020

Mixtapes spread the hottest sounds, infringe copyright and break artists. Among them, 50 Cent polarizes, T.I. takes off with trap, and Lil Wayne clicks.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Southern lab
star
7.29
41 votes

#15 - The Southern lab

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/17/2020

Innovators explode out of the South: Houston's DJ Screw slows hip-hop down, Memphis's Three 6 Mafia goes dark, and Atlanta's Lil Jon brings the crunk.

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Bounce to this
star
7.24
46 votes

#16 - Bounce to this

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/17/2020

Rooted in New Orleans's rich music culture, No Limit mogul Master P and bounce breakouts DJ Jimi and Juvenile shake rap and put twerking on the map.

Watch Now:Amazon