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.
#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.
#2 - 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.
#3 - 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."
#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.
#5 - 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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
