Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World

The Foundation

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.

The Foundation

55m 3s

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.

Previews + Extras

  • The Birth Of Hip Hop: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Birth Of Hip Hop

    S1 E1 - 1m 34s

    Four cultures - Rap, Breaking, Graffiti Art, and DJing - are brought together by DJ Kool Herc to create Hip Hop. Featuring interviews with Chuck D of Public Enemy, Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC, and KRS-One.

  • Where the Spirit of Hip Hop Originated: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Where the Spirit of Hip Hop Originated

    S1 E1 - 2m 52s

    Chuck D takes us back to the start of the 60s, where the spirit of Hip Hop originated. The deaths of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Vietnam War begin to shape the nation, and have a profound impact on Chuck D and his community.

  • The First Socially Conscious Hip Hop Hit: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The First Socially Conscious Hip Hop Hit

    S1 E1 - 3m 5s

    Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's hit 'The Message' spoke to how people were truly living and feeling. Melle Mel gives background to the lyrics he rapped in the song.

Similar Shows

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.