RuhrBeat - Die vergessene Rapstory(2025)

Explore the history of activist Afeni Shakur and hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, two voices that could not be silenced. Told through the eyes of the people who knew them best, this series is an intimate wide-angle portrait of the most inspiring and dangerous mother-son duo in American history, whose unified message of freedom, equality, persecution and justice are more relevant today than ever.

This intimate documentary series chronicles Meek Mill's transformation from chart-topping rapper to galvanizing face of criminal justice reform. As Meek, his family and his legal team fight for his freedom, cameras capture the birth of the #FREEMEEK movement and re-investigate a case filled with allegations of dirty cops and systemic corruption in a broken judicial system.

VH1 teamed up with acclaimed filmmakers Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman and famed author, award-winning entrepreneur, advertising executive, and record executive Steve Stoute for a 4-part documentary series based on Stoute’s best-selling book, “The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy.” VH1’s “The Tanning of America: One Nation Under Hip Hop” is a thorough examination of hip-hop as a cultural movement, whose profound influence in music, film, television, fashion, business, race relations and politics eventually paved the way for the election of Barack Obama. Stoute notes, “Since its birth, hip-hop has been a reflection of black America, but never before have we seen it cast as such a far-reaching agent of political change. This film paints an entirely new picture of the impact of hip-hop culture over the last 30 years.”

From executive producers Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, Shawn Gee and Alex Gibney, each episode of this series focuses on a groundbreaking song pivotal to the evolution of American music and culture. From the early hip-hop battles to verses that sparked hope and inspired change, watch artists deconstruct their composition, revisit the impact the song had on them personally, and dissect the socio-economic and cultural conditions that inspired the landmark work and gave voice to a generation.

Self-taught composer, turntable prodigy, and visionary producer, DJ Mehdi was the only French artist to bridge the gap between two seemingly opposing worlds: rap and electro. Thirteen years after his sudden passing, this documentary series, directed by his childhood friend Thibaut de Longeville, sheds light on the role of this free spirit in the rise of these two musical scenes in France during the 1990s and 2000s.

Dive into world of music mogul Irv Gotti with untold stories and firsthand accounts from those who were there to experience the rise, fall and redemption of his Murder Inc Records.

Public Enemy’s Chuck D leads a cast of hip-hop icons and leading African-American and Latino cultural commentators as they chart the factors that led to the birth of the revolutionary art form of hip-hop in 1970s New York, as well as the creation of the seminal hit The Message. They evoke a picture of how, after the turbulence of the 60s and the civil rights struggles, desperate social conditions and the experience of countless dispossessed people of colour living in a city mired in crisis helped give birth to a new art form.

Old 1970s Martial arts films individually re-cut down to standard television half hour lengths, re-scored with hit music, re-dubbed with the comedic voice overs of hip hop personalities, and re-combined with comic book style graphics and video game theme pacing.

The history of the city of Compton is spotlighted, featuring interviews with prominent residents and an examination of the impact drugs, gangs and political strife had on its music and culture.

My Coolest Years is a television program that aired on VH1 in which actors, musicians, and other celebrities reminisce about their high school years.

An inside look at the professional and personal life of Andrey Batt. A peek inside the exploits and privileged adventures of the artist himself and his friends. Batt welcomes viewers into his unfiltered world of fame, relationships, sport and art.

The never-been-told story of RUN DMC, a group that met on the streets of Queens and went on to legitimize a criticized genre of music: hip-hop.

The Swagg Man case has sparked a buzz over the Internet. With paradise villas in Miami, luxury trips all over the world, shiny gold chains, and purple Euro notes galore, the rapper has been flaunting his success since 2009. But ten years later, the dream has lost some of its magic. As Swagg Man gets prosecuted for money laundering, he claims his innocence opposite former followers accusing him of swindling them.

Azad, Sido, Moses Pelham, Haftbefehl, Sabrina Setlur, Liz and many more talk about who made them what they are and what it means to live Hip Hop. Thanks to them, Deutschrap has developed into the most successful music genre in Germany over the past four decades.