The entire history of hip-hop is a very long, very intricate story that spans both decades and continents. There are so many different styles, eras and artists to cover its hard to even know where to begin and what to emphasize. These are the issues that Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons is going to have to grapple with in his new documentary series, The Definitive History Of Hip-Hop.
The new project, produced by Simmons’ All Def Digital in partnership with Stephen David Entertainment and GroupM Entertainment, will seek to tell “the untold story,” of the vast genre’s birth going all the way back to the 1970s through the use of “visual effects, archival footage and celebrity interviews.” In a statement, Simmons shared his ultimate vision for the project.
“Hip hop began in the Bronx and Queens, and was fueled by pioneering new artists with an incredible hunger to express themselves in unimaginably bold new ways. The Definitive History of Hip Hop is the untold story of the birth of this art form – the series gets behind the scenes of what drove the beats, the rhymes, the ideas — and the people — that so powerfully hit a chord with all of youth culture in America and around the world. It starts with the OGs of this disruptive force in entertainment, spotlights some of the lesser known artists who’ve fallen out of history or favor, and of course looks at the icons who are now household names whether you’re in LA or London, Toledo or Tokyo…. We are going long, and deep, and plan to follow the characters and story lines, the drama, the dreams, the deaths, the disruptions, that have made our narrative one of the most compelling American stories of the last three decades. And its future is still being written today, so the story is both timeless and endless.”
Here’s wishing Simmons luck in goal of relaying this endless tale.
