Hip-Hop Evolution (2016–2020)

1. S01E01The FoundationSeptember 5, 2016 3.0Bronx-based DJs set Hip-Hop's sonic foundations. MCs, inspired by African American oral traditions, create the modern template for rap music
2. S01E02From The Underground to The MainstreamSeptember 12, 2016 3.5Hip-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&
3. S01E03The New GuardSeptember 19, 2016 3.5Run-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 ne
4. S01E04Season's bestThe Birth of Gangsta RapSeptember 26, 2016 4.5Ice-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 Out

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

1. S02E01The Southern WayOctober 19, 2018 4.02 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
2. S02E02Out the Trunk: The BayOctober 19, 2018 4.0In the Bay Area, Too $hort channels pimp culture, MC Hammer becomes rap's first pop star, and Digital Underground introduces the world to Tu
3. S02E03Season's bestDo the KnowledgeOctober 19, 2018 4.5KRS-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
4. S02E04New York State of MindOctober 19, 2018 4.5In the early 1990s, a new wave of hardcore East Coast artists emerges, led by Nas, Wu-Tang Clan and the Notorious B.I.G.

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

1. S03E01Season's bestA Tale of Two CoastsSeptember 6, 2019 5.5With 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 Tupa
2. S03E02Life After DeathSeptember 6, 2019 4.0In 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 t
3. S03E03Pass the MicSeptember 6, 2019 4.0Alternative hip-hop bubbles up from the streets: Mos Def spits in NYC, the Freestyle Fellowship chops it up in LA, and Eminem battle on the
4. S03E04The Dirty SouthSeptember 6, 2019 4.0A 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 Go

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

1. S04E01Bounce to ThisJanuary 17, 2020 1.5Rooted 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
2. S04E02The Southern LabJanuary 17, 2020 3.5Innovators 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
3. S04E03Season's bestThe Super ProducersJanuary 17, 2020 4.0Auteurs like the Neptunes' Pharrell and Chad expand the sonic palette. Timbaland and Missy Elliott lean forward. Kanye West and J Dilla reim
4. S04E04Street DreamsJanuary 17, 2020 3.5Mixtapes spread the hottest sounds, infringe copyright and break artists. Among them, 50 Cent polarizes, T.I. takes off with trap, and Lil W

Season 4 ranked & reviewed