The 13 best TV shows about hip-hop

In the era where MTV was the place to discover new music, Yo! MTV Raps brought hip-hop and rap to the network’s programming as the genre was still developing into a mainstream American phenomenon. Young fans who missed out on the show’s heyday can now watch the first two seasons of the original show on Paramount Plus, in addition to the 2022 reboot that brought on stars including Trina, Freddie Gibbs, and Latto.

Before Succession, Fox’s long-running musical soap opera Empire told the story of a corporate dynasty led by Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), a rapper-turned-hip-hop mogul who’s torn over choosing a successor from among his three children. While the showstopper of the series was Taraji P. Henson’s portrayal of Lucious’ jilted ex-wife, Cookie, Empire also stood out as a smash hit among the mid-2010s Black TV renaissance thanks to its catchy original soundtrack (released concurrently as singles à la Glee) and its honest portrayal of homophobia in hip-hop via middle child Jamal (Jussie Smollet).

Atlanta is beloved for the surrealist standalone episodes that solidified the show as an experimental trailblazer, but the narrative heart of the show follows the journey of Alfred “Paper Boi” Marks’ (Brian Tyree Henry), from his early mixtape days to his globetrotting tour in season three and what’s-next ennui in the stellar final season. The series draws inspiration from dozens of real-life figures and incidents in the rap game, while also bringing big-time and rising Southern rappers to the small screen either through cameos or via the show’s excellent soundtrack. Donald Glover’s head-trip of a comedy also taps into hip-hop’s fearless penchant for reinvention, reminding artists everywhere that storytelling can be limitless.

A short-lived musical epic from Baz Luhrmann and Netflix, The Get Down recreates the early days of hip-hop in the South Bronx in a story told through the eyes of teens who get drawn into the worlds of music and crime while pursuing their dreams. This show is maximalism at its finest, cramming together young love, gang wars, coming-of-age adventures, and former NYC mayor Ed Koch to present the full scope of circumstances that gave birth to the culture. If you’re a hip-hop fan who prefers your primer on the genesis of hip-hop to have some extra flair, The Get Down is a must-watch.

Hip-hop fans who want a thorough primer on the roots and development of the art forms of rapping, DJing, and production should turn to the docuseries Hip-Hop Evolution, which has 16 episodes to date covering the pioneers, regional subgenres, super-producers, and legendary MCs of the past 50 years. Each installment of the Peabody Award-winning show includes in-depth interviews with the biggest chart-toppers in the game, as they explain their contributions to the culture and the personal histories that go into creating a global grassroots subculture. If you don’t know the significance of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, start here.

In 2019, Netflix remixed the typical music-competition reality show formula with Rhythm + Flow, sending Cardi B, T.I., and Chance the Rapper to America’s four hip-hop capitals to find the next star MC. The unscripted hit ran its talented contestants through challenges that quick-charged the experiences of up-and-coming MCs, from live audition rounds where the audience hype held as much sway as the judges’ opinions to heated rap battles, sampling challenges, and award-show level finale performances with original songs. While fans are still clamoring for a second season, the globally inclined can check out the franchise’s French edition and a forthcoming Italian installment.

This scripted series from creators Alex Tse and Wu-Tang founder RZA follows the origin and rise of the trailblazing rap group while building an expansive world around the origin story that took place amid the ’90s crack-cocaine epidemic. In its coolest moments, Wu-Tang: An American Saga highlights the efforts of Bobby Diggs (a young RZA, played by Ashton Sanders) as he brings together the group’s dozen members, who are more occupied with day-to-day survival than the unlikely possibility of success as rappers. The first season is a coming-of-age slow-burn that spends time building out the men’s lives before they get anywhere near the booth, but the realistic pace gives their entrances into the booth a much bigger payoff.

The FXX comedy Dave, another show that employs meta-commentary about modern-day hip-hop, can’t escape comparisons to Atlanta. Dave follows an aspiring rapper played by a real-life artist, with Dave Burd bringing his alter ego, Lil Dicky, to the small screen. However, the show expertly pulls off a very different vibe from Donald Glover’s series, leaning instead into the neuroses of the main character and employing crude absurdist humor (the rapper’s moniker itself is a reference to penis size, which lets you know what types of jokes to expect) while also examining the character’s privilege as a white male rapper. Dave also offers up an impressive run of celebrity guest stars as the lead character begins his ascent through the industry in later seasons.

Blindspotting is another show where hip-hop is a means of storytelling rather than the storyline itself, as it uses rap and dance to illuminate characters’ inner turmoils and formative pasts. The continuation of co-creators Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs’ 2018 indie gem of the same name follows Ashley (Jasmine Cephas-Jones) as she struggles to adapt to her partner Miles’ (Casal) sudden incarceration, upon moving in with his hippie mother Rainey (Helen Hunt), and abrasive sister, Trish (Jaylen Barron). It serves as an empathetic case study of how mass incarceration affects an entire family, as well as a love letter to Oakland hip-hop, with appearances by local legends including E-40 and Too Short.

The soapy one-season drama Queens is all about the comeback, following the former members of a fictional ’90s female rap crew as they reunite 20 years later and attempt to ride the nostalgia wave to new stardom. The women of Nasty Bitches, played by Brandy, Eve, Naturi Naughton, and Nadine Velazquez, all have backstories that recall the histories of female rap and R&B pioneers, including Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, and TLC. The result is a short-lived look at the cyclical nature of the music industry and how it treats the women behind the mics.

The crime drama Jungle is immersed in the British drill-rap scene, from the real-life rappers contributing on- and off-screen to the lead character’s tendency to break into verses in moments of heightened emotion. The highly stylized Prime Video series, which counts Blade Runner and Belly among its inspirations, follows Gogo (Ezra Elliott), a dispirited thief looking for another means to survive and provide for his pregnant girlfriend Jessica (Nadia A’Rubea). Creators Junior Okoli and Chas Appet (known as the duo Nothing Lost) bring the “one last job” plot to experimental, propulsive new places in their inner-city musical.

Created by Issa Rae and counting rap duo City Girls as executive producers, Rap Sh!t is the newest show to explore the modern-day rap game, where social media hype can elevate a rising MC into a full-fledged star. After their live-streamed freestyle gains some buzz in their hometown of Miami, childhood friends Shauna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion) form a group and face challenges as they enter the rap game, from booking their first live performance to finding their identities as female rappers in the male-dominated industry. The inventive show quickly captures attention, both through original songs that are genuine bops and its unique technique of documenting the characters’ days through IG Lives and video calls.

This intimate docuseries about the life and career of Tupac Shakur understands that the best way to fully know the rapper is to know his mother, Afeni Shakur. Dear Mama creator Allen Hughes tells the story of both mother and son, highlighting how the legendary rapper was influenced by the teachings and myth-building of Afeni, a member of the Black Panther Party and an empathetic orator. As Hughes speaks with the Shakurs’ family members and collaborators, he paints a loving and complex picture of their full contradictory selves, while also crafting a case study of how political activism and pop culture have always been intertwined.