The Roots, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels and more celebrities convened for a special screening and performance
On Monday night, the creative team behind AMC’s upcoming docuseries Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America, gathered in front of an energized audience at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem to celebrate the show ahead of its October 13th premiere.
Executive producers Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, along with the series’ directors Erik Parker and One9, spoke early in the night about their desire to create a show that empowers a culture to take back the narrative surrounding Hip Hop’s emergence in America. The series will feature six episodes, each dedicated to a song that had a crucial impact on Hip Hop’s evolution as a genre.
The evening featured a special screening of the series’ first episode, which focuses on the conception of Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks.” The 2004 hit was the fourth single on West’s debut album The College Dropout, and rocketed the rapper to stardom.
The audience at Apollo Theater was also treated to performances from the ARC Choir, whose gospel track “Walk With Me” is sampled on “Jesus Walks”, as well as from Hip Hop group The Roots.
The ARC (Addicts Rehabilitation Center) Choir, led by 81-year-old director James Allen, delivered a moving performance of “Walk With Me,” receiving a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd.
To conclude the performance, The Roots brought out special guest Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels to roaring applause.
The premiere episode’s choppy, sensory-driven style aligns skillfully with the flashy, fast-moving cultural explosion that defined the early 2000s and witnessed the rise of some of the most creative and polarizing rappers. The show succeeds in basing its sequencing not in the chronology of West’s rise to fame, but rather in the musical arrangement of “Jesus Walks,” bridging the layers of production with many pivotal moments from West’s early days as a burgeoning talent. The episode weaves between DIY home videos recording a young West developing his craft – both in his formulating years in Chicago, and on the brink of fame in Newark (both often featuring a converted basement studio) – and interviews with record executives like Dame Dash (of Roc-A-Fella label) and West’s collaborators, including Rhymefest, a co-writer on “Jesus Walks,” and John Legend, who’s a vocalist on the track.
While much of the episode documents West’s early years as an established producer grinding to prove himself as a rapper, it also dives into deconstructing the composition of “Jesus Walks.” The track, famous for its open embrace of faith at a time when radios wanted little to do with religious signaling (a verse in the song, “But if I talk about God my record won’t get played Huh?” is a literal challenge to radio), peaked at No. 11 on Billboard Hot 100, and was awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Song in 2005.
At a time when rap music featured mostly pompous verses about clubs, sex, and money, West was able to unite listeners with a spiritual reckoning that moved beyond religious faith. At one point in the episode Rhymefest reflects on the confession verse in “Jesus Walks:” ‘”I wanna talk to God but I’m afraid ‘cause we ain’t spoke in so long.’ Who hasn’t felt that?” he ruminates.
While the episode frames West in a less controversial light than we are used to seeing him, you can see the contours of his brazen public persona forming early on. Yet ultimately, the episode leaves you with a profound sense of respect for the kid from Chicago that proved himself time and time again a lyrical genius and one of the most influential artists of our generation.
Hip Hop: The Songs that Shook America premieres Sunday, October 13 at 12am ET/PT on AMC.
