Plot Synopsis

Directed by Rashidi Natara Harper, HIP HOP UNCOVERED is a six-part documentary series that examines a dying breed of power brokers who operate from the shadows of hip hop. Set against 40 years of music history, this series takes a deep dive into the paradox of America's criminalization of the genre and its fascination with the street culture that created it and still exists within it. Instead of telling the story of hip hop from the top down, HIP HOP UNCOVERED tells the story from the streets up, as it reveals the untold story of how America's streets helped shape hip hop culture from an expression of survival and defiance into music's most dominant genre. HIP HOP UNCOVERED premiered on Friday, February 12, 2021 from 9-11:35pm ET/PT, as FX debuted back-to-back episodes:

"A Child Is Born With No State of Mind" (Friday, February 12, 2021 from 9-10:20pm): Five main contributors (Big U, Deb, Trick Trick, Bimmy and Haitian Jack) are introduced, because they are the unsung heroes of hip hop's legacy. They are the men and women who worked in the shadows to affect hip hop at the highest levels.

"Cash Rules Everything Around Me" (Friday, February 12, 2021 from 10:20-11:35pm): The OGs learn to hustle, hoping to make a better life for their families. The lessons they learn provide them unique business acumen that will one day serve them in the music business.

"Sh*t's Real" (Friday, February 19, 2021 from 9-10:20pm): The OGs get more involved with the music. They learn the details of management, producing and developing artists. However, their pasts catch up to them. By the time of civil unrest in 1992 Los Angeles, the main contributors found themselves doing time.

"Things Just Ain't the Same for Gangstas" (Friday, February 19, 2021 from 10:20-11:35pm): As the drug game dried up in the streets, a new hustle emerged...hip hop. After time in prison, we catch up with the five main contributors: Big U manages Kurupt, Deb moves to Atlanta, Haitian Jack works with the Fugees, Bimmy is hired at Def Jam and Trick Trick records his first album.

"Industry Rule Number 4080: Record Company People Are Shady" (Friday, February 26, 2021 from 9-10:25pm): With hip hop becoming the world's most popular music genre, the OGs find themselves facing a dilemma, join the establishment or keep to the code of the street?

"Victory Lap" (Friday, February 26, 2021 from 10:25-11:50pm): The contributors become modern-day Robin Hoods as they change their communities for the better through leadership. As 2020 is ushered in, hip hop now faces its largest challenge yet. Will it be the voice of the oppressed during historic times?