Traces the incredible trajectory of Brown’s life and career from a 7th grade drop-out arrested and jailed at the age of 16 for breaking into a car in the Jim Crow-era South, to an entertainment legend whose groundbreaking talent and unique perspective catapulted him to become a cultural force.
Episodes
Making a Life for Myself
Rising from poverty and overcoming abuse in the Jim Crow South, James Brown secures a record deal, electrifies audiences, and breaks down racial barriers; propelling himself into stardom.
The Most Powerful Black Man in America
Aligning with the civil rights movement, James Brown becomes a cultural force by articulating community pride and political influence, ultimately hailed as the most important Black man in America.
Life in the Raw
Amidst financial pressures, record company politics, substance abuse, and personal struggles, James Brown found himself on a perilous path, colliding with the law and confronting the threat of revisiting prison.
Big As Big Can Be
As the godfather of a breakbeat that birthed hip-hop, James Brown's life serves as a crucial call for respect and dignity for Blackness and Black music in America.
Top Cast
James Brown
Self (archive footage)
Deanna Brown
Self - James Brown's Wife
Yamma Brown
Self - James Brown's Daughter
Bootsy Collins
Self
Chuck D
Self
Al Sharpton
Self
Questlove
Self
Mick Jagger
Self
LL Cool J
Self
Alan Leeds
Self
