Since its inception roughly half of a century ago, hip-hop has permeated popular music and culture in a way that other genres and movements have struggled to replicate. The genre was born in The Bronx in the 1970’s as a means for marginalized African-American communities to express themselves during a time they were being overlooked and underrepresented in the United States. Though today hip-hop is an international phenomenon, it has a rich and diverse history that cannot be overlooked when studying how it has progressed in the five decades it has been in existence. That history has been directly influential to the fabric of youth culture in America in recent decades and that influence is set to be examined in an upcoming project: Let Me Hear A Rhyme is set to be a series about teens growing up during the rise of hip-hop in the 1990’s and is currently in production at Peacock.
The 1990’s was a pivotal time for hip-hop highlighted by a remarkable amount of violence inspired by shifting socio-political tensions in America. This violence often spilled over into communities and reshaped the lives of innocent bystanders who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is, in part, the theme of Let Me Hear A Rhyme, a new project based upon a novel by Tiffany D. Jackson that follows the story of three teens growing up during this time period who are forced to solve their friend’s untimely murder through clues in his music. The series is now officially in the works at Peacock, with Morgan Cooper set to direct and Morenike Balogun and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson set to produce. Further details are sure to emerge in the near future as production commences.
Having a name like 50 Cent attached to a project about hip-hop is almost a guaranteed recipe for success. The Queens-bred rapper is nearly as respected in television as he is in hip-hop, producing series such as ABC’s For Life and Starz’ Power. His skills will now be put to the test once again as he teams up with Peacock to produce a project that he was seemingly made for in Let Me Hear A Rhyme. Remain on the lookout in coming weeks for more details about the upcoming series Let Me Hear A Rhyme.
