EXCLUSIVE: Andscape, the Black multimedia platform from Disney and ESPN, on Monday revealed &360, a new documentary anthology intended to explore the influence of Black culture on American society, expanding perspectives, telling previously untold stories, and revealing truths about some of the biggest sports and cultural moments of our time.
Based on material generated and reported by Andscape’s team of award-winning journalists, the series’ first title to launch will be the documentary Hip-Hop and the White House, premiering April 22. All docs in the collection will be available to stream exclusively on Hulu.
“We are energized by the incredible storytellers working today, and we are thrilled to use our platform to spotlight the work of Black creators,” said Jason Aidoo, VP and head of Andscape.
Narrated by Jeezy, the Atlanta rap giant who predicted the future when he released “My President” several months before the election of Barack Obama, Hip-Hop and the White House examines the relationship between the most powerful American cultural movement of the past 50 years and the most powerful position on the planet – the President of the United States. The film begins by illustrating how presidential policies in the 1970s and ’80s created conditions of oppression and neglect that birthed hip-hop. It then goes on to chronicle how the culture went from ignored and misunderstood by presidential administrations to courted and embraced for its unparalleled influence on American youth.
Pic is written and directed by Jesse Washington (Bearing Witness: A Portrait of Darnella Frazier), who has documented hip-hop since the 1980s and has been a senior writer at Andscape since it launched as The Undefeated in 2014. In addition to Jeezy, interview subjects include Common, YG, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, KRS-One, Roxanne Shante, Bun B, Bakari Kitwana, Farai Chideya, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Curren$y, Dave “Davey D” Cook, Grandmaster Caz, Waka Flocka Flame and Chika among others.
“We feel this is the perfect time to discuss how hip-hop has influenced presidential politics, and to ask what we can expect from the culture in this upcoming election season,” Washington said. “&360 provides an incredible opportunity to explore and illuminate important stories that have never been fully told. I’m looking forward to passing the &360 baton to the next storyteller and seeing new visions come to life.”
Executive producers of Hip-Hop and the White House are Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins, Washington, Jason Aidoo, and Dwayne Bray. Jordan Benston, Ernest Dukes, Mary Almonte and Steve Reiss served as co-EPs.
