Stuff You Gotta Watch: Hip-Hop Evolution
Episode Two of Hip-Hop Evolution’s fourth season shines a light on the sub-genre-defining artists of Houston, Memphis, and Atlanta. Given it’s a Canadian production hosted by MC Shad and the directing duo of Darby Wheeler and Rodrigo Bascuñán, it’s impressive how much access the show’s creators have to archival footage, rarely heard music, and illuminating new interviews with the subjects themselves.
While they can't always land interviews with superstars, this standout episode features talking head clips from nearly everyone involved in its central stories. Following a bleary-eyed, slow motion gaze into DJ Screw’s chopped and screwed mixtapes, it gives a much-deserved toast to DJ Spanish Fly, delves into an excavation of Three Six Mafia’s original horrorcore sound, and concludes with the crunk party chants of Lil Jon. For hip-hop heads who haven’t clued in yet, the series is a must-watch, and this episode in particular will make you buck jump off your couch.
Review by Jesse Locke. Check out the full archive of the Stuff You Gotta Watch column.