‘Hip-Hop and the White House’ Trailer: Music Documentary Reexamines the Policing of Rap

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Rap and hip-hop music have a long legacy of challenging oppressive powers. In upcoming Hulu documentary “Hip-Hop and The White House,” injustices against music creators of color are re-examined within the historical lens of political movements.

The film is written and directed by Sundance alum Jesse Washington, who has documented hip-hop since the 1980s and has been a senior writer at Andscape since it launched in 2014 as The Undefeated. His film credits include “Bearing Witness: A Portrait Of Darnella Frazier” for ESPN+ and “March On Washington: Keepers Of The Dream” for Nat Geo.

More from IndieWire

Atlanta rapper Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins narrates and executive produces the documentary alongside Washington. Jeezy’s song “My President” came out ahead of President Barack Obama’s historical 2008 election. Additional onscreen interview subjects include Common, YG, U.S. Representative 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, Chika, and more.

While “Hip-Hop And The White House” charts presidential policies in the 1970s and ’80s that led to the creation of modern hip-hop, the documentary also tackles the music’s massive cultural influence on American youth. “Hip-Hop And The White House” hails from the documentary-anthology franchise &360.

In addition to Jenkins and Washington, Jason Aidoo and Dwayne Bray also serve as executive producers, with Jordan Benston, Ernest Dukes, Mary Almonte, and Steve Reiss as co-executive producers.

“Hip-Hop And The White House” is the latest music documentary to debut on Hulu: four-part docuseries “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” lands on the platform on April 26. The Bon Jovi docuseries spans 40 years of rock ‘n roll history culminating in frontman Jon Bon Jovi’s vocal injury that throws the band’s touring future into question.

Both projects are part of the Hulu Spring 2024 slate. The Disney-owned streamer will also soon premiere Season 5 of “The Kardashians” as well as buzzy doc film “The Contestant.” Other new documentary offerings include “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” and “Vanderpump Villa.”

“Hip-Hop and the White House” premieres April 22 on Hulu. Check out the trailer below.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.