A&E Announce Original Podcast 'Origins of Hip Hop' Hosted by Grandmaster Caz

A+E Networks announced today the premiere of its A&E Original Podcast "Origins of Hip Hop," on Wednesday, May 18th ahead of the complementary television docuseries of the same name. Hosted by legendary emcee, Grandmaster Caz, the podcast dives deep into core elements of the musical genre and its surrounding culture.

Listeners will hear firsthand accounts of Hip Hop's beginnings, its struggle against an exploitative corporate music structure, and the ways that creative thinkers turned an underground phenomenon into a mainstream sensation.

The ten-episode season will include interviews with industry insiders and experts such as Sha-Rock, considered the first female emcee; Grand Wizzard Theodore, credited with inventing the popular "scratching" technique; and Kurtis Blow, one of the first commercially successful Hip Hop artists. Grandmaster Caz will also be joined by renowned authors, scholars and journalists to explore the relationships between Hip Hop and topics like social justice and politics, mental health and drug use.

The premiere episode explores how in the late nineteen-seventies, many in the South Bronx turned to private car companies to fill the gaps left by a crumbling public transportation system. The OJ Car Service became a favorite of the rising Hip Hop generation who were riding in OJ Cars, trading mixtapes, and hustling to promote their brand in this formative period.

The podcast will complement the forthcoming eight-part documentary series "Origins of Hip Hop" premiering Monday May 30th at 10PM on A&E which will explore the origins Busta Rhymes, Eve, Fat Joe, Grandmaster Flash, Ice-T, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, and Uncle Luke as they share the experiences that molded them into legendary artists.

"Origins of Hip Hop" podcast will premiere a new episode every Wednesday and will be available wherever listeners get their podcasts (Apple Spotify Stitcher).

A+E Networks® is a global content company comprised of some of the most popular and culturally relevant brands in media, including A&E®, Lifetime®, The HISTORY Channel™, LMN®, FYI,®, VICE TV® and Blaze®. A+E Networks' portfolio extends across platforms and genres with a scripted production division,

A+E Studios™; unscripted production, Six West Media™; and independent film unit, A&E IndieFilms®. A+E Networks Digital™ includes watch apps, games, FAST channels, AVOD, and SVOD products Lifetime Movie Club® and HISTORY Vault®; and podcasts such as History This Week™. A+E Consumer Enterprises™ includes experiential/branded live events such as HISTORYTalks™ and E-commerce; and A+E Networks International® includes branded channels, content distribution and scripted/unscripted co-productions around the world.

A+E Networks' content reaches more than 414 million households in 200 territories in 40 languages. A+E Networks is a joint venture of Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst.

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