Go back

Making a Life for Myself

Episode number: 1

Overview: Rising from poverty and overcoming abuse in the Jim Crow South, James Brown secures a record deal, electrifies audiences, and breaks down racial barriers; propelling himself into stardom.

The Most Powerful Black Man in America

Episode number: 2

Overview: Aligning with the civil rights movement, James Brown becomes a cultural force by articulating community pride and political influence, ultimately hailed as the most important Black man in America.

Life in the Raw

Episode number: 3

Overview: Amidst financial pressures, record company politics, substance abuse, and personal struggles, James Brown found himself on a perilous path, colliding with the law and confronting the threat of revisiting prison.

Big As Big Can Be

Episode number: 4

Overview: As the godfather of a breakbeat that birthed hip-hop, James Brown's life serves as a crucial call for respect and dignity for Blackness and Black music in America.