About this season
Traces the incredible trajectory of Brown’s life and career from a 7th grade drop-out arrested and jailed at the age of 16 for breaking into a car in the Jim Crow-era South, to an entertainment legend whose groundbreaking talent and unique perspective catapulted him to become a cultural force.
Episodes (4)
1. Making a Life for Myself
7.0Aired 19 February 2024 • 42 min
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.
2. The Most Powerful Black Man in America
8.0Aired 19 February 2024 • 42 min
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.
3. Life in the Raw
8.0Aired 20 February 2024 • 43 min
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.
4. Big As Big Can Be
6.0Aired 20 February 2024 • 43 min
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.