ESPN ‘The Crossover’- Source: Nick Hunt / Getty
To celebrate hip-hop turning 50 ESPN is examining the relationship between sports and music with a special presentation, The Crossover.
With the 50th anniversary of hip-hop upon us we are getting great content all year. Yesterday ESPN officially released The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip-Hop and Sports which examines the relationship between black culture and sports. If you’ve ever watched an ESPN special presentation you know you’re in for a treat when you get a chance to watch. The legend Busta Rhymes lends his voice to the special as our narrator for the one-hour program.
Fifty years ago in the Bronx, a new genre of music was born, the product of a people searching for their voice and the opportunity to be heard. For decades, the community was bound by the words of leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X before their assassinations attempted to thwart the messaging. While their lives ended, the impact of their words never would, instead paving the way for others.
Soon, athletes and entertainers would step to the microphone and boldly become the sound of a new generation and an inspiration to their people. When the world looked to silence them, the culture found a way to speak louder than ever before. From Muhammad Ali to Public Enemy, Jay-Z to Lebron James and beyond, the impact on sports has been indelible.
The world sports leader went deep into the archives and secured original interviews from “those who lived it” according to a press release.
From Danyel Smith to Uncle Luke there is a wide range of perspectives in the special.
Many rappers, artists and other personalities from the world of Hip Hop are interviewed in the program, including:
Big Daddy Kane – rapper
Fab 5 Freddy – director and cultural icon
Fat Joe – rapper
DJ Jazzy Jeff — DJ
Rakim — rapper
E-40 – rapper
Killer Mike – rapper
MC Lyte – rapper
Rick Ross — rapper
Ice Cube – rapper/actor
Luther Campbell (Uncle Luke) – rapper
Charlamagne The God – radio host
Too Short – rapper
Among other voices in the program:
Nikole-Hannah Jones – writer “The 1619 Project” (The New York Times Magazine)
Angele Rye – host and cultural commentator
Michael Eric Dyson – author Entertaining Race
Dr. Todd Boyd – professor of Race and Culture, University of Southern California
Laila Ali – daughter of Muhammad Ali and former professional boxer
Michael Wilbon – journalist
Jemele Hill – journalist
Danyel Smith – author
Ari Melber – host, MSNBC’s The Beat
Leslie Small – film director; PhD in Economic Development
Jesse Washington – journalist/filmmaker
Jalen Rose – former NBA and college basketball player
Justin Tinsley – sports and culture reporter
The film was directed by Julian Gooden and produced by Angela Rye, Black Forman, Jeremy Williams, and Frank Saraceno.
You can watch the special presentation right now with on-demand streaming on ESPN+.
