BBC: Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music - 3 Part Docuseries

Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music

News about a new three-part documentary series titled 'Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music' which premieres 21 September 2024 on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer

'Paid In Full: The Battle for Black Music explores the systemic racism faced by Black artists in the music industry from its inception to the digital streaming age.'

Press notes below....

From executive producers Idris and Sabrina Elba, alongside Greg Sanderson of Supercollider and Julie Bristow of Catalyst, for national public broadcasters CBC and BBC, a new three-part documentary series Paid In Full: The Battle for Black Music explores the systemic racism faced by Black artists in the music industry from its inception to the digital streaming age.

Despite remarkable success stories, prejudicial practices persist in the machinery of the music industry, with exploitative contracts and copyright arrangements often hindering artists' autonomy and financial reward and coming with a devastating personal cost.

The series is narrated in Canada by music icon Jully Black and features interviews with Black titans of the music industry Cadence Weapon, Chaka Khan, George Clinton, Monie Love, Nile Rodgers, Gloria Gaynor, Ice T, Master P, and Smokey Robinson, as well as music experts and industry insiders. The series is narrated in the UK by British actress and playwright Zawe Ashton.

In Canada, all episodes of Paid In Full: The Battle for Black Music will be available to stream on CBC Gem beginning Saturday 21 September.

In the UK, the first episode will air on BBC Two on Saturday 21 September and will be available to stream as a box set on BBC iPlayer afterwards. The second and third episodes will air on Saturday 28 September.

Paid In Full: The Battle for Black Music documents the extent of the historic injustice suffered by the music industry’s Black artists, including the disparity of profits received by them, despite having created the records that have driven the fabric and culture of popular music - from jazz and rock and roll to soul and rap.

The first episode delves into the stories of trailblazing artists like Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, who used their music to challenge societal norms, and confronts the harsh realities faced by legends such as Bessie Smith, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry, who struggled for fair compensation despite their groundbreaking contributions. The second episode highlights the emergence of Black-owned labels like Motown, Stax Records, and Def Jam, which shaped the industry while facing their own challenges. Despite celebrating Black culture, these labels sometimes adopted exploitative practices reminiscent of larger, white-owned counterparts.

More info via 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/paid-in-full-battle-for-black-music-bbc-two