Bill Adler

Death by Fame goes behind the scenes to uncover the sinister side of fame and reveal the shocking true stories behind the rise, fall and murder of some of Hollywood's most promising stars.

Diving deep into the heart of black entertainment's most perplexing mysteries, this investigative series exposes the hidden truths and untold stories behind the controversies that have rocked the African-American celebrity world.

The 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony take place on Saturday, November 5, 2022 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. This year’s Performer Inductees are Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis will receive the Musical Excellence Award, Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten the Early Influence Award, and Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine, and Sylvia Robinson the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

From executive producers Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, Shawn Gee and Alex Gibney, each episode of this series focuses on a groundbreaking song pivotal to the evolution of American music and culture. From the early hip-hop battles to verses that sparked hope and inspired change, watch artists deconstruct their composition, revisit the impact the song had on them personally, and dissect the socio-economic and cultural conditions that inspired the landmark work and gave voice to a generation.

A provocative look into the seven-year history of the series that gave hip hop a voice and broke color barriers, integrating MTV with rap. "Yo! MTV Raps" premiered on August 6, 1988 with hosts Fab 5 Freddy, Ed Lover and Doctor Dré, and shaped the careers of many of today’s hip hop superstars, while simultaneously making groundbreaking strides in introducing hip hop to the mainstream.

Legendary hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. must find and punish the evil drug lord-record company executive who murdered their friend. Along the way, they encounter racist bikers, blonde bimbos, and the Beastie Boys!

The film documents the development of hip hop culture since its inception in the 1970s. With interviews from various figures in the community such as Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Fab 5 Freddy, KRS-One, MC Hammer and Busy Bee.

Just for Kicks is a 2005 documentary film about the sneaker phenomena and history. It includes self confessed "sneakerheads" like Grandmaster Caz, Reverend Run, and Missy Elliott. It tells the story of the legendary Nike Air Force One's, or as they are called in New York "Uptowns." Also about the beginning of Air Jordans. The documentary also tells the story of how hip-hop pioneers DJ Run, Jam Master Jay, and DMC had everyone wearing Adidas Superstars with their smash hit "My Adidas."

1986 was a special year in the development of hip-hop. The Dutch TV documentary BIG FUN IN THE BIG TOWN captured this on film. And 15-year-old Pascal Garnier was immediately fascinated by New York’s young rap celebrities. Almost 40 years later, with the assistance of Bill Adler - the former publicist of the legendary Def Jam label - he tracked down the artists of that time. Roxanne Shanté, DMC and Def Jam’s creative director Cey Adams reminisce and also talk about their current lives. In his grandmother’s house, hip-hop icon LL Cool J talks about the meaning of “I Need Love”. Pure emotion - for viewers and everyone involved.

Legendary hip-hop DJ Jason Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay, is gunned down in his Queens studio. Security tapes of the incident mysteriously disappear, the five witnesses are uncooperative and no one is talking... until now. 2 Turntables and a Microphone documents the investigation of the unsolved murder of Jam Master Jay, RUN- DMC's groundbreaking DJ and producer, deftly revealing the history of hip-hop and mainstream rap along the way. Exclusive, candid interviews with 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Russell Simmons, RUN-DMC, LL Cool J, The Game, and more offer insight into Jam Master Jay's life - including information that could finally help police solve the murder that shook the music world to its core.

Umar Bin Hassan hasn’t even hit 70 yet, but he walks with difficulty and there’s sadness and fatigue in his eyes. As a member of The Last Poets, a group of performance poets who expressed the progressive spirit of the times starting in the late 1960s, he was a major influence on later hip-hop artists. In one of his best-known pieces, Ni****s are Scared of Revolution, he criticizes his black brothers’ destructive, macho behavior. Scared of Revolution concentrates on Hassan’s personal life, in which he still fights his demons. He grew up poor with a violent, unpredictable father, which in turn left him with an inferiority complex. In the course of his adult life, he has had a string of bad relationships and left children without a father figure. In his darkest hour, he also battled a crack addiction.