Paramount+ today announced a new music docuseries, HIP HOP WAS BORN HERE, executive produced and co-created by Hip Hop trailblazer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee LL COOL J and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, set to premiere Tuesday, July 22 on the streamer in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Brazil. The series will also premiere internationally in the U.K., Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria on Wednesday, July 23. 

Hosted by LL COOL J, the series will chart the creation, evolution and ongoing legacy of Hip Hop not just as a genre but as a culture. All five episodes will be available to stream exclusively on the service, taking viewers on a journey through Hip Hop history – meeting OGs and future icons, visiting the neighborhoods, studios and places that fostered early styles as well as watching beloved artists analyze their favorite tracks. Featuring interviews with Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Method Man, Rev Run and more, HIP HOP WAS BORN HERE promises to deliver a new level of insight into how hip-hop first came to be and how it transformed into the global sensation that it is today. 

See below for full list of special guest appearances:

• LL COOL J
• Big Daddy Kane
• Bimmy 
• Crystal Caines
• Doug E. Fresh
• Grandmaster Caz
• Jadakiss
• Lady London
• Marley Marl
• Method Man
• Rev Run
• Roxanne Shante
• Salt of Salt-N-Pepa 
• Sheek Louch
• And more!

HIP HOP WAS BORN HERE is Executive Produced by LL COOL J and Stone Roberts for Rock The Bells and Peyton Manning and Jamie Horowitz for Omaha Productions. Kirk Fraser serves as Executive Producer. Bruce Gillmer and Vanessa Whitewolf serve as Executive Producers with Alicia Portugal serving as Co-Executive Producer for MTV Entertainment Studios.

About LL COOL J

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, recording artist, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J has created one of the most multifaceted careers and brands in entertainment and continues to display his wide range of talents with every project. Four decades after he first burst onto the scene, LL COOL J continues his vibrant, trailblazing career.

LL COOL J began in the nascent, burgeoning rap and Hip-Hop scene of the 80’s, which developed into the musical and cultural phenomenon that is today’s Hip-Hop. All the while, LL COOL J has remained a musical and cultural force, a living icon and a significant, relevant artist. In March 2018, LL launched his own SiriusXM timeless Hip-Hop channel entitled “LL COOL J’s Rock The Bells Radio,” garnering millions of daily listeners. The channel features a wide range of timeless Hip-Hop content, music, interviews and in-depth retrospectives curated, programmed and presented by the award-winning artist. Since its founding, Rock The Bells has developed into a global platform that has become the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop.

Last year LL made his latest artistic contribution and continued elevating Hip-Hop culture after over a decade long hiatus with the September 6th, 2024 release of his highly anticipated new album, THE FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest.  With this album, LL helped celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings and became the first Hip-Hop artist to chart Billboard entries across five decades, reaffirming his legacy as a pioneering force and enduring voice in music and culture.