What To Watch
14 Movies and Shows That Amplify the Brilliance of Black Music
Bring the beat in.
By Ashley Lee
June 1, 2026
Celebrate Black Music Month With These 14 Movies and Shows - Netflix Tudum
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter designated June to be Black Music Month, a moment to honor the essential contributions of African American singers, songwriters, composers, producers, and more. But let’s be honest: These sounds are worth celebrating all year long.
Bring the beat in with these movies and shows that celebrate the brilliance of Black music — pop hits, juke-joint blues, orchestral works, rap bars, and more. This list includes engrossing portraits of renowned artists, riveting documentaries about behind-the-scenes hitmakers, and narrative films that capture the magic of songwriting. Whether you love a classic track or you’re on that new vibration, there’s something here for you.
American Symphony
One moment, Jon Batiste is basking in the announcement that he’s earned 11 Grammy nominations; another moment, the composer is processing the news that his life partner, Suleika Jaouad, is again battling cancer after a decade-long remission. Director Matthew Heineman chronicles the unique year of emotional highs and lows, all while Batiste prepares for a one-night-only performance of a groundbreaking orchestral piece at Carnegie Hall. The film includes the Oscar-nominated original song “It Never Went Away,” which Batiste co-wrote for Jaouad.
Beats
Meet August Monroe (Khalil Everage), a reclusive Chicago teenager with promising hip-hop chops who, after witnessing his sister’s death, is crippled with post-traumatic stress disorder. He forms an unlikely friendship with Romelo Reese (Anthony Anderson), a struggling music producer who works as a school security guard. The two start to write songs together, attempting to cross new creative frontiers and leave their respective pasts behind. Uzo Aduba, Paul Walter Hauser, and Dreezy are also in the coming-of-age drama, which is helmed by seasoned music video director Chris Robinson.
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Though his life and career were tragically cut short, Biggie Smalls — also known as the Notorious B.I.G. — is still remembered as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Emmett Malloy’s documentary honors his contributions to music, featuring interviews with his collaborators and family members. The only documentary approved by the musician’s estate, the film traces the history of Christopher Wallace, a talented Brooklyn kid who went on to become one of hip-hop’s biggest stars.
The Black Godfather
According to Quincy Jones, Clarence Avant has been the “silent architect of so many deals, it would make your head spin.” Witness the exceptional and unlikely rise of Avant, the music executive who operated almost exclusively behind the scenes to connect and uplift countless entertainers at pivotal moments in their lives and careers. This documentary charts Avant’s journey from an impoverished childhood in the Jim Crow South to one of the most high-powered — not to mention whitest — industries in America.
The Get Down
This stylish drama takes it back to 1977, when the talented and soulful youth of the South Bronx chased New York City dreams and breakneck beats to transform music history. The show captures the invigorating era when the disco genre inevitably yielded to the emergence of hip-hop. Narrated by Nas, the series also features a star-studded ensemble cast, including Justice Smith, Jaden Smith, Daveed Diggs, Giancarlo Esposito, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Lillias White.
The Greatest Night in Pop
Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, and dozens more, all led by Quincy Jones: In 1985, the biggest names in popular music gathered to record “We Are the World,” a charity single written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie to benefit the nonprofit USA for Africa. Bao Nguyen’s documentary chronicles the story behind the once-in-a-lifetime track, which went on to win four Grammys and raise millions of dollars for humanitarian aid.
Hip-Hop Evolution
History was made in 1973, when DJ Kool Herc played his original music at his sister’s party in the Bronx. That event is now considered the birthplace of hip-hop, and this Peabody Award–winning docuseries traces the genre’s dynamic evolution from the 1970s through today. Hosted by rapper and broadcaster Shad, the show spotlights numerous subgenres: West Coast rap with Ice-T and N.W.A., East Coast beats with Wu-Tang Clan and the Notorious B.I.G., Atlanta’s impact with TLC and OutKast, and more.
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
In 2018, Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to headline Coachella — and thankfully, she took a camera crew along with her. This documentary tracks the artist through months of detailed planning, grueling rehearsals, and candid conversations about art and motherhood. Come for the clips of her critically acclaimed set — a two-hour hit parade, complete with surprise reunions and an homage to historically Black colleges and universities — and stay for the insights into her singular creative genius as she puts together an extraordinary show.
A Jazzman's Blues
Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer star in this decades-spanning romance as two young people in the Deep South whose love for each other is compromised by unbearable family pressures and the violent racial oppression of the day. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, the epic drama features an original song by Ruth B., choreography by Debbie Allen, and a soundtrack of juke-joint blues arranged and produced by jazz legend Terence Blanchard.
Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop
Hip-hop has long been a male-dominated industry, and this four-part docuseries sits down with the rappers, writers, and artists who have nevertheless paved the way for women in the genre. Among the game changers interviewed for the project are Queen Latifah, Da Brat, Sha-Rock, Roxanne Shanté, MC Lyte, Latto, and Saweetie — many of whom recount stories of creating hit music amid contract disputes, acts of violence, and more seemingly insurmountable circumstances.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Directed by George C. Wolfe (Rustin), this two-time Oscar-winning film adaptation of August Wilson’s play is set inside a Chicago music studio in 1927. Viola Davis plays Ma Rainey, a renowned blues singer who has been contracted by white producers to record an album. Her band members are played by Chadwick Boseman — in his final onscreen appearance, as the ambitious horn player Levee — as well as Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, and Michael Potts. Afterward, go behind the scenes with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: A Legacy Brought to Screen.
Quincy
In case Quincy Jones didn’t have enough Grammy Awards to begin with (he had 27, from 79 nominations, at the time of filming), the Recording Academy also awarded one to this documentary about the eminent multihyphenate, for Best Music Film in 2019. Co-directed by Alan Hicks and Quincy’s own daughter Rashida Jones, the film is an intimate portrait of the producer, composer, songwriter, musician, and all-around cultural icon, tracing the history of his astonishing, decades-spanning career.
Roxanne Roxanne
At just 14 years old, teen battle rap champ Roxanne Shanté cemented her legacy as one of the first female stars in hip-hop history. In 1985, the New York native recorded “Roxanne’s Revenge,” a song that became an instant hit and is now considered the first diss track of the genre. Chanté Adams depicts the groundbreaking emcee in the film, alongside Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, Elvis Nolasco, Kevin Phillips, and Shenell Edmonds.
What Happened, Miss Simone?
The legendary Nina Simone cannot be limited to a single descriptor. She is the standout singer of gospel, jazz, folk, and blues, to name a few genres. She trained as a classical pianist and often accompanied herself expressively during performances. And, she became a key activist in the civil rights movement in the 1960s. This documentary uses never-before-heard recordings, rare archival footage, and audio of her best-known songs to zoom in on the High Priestess of Soul.
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