In April 2012, 20 years after the Los Angeles riots, VH1 will
unveil a currently working-titled documentary called “Uprising: Hip-Hop
and the L.A. Riots,” part of the network’s Emmy award winning
series “Rock Docs.”
According to AllHipHop.com, the special will explore hip-hop’s involvement
during the April, 1992 L.A. riots. It will “examine the Los Angeles
riots from a diverse perspective of individuals, who witness the chaos firsthand,”
wrote the site.
“VH1 continues to explore hip-hop’s impact to major societal
events through documentaries,” wrote Nanci O on nancioishiphop.com.
“In [the] new special, the network will focus on a combination of race
relations and pop culture.”
VH1 has interviewed an eclectic mix of police officers, rappers, victims
and musicians who lived through the riots and will discuss the events from
their perspectives. Some of the interviewees include Rodney King, John Singleton,
Arsenio Hall, Too $hort, Nas, Big Boi, KRS-One, DJ Yella and Sir Jinx, reported
AllHipHop.com.
The Los Angeles Riot of 1992 lasted “four fiery days” and left
53 people dead, over 12,000 arrested, and “put a searing spotlight on
race relations and American pop culture,” wrote TheFoutonCritic.com
of the riots that inspired VH1’s documentary. “Viewers will also
hear never-before-heard stories from hip-hop artists who were affected by,
or actual participants in the riots.”
The Los Angeles Riot was in response to the acquittal of ex-LAPD officers
Koon, Powell, Briseno, and Wind on April 29, 1992. These men were the main
players in the brutal assault of Rodney King on March 3, 1991. The incident
was caught on camera by a passerby, George Holliday, which brought to light
racial tensions, social inequalities and police brutality in the City of Angels.
“Viewed from outside the trial, it was hard to understand how the verdict
could possibly square with the video,” former president George H W Bush
said about the Rodney King trial. “Those civil rights leaders with whom
I met were stunned. And so was I and so was Barbara and so were my kids.”