The Best Episodes Directed By Allen Hughes

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   9.4/10(14 votes)

   #1 - Panther Power

   S1:E14/21/2023

   17 year old Tupac Shakur navigates school, poverty and family, while dreaming of using poetry and music to spread the message of his mother, noted Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur. Haunted by her past, Afeni fears how it will affect Tupac's future.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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2. 

   8.9/10(7 votes)

   #2 - Changes

   S1:E24/21/2023

   Tupac bursts onto the scene in both music and the movies, but trying to be a mainstream star and militant activist comes at a cost. Afeni’s activism lands her and her Panther comrades in a political show trial that could end with all of them in prison.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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3. 

   8.0/10(6 votes)

   #3 - Part 1

   S1:E17/9/2017

   Years before they brokered one of the biggest deals in music history--the 2015 sale of Beats Electronics to Apple for $3 billion--Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine navigated very different environments towards destinies that would, ultimately and improbably, bring them together. Dre's story began in Compton, CA, where his fascination with dance music, DJ innovations and sound brought him into contact with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, DJ Yella and MC Ren. Together, they would become the core of the 1980s gangsta-rap supergroup N.W.A. A native of Red Hook, Brooklyn, Jimmy gravitated to music following an indifferent academic career, and with a determination to avoid continuing in the family business as a longshoreman, he turned stints answering phones in recording studios to connecting with artists like John Lennon, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen through a combination of hard work and old-fashioned luck, eventually building a reputation as a fearless, talented, indefatigable producer.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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4. 

   8.0/10(4 votes)

   #4 - Ambitionz Az a Ridah

   S1:E45/5/2023

   Tupac spends nearly a year at the Clinton Correctional Facility at Dannemora. He leaves hardened by the experience and immediately joins Death Row Records.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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5. 

   8.0/10(3 votes)

   #5 - Until the End of Time

   S1:E55/12/2023

   After attending a Tyson fight in Las Vegas, Tupac is shot and killed. Afeni is paralyzed with grief after the death of her son. She manages to secure Tupac's legacy.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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6. 

   7.7/10(3 votes)

   #6 - So Many Tears

   S1:E34/28/2023

   Tupac’s legal troubles escalate, with multiple different arrests, culminating in his being charged with sexual assault in New York. Afeni is the voice of the New York Panther 21, defending herself at trial; the two trials have different results.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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7. 

   7.6/10(5 votes)

   #7 - Part 4

   S1:E47/12/2017

   Leaving Death Row Records to form a subsidiary of Interscope called Aftermath Entertainment, Dre endured a string of disappointing solo releases, but Jimmy stood by him as others argued he should be dropped. Dre's fortunes turned when Jimmy turned him on to the music of an unknown white rapper named Eminem; with Dre producing, Eminem and Aftermath recorded The Slim Shady LP and took the rap music world by storm. On a roll with Dre and an enviable list of hot new acts, Jimmy was nevertheless worried that the music bubble would burst due to the emergence of Napster, and looked to forge corporate-marketing partnerships to boost the visibility and incomes of his artists. An opportune sit-down between Jimmy and Dre led to the idea of Beats Electronics, the speaker-headphone phenomenon that vaulted the partners to new heights, and paved the way for an historic 2014 deal with Apple. The world's most valuable company wasn't just interested in headphones: it was investing in the genius of Jimmy and Dre, who continue to innovate at Apple Music while picking up accolades--Dre was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with N.W.A. last year--and giving back to the communities that fostered their unique talents.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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8. 

   7.5/10(4 votes)

   #8 - Part 2

   S1:E27/10/2017

   With provocative recordings like "F**k the Police" and "Straight Outta Compton," shaped by the bitter race relations in Los Angeles, N.W.A. evolved into a force to be reckoned with, in LA and beyond. But a series of calamities--including personal losses on the streets, run-ins with the law, a bitter contract dispute, and a clash over management that strained Dre's relationship with Eazy-E--undermined the band and landed Dr. Dre at a crossroads, looking to make a fresh start. Meanwhile, Jimmy continued his rise up the music ladder via successful collaborations with Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks (with whom he had a relationship). But he hit a wall, and considered his own career shift, after a particularly arduous collaboration with U2--whose tireless drive in the studio rivaled his own.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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9. 

   7.4/10(5 votes)

   #9 - Part 3

   S1:E37/11/2017

   By 1989, Jimmy had parlayed his production expertise into a new career as co-founder of Interscope Records, committing the label to on-the-edge artists like Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Gwen Stefani and No Doubt...and Dr. Dre, whose solo LP The Chronic had been recorded by Death Row Records, a post-N.W.A. label he created with Suge Knight, the D.O.C. and Dick Griffey. Blown away by Dre's singular talent, Jimmy cut a deal with Death Row for Interscope to become the label's distributor. The Chronic became a huge hit and spawned an ever bigger LP from Dre's protege, Snoop Dogg. But hostility was mounting across America towards the misunderstood violent influence of rap music, and Interscope and Time Warner (which owned 25% of the company) found themselves in the crosshairs of an angry political mainstream. As Jimmy resisted overtures to sell Interscope's stake in Death Row, Dre, along with Snoop Dogg and recent signee Tupac Shakur, became embroiled in a violent feud with East Coast rap rivals, notably Sean "Puffy" Combs and his Bad Boy Records, which drove Dre to seek out another new beginning.

   Director:Allen Hughes

   Writer:N/A

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   Director:Allen Hughes

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