By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem is an American four-part television documentary series that premiered on Epix on November 8, 2020, and concluded on November 29, 2020. It serves as a companion series to the crime drama television series Godfather of Harlem.
Overview Set between 1960 and 1969, the series examines a decade of profound cultural transformation in Harlem. It highlights the role of Black musicians and activists who used their art to confront racial injustice. Through genres such as soul, R&B, jazz, Latin, and early forms of rap, the series shows how music both reflected and shaped the civil rights movement, amplifying messages of resistance that echoed globally.
The series includes archival footage and interviews with cast members from Godfather of Harlem, including Forest Whitaker, Giancarlo Esposito, and Ilfenesh Hadera, as well as artists and activists such as Gladys Knight, Herbie Hancock, Nile Rodgers, A$AP Ferg, Reverend Al Sharpton, Martha Reeves, and former U.S. Representative Charles Rangel.
Episodes EpisodeTitleOriginal air date1MeccaNovember 8, 20202Freedom SongsNovember 15, 20203CrossroadsNovember 22, 20204PowerNovember 29, 2020
Production Epix announced the series in July 2020. It was produced by Decoder Media and Significant Productions. The series premiered on November 8, 2020, on Epix.
Reception The series won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture) in 2021. Public television program MetroFocus profiled the series in November 2020, and discussed Harlem's cultural and political landscape in the 1960s and how the music of the era became a form of resistance.
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