How a $120 million musical drama explored the birth of hip-hop

Entertainment · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the late 1970s, the South Bronx was the epicenter of a musical revolution. Netflix's The Get Down captures this era, following teenagers as they navigate the rising tides of disco and hip-hop through a lens of poverty, gang violence, and soaring musical ambition.

Created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis, The Get Down is a musical drama that traces the origins of hip-hop in the 1970s. The series uses a unique narrative structure, beginning each episode with a rap by the character MC Books—an adult version of protagonist Zeke Figuero—performing for a large crowd in 1996. This framing device serves to recap previous events and foreshadow what is to come. The story is told through the eyes of a group of adolescents. This narrative is further enriched by the presence of Grandmaster Flash, who acts as a mentor to the young characters.

The production was massive in scale, with a reported cost of $120 million. Named after a musical history concept, the show's title alludes to disco and R&B track segments that DJs looped via several turntables to satisfy dancers. The series intercuts its fictional narrative with authentic 1970s newscasts and real footage to ground its storytelling in the historical reality of the Bronx. The series features the music of the German band Can. It also highlights the influence of real-life figures like DJ Kool Herc, who is credited with originating the genre.

While the series explores the creative spark of the era, it also delves into the darker complexities of the neighborhood. It depicts the tension between different musical genres and the social obstacles faced by its characters, such as Mylene Cruz, who dreams of disco stardom despite her father's religious opposition. Despite its significant investment and high-profile cast, the series was cancelled by Netflix after just one season, which was released in two parts between August 2016 and April 2017. The plot follows Zeke Figuero, an orphaned poet, and his friend Shaolin Fantastic, an aspiring DJ. Their journey involves navigating local gangs and the influence of figures like Fat Annie.

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