Subscribe To Godfather of Harlem

 

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Godfather of Harlem is an TV show that I don’t hear many people talk about. Now in its second season the series airs on cable station EPIX (Probably why many don’t talk about it). Anyway, the show stars Forrest Whitaker as legendary gangster Bumpy Johnson and his return to Harlem after a 10-year prison sentence. Upon his return to Harlem, he finds his neighborhood mostly ruled by the Italian mafia. Bumpy and his crew immediately work to regain control.

The series features the typical tropes of a crime drama gunfights, sex, betrayal and lots of F bombs and I’m for all of it. Where Godfather of Harlem stands out is the performances, Forest does a wonderful job as Bumpy older, more calculating family man who still lets it be known he is not one to mess with. Vincent D’Onofrio is crime boss and Bumpy’ s biggest thorn in mob boss Vince Gigante and the two are more alike than they’d like to admit. 

The series also depicts Bumpy as active in the civil rights movement during the early 1960’s. He frequently partnered with Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch) and congressman Adam Clayton Powell (the always immaculate Giancarlo Esposito) to fight for equality and improve the lives of Black people during that time. The series even displays Bumpy crossing paths with a young Cassius Clay.

The first season was 10 episodes and the show is currently on a midseason break of six episodes returning August 8th for the remaining four. You have time to binge watch the show and catch up, trust me you won’t be disappointed.