Donnie Simpson

In the early 1960s, a quintet of hopeful, young African-American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improves, turns pro, and rises to become a top flight music sensation. Along the way, however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry.

Russell Walker is a young, successful manager of rap performers, handling acts for the Krush Groove label, including Run-DMC and The Fat Boys. When Run-D.M.C. has a hit record and Russell needs more money to press more copies, he borrows it from a street hustler and soon regrets his decision.

TV short about Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era.

Sassy sitcom centering on radio and television personality Martin Payne. Series focuses on his romantic relationship with girlfriend Gina, her best friend Pam and escapades with best friends Tommy and Cole.

Texas native Jamie King is an aspiring actor who heads to Hollywood in hopes to find fame and fortune in the entertainment industry. To support himself, he works at his Aunt Helen and Uncle Junior's Los Angeles hotel, the King's Towers.

Black in the 80s

Unknown histories take center stage as the hitmakers themselves - from ABBA to T-Pain - explore dimensions of pop music you never knew existed.

Two decades after the last airing of Video Soul on BET, Donnie is ready to reprise the role for which he is so well known and loved. An entire generation of young artists have risen and come into the music business since Donnie ended his run on Video Soul. Despite their successes, many of them still feel unfulfilled, because they never got to sit down with "The Man." Several have reached out to him saying “All I wanted to do was sit on your couch.” They’ll get that chance now. Video Soul, one of the longest running music shows, served as a platform for many Black Musicians from 1981 - 1996. Donnie Simpson was the show’s staple veejay. Speaking with Donnie meant you were in a completely new stratosphere. As one of the industry’s legendary voices in cultural commentary, Donnie Simpson set the stage for many to follow.