Godfather of Harlem

Godfather of Harlem is not a conventional recording artist but the official soundtrack banner for the American crime drama television series of the same name, which premiered on Epix in September 2019. The show, starring Forest Whitaker as real-life Harlem crime boss Bumpy Johnson, is set against the backdrop of 1960s New York, where Johnson returns from prison to find his old territory overrun by the Italian mob and forms an uneasy alliance with Malcolm X during a period of racial and political upheaval.

The soundtrack releases gather original songs and score cues built specifically around the show's themes of power, struggle, and Black identity in mid-century Harlem, drawing on rap, R&B, pop, and rock to bridge the show's period setting with a modern sonic sensibility. Tracks credited to Godfather of Harlem frequently feature guest verses and vocals from major contemporary rap and R&B artists, giving the project a rotating, collaborative cast rather than a fixed lineup.

Notable contributors across the soundtrack include 21 Savage, Rick Ross, DMX, French Montana, and other prominent names in hip hop, with songs such as «Rise» and «Brick After Brick» reflecting the show's themes of ambition and rebuilding amid conflict. As a soundtrack project tied to prestige television, Godfather of Harlem occupies a distinctive space where music and narrative storytelling reinforce each other.