By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem poster

By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem (2020)

Documentary · Music

Inspired by the music and subjects featured in the series “Godfather of Harlem,” this documentary series brings alive the dramatic true story of Harlem and its music during the 1960s, and connects that history to our present moment.

IMDb rating: 8.5 (69 votes)
Episode average: 8.9 +0.4 vs IMDb
Seasons: 1
Language: EN
Type: Mini-series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 1 season indexed

Cast

Forest Whitaker Self
Giancarlo Esposito Self
Ilfenesh Hadera Self
Gladys Knight Self
Martha Reeves Self
Jamal Joseph Self

Seasons

Season 1 (2020)

8.95 avg 4 episodes 8.6 → 9.0 49 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Mecca	8.6	11
2	Freedom Songs	9.0	8
3	Crossroads	9.2	9
4	Power	9.0	8