Chops, beats, parallels, murder. That is what you will get with Fox’s new hit, “Empire.”
In order to avoid spoilers, I will only be reviewing the pilot (first episode). To start, the Lyon family owns Empire Enterprise, a mega-profit record company in charge of producing rap and R&B artists. Lucious, the CEO, announces in a board meeting that modern artists are unable to make money on their material due to the Internet and users downloading music for free.
He sees this as an injustice, considering it was the music industry that helped him get off the streets and into an office. He announces his company will go public and will enter the New York Stock Exchange for young artists to share in.
Two of his music writers are his sons, Jamal and Hakeem. Jamal represents the soul of music, while Hakeem represents the fame and stardom. This contrast is properly drawn out in their styles.
In modern rap, there is a divide between monotone free-styling, backed by studio beats and soulful singing, backed by piano and real instruments.
Honestly, it is up to the rap audience to decide what to listen to, but this separation and difference in ideology allows Jamal and Hakeem’s characters to be filled in and pinned against each other. The last sibling, Andre, is the eldest son and CFO of Empire. His ambition is to head the company one day, as he feels he is the only one fit for the job.
Jamal is the typical “black sheep” of the family, misunderstood by his father, not entirely interested in fame and just wants to play music. He is in a relationship with his roommate, Michael, and it is frowned upon by Lucious. Being that it is 2015, the homophobic attitude is considered “old” by millennials, but at least this show highlights the adversity the gay community goes through to obtain acceptance.
Hakeem is the favored child of Lucious, but fame and partying lead to struggles focusing on his music. Lucious offers him a chance to splash a new record, but Hakeem parties too hard. Desperate, Hakeem turns to Jamal for help, and they form a blend of R&B and rap, pleasing Lucious. Naturally, Lucious gives all the credit to Hakeem, while Jamal is shoved aside.
In the middle of all this, Cookie, their mother and Lucious’ wife, is released from prison after a 17-year sentence. She visits Jamal and wants to help him have a breakthrough. After this, she visits Lucious at Empire and demands her fair share of the corporation (she put down a $400,000 investment), but Lucious denies her.
Cookie does not go down so easily. She is a strong, vindictive woman and wants Jamal to be successful, while Lucious wants Hakeem to be successful. The problem is Jamal and Hakeem are inseparable. They support each other and want to get through these changes together.
It is a show about family, power, ambition, skill and proving your worth. The music is really a story-telling element, representing the internalizations of the characters, paralleling past and present, and leaves you wanting more.
I do not want to spoil too much, but I will say this show is great for all demographics, even if rap is not your thing. I think audiences can see themselves in all these characters and can get behind them. Watch the rest of season one, before season two starts. You do not want to miss it.

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