Despite a fading love for hip-hop, award-winning filmmaker Dream Hampton felt compelled to produce the Netflix documentary series, Ladies First. In focusing on women’s contributions to a genre which is often critiqued for its challenges with inclusivity, Hampton wanted to make sure the show felt as raw and authentic as it should.
“I didn't want to have this kind of sanitized version of a music and a genre that had never been clean.” Hampton says. “I didn't want it to all of a sudden get shiny in its like, you know, museum phase.”
Hampton talks with NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans about giving women in hip-hop the spotlight they deserve, and why she doesn’t hesitate to call out misogynists by name in the series.