All year long, artists and institutions have been celebrating the 50-year anniversary of hip-hop with podcasts, spoken-word tributes and even library cards. Now, Netflix is entering the fray with a four-part docuseries focused on the women who have shaped the genre.
“Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop” premieres on the streamer on Wednesday, Aug. 9. Drawing its title from the 1989 Queen Latifah song of the same name, the series will feature interviews with influential artists like Latifah, Da Brat, Sha-Rock, Remy Ma, Latto and Saweetie. Other big names will appear in archival footage.
Philadelphia rappers Tierra Whack and Bahamadia also sat for interviews in the docuseries. Whack first shot to fame as a teenager performing as Dizzle Dizz in a viral freestyle video filmed in North Philadelphia. Her debut album “Whack World” dropped in 2018 to critical acclaim and, eventually, a Grammy nomination. She has followed it with several singles, including “In the Room” on the “Creed III” soundtrack.
Bahamadia started out as a DJ in West Philly before dropping “Kollage” in 1996. Two more albums — “BB Queen” and “Good Rap Music” — came next, as well as collaborations with Guru, Lauryn Hill, The Roots and Talib Kweli.
Each 45-minute episode of “Ladies First” charts the evolution of hip-hop through the lens of women in the genre. The series arrives just two days before the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, which is generally pegged to a back-to-school party thrown by DJ Kool Herc in the Bronx on Aug. 11, 1973.
The series was directed by three filmmakers: dream hampton (creator of “Surviving R. Kelly”), Raeshem Nijhon (producer of “The Hair Tales”) and Hannah Beachler (production designer of “Lemonade” and “Black Panther”). Check out the trailer below:
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