Plot Synopsis

Executive produced by MC Lyte, LADIES FIRST: A STORY OF WOMEN IN HIP-HOP is a four-episode documentary that recontextualizes the women of hip hop and their role in the genre's 50 years by reinserting them into the canon where they belong: at the center, from day one to present day. Each of the four installments features a parade of iconic emcees like MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Rah Digga, up and comers, and artists currently at the top of the charts -- like Latto and Tierra Whack -- alongside key figures from record labels, stylists, and journalists. By giving flowers to originators like Sha-Rock and Roxanne Shante or hearing real talk from contemporary superstars like Saweetie and Coi Leray, the series chronicles the history of the music that changed the world within the wider social, racial, and political landscape of the times and, crucially, through a female lens. All four episodes of LADIES FIRST: A STORY OF WOMEN IN HIP-HOP dropped on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 on Netflix:

"Shaping Hip-Hop": Sha-Rock, Roxanne Shante and MC Lyte claim space for women in the early days of hip-hop, delivering rhymes with unique perspectives and bold messages.

"What Are They Up Against?": In a male-dominated industry, women face criticism, colorism and other obstacles as they set out to define their own narratives, both on wax and off.

"What Have They Lost?": Artists, producers and writers recount stories of abuse and erasure while working in hip-hop amid contract disputes, acts of violence and more.

"What's Changing?": As women reflect on their journeys across decades of hip-hop, they spotlight the sisterhood in rap -- and celebrate being stronger together than apart.