Documentary Explores Women’s Role in Philly Hip-Hop

Filmmaker Maori Karmael Holmes set out to shoot her master's thesis at Temple University with two goals in mind -- one was to explore the history of women in hip-hop, and the other was to look at the city of Philadelphia's contributions to the genre. The result was a combination of the two ideas, entitled 'Scene Not Heard' -- an examination of the relationship between women in Philly and their impact on hip-hop culture.

Despite the City of Brotherly Love's reputation for legendary soul music, Philadelphia's hip-hop scene is often overlooked, despite the success of artists like Will Smith, the Roots and Eve. On top of that, women in the city find themselves struggling for respect in a male-dominated industry. Holmes' documentary features artists, promoters, writers and other powerful female voices in an effort to bring these issues to public consciousness. Check out the entire documentary after the jump, courtesy of SnagFilms.