Director: dream hampton
Writer: dream hampton
Stars: Ice-T, Q-Tip, Guru
Synopsis: A visual memoir from director dream hampton’s personal archives about the dawn of the golden era of hip hop.
For fans of hip-hop, dream hampton’s It Was All A Dream is going to feel like discovering a treasure trove. Capturing the golden age of the genre, the archival footage from hampton provides unfathomable access to many beloved artists of the early ‘90s. Many of the rappers featured in the film would go on to be regarded as some of the greatest to ever pick up a microphone. Now, this film could certainly ride the exciting wave of welcoming audiences into the inner chamber. To see their favorite artists in the recording booth, hanging out during downtime, or even preparing for a concert is worth admission. Yet hampton valiantly refused to rely on this, and instead uses this footage to channel thoughts and emotions she’s had for decades based on the narration.
So lucky for us, hampton’s personal archives extend far beyond merely capturing moments in hip-hop history. With the footage rediscovered nearly three decades later, hampton’s film takes on a new life. This is a film about hip-hop made by a clear fan and scholar of the genre, but it is not one exclusively made up of blind reverence and idolization. Now, this is certainly a love letter to a now bygone age of music, specifically the golden era of hip-hop. But importantly, hampton examines these quick, yet pivotal, few years of hip-hop from every angle. It Was All A Dream begs us to examine the very legacy of the golden era of hip-hop, going beyond just thinking of all the classics it birthed.
Composed entirely of archival footage shot by hampton when she was an NYU film student, this film is described as “a visual memoir.” It’s the most apt description imaginable, considering all of the narration included is read directly from hampton’s writing as a journalist in the ‘90s. So this film simultaneously serves as a present-day (now the past) examination of hip-hop during the early ‘90s, but also as a time capsule for a journalist questioning what that legacy will mean in the future (now the present). And quite frankly, it’s a perfect encapsulation of what it means to truly be a fan of something. To blindly accept all the flaws of something we love is not only unfair to the subject of our adoration, but also to ourselves. hampton makes it clear that those around her questioned how she could be so supportive of a genre with such an emphasis on misogyny and criminality. But as anybody well-versed in hip-hop would know, there is far more at play beyond the surface value of the lyrics.
Listening to hampton’s narration juxtaposed against the lyrics of ‘90s hip-hop, one can’t help but think of the hook from “Slam” by Onyx. The group being featured prominently during one section of the film certainly helps with this regard. As they were known to do, the group loudly shouts the lyrics, “Let the boys be boys”, in their classic song. In the decades since the release of that song, that phrase has become examined very often, and for good reason. It’s refreshing to hear hampton, who at this point in the film but also from her storied career, proves herself a bonafide fan, directly addressing these ideas head-on. To blindly accept the status quo of something we love feels disingenuous. With her writing and subsequently this film, hampton sets out to pick apart the following; why rappers possibly choose these lyrics, how they are perceived by the listening public, and what, if any, change is necessary within the world of hip-hop.
It could have been pretty simple to just pose these questions to her readers and eventual viewers. But again hampton refuses to take the path of least resistance. The writing she pulls from is eloquent in both delivery and prose, clearly stemming from personal thoughts formulated over years of time spent listening to hip-hop. But in the footage of It Was All A Dream, we see hampton actively brush up against literal legends. And in the ways that only a true journalist and even more passionate human can do, hampton uses her access to question.
She talks with artists about the worries of hip-hop going commercial. She addresses head-on how male rappers won’t stop using misogynistic lyrics until they’re held accountable by other men, both their peers and their audience. There’s a distinct worry about hip-hop possibly disappearing, and the discussion on how that may come about and what that would mean is fascinating. hampton’s film is many things, but above all, it’s honest. Importantly, it’s complicated. It’s not meant to deify the great classics and legends of the genre. Rather, it’s meant to show that these were just individuals who found a way to escape their circumstances. The Notorious B.I.G. is roughly 22-23 years old in the footage we see of him. The same goes for Snoop Dogg. We’re watching young adults grapple with a new voice, and luckily, hampton is there to guide and nudge in the right direction. As a lifelong fan of hip-hop, I greatly admire and respect what hampton sets out to show with this documentary. And the genre most certainly has a long way to go. But with honest fans such as herself, documentaries such as these, and more and more artists actively speaking out about similar subjects, hip-hop is in capable hands. It’s not too crazy to think of the betterment of rap as being more than a dream.
It Was All A Dream celebrated its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in the Spotlight Documentary section. Tickets for screenings and more information on the film can be found right here.
