Allen Hughes is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. After dropping out of high school, Hughes started his career by directing music videos for prominent artists such as Tupac Shakur, Tone-Loc, and Digital Underground. Alongside his brother Albert Hughes, he received a waiver by the Directors Guild of America to take co-credit for directing, making them the first pair of siblings to achieve this since Jerry Zucker and David Zucker. Hughes and his brother received their first video camera at the age of 12, using it to craft various short films. This led them to sign a two-picture, three-year deal with Disney's Caravan Productions. Hughes directed the films Menace II Society and Dead Presidents and produced the series Dear Mama and The Defiant Ones.