Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Week 9- Gender and Sexuality
This week, create a freestyle blog. You can write and/or post any sound or visual files that engage
the complexity of gender and sexuality in Hip-hop form your perspective. Engage ideas of genes and sexuality in Hip-hop based on previous class discussions. We will have a mini-lecture on Wednesday to make up Monday's mid-term testing class period.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FChL75GMP50
ReplyDeleteThis is a Wiz Khalifa freestyle from a studio in Atlanta. You can tell how old this video is, as Khalifa looks very young. I've always loved this freestyle and the video reflects Wiz perfectly as he's smoking a blunt. It cracks me up everytime and I think he kills it anyways. You can tell it's popular as it has 15 million views too.
Wiz has a great flow, which is his style of rapping. His tone is great and the content and delivery is superb in my opinion. Something about Khalifa that I've always admired is his word play. He has great adjectives and ad-libs that I absolutely love.
DeleteWhen it comes to Hip Hop, there’s no denying the fact that it is dominated by the male species. Whether it be MCing, DJing, B-Boying/B-Girling, or Graffiti, women are not taken seriously. There are a few , for example Lady Pink(Graffiti), Nicki Minaj(MC), and Lisa Lashes(DJ) who have fought to get respect in the genre, and matter of factly, fight to stay in. In order to do so, they must be able to “hang” with the guys. They must have skills in improvisation, call and response, and they must have machismo. Yes, machismo. To be successful AND be a female, you have to have a rough edge to you, which is a tough, in your face MC. This power struggle can be traced back into history and into other ethnic backgrounds, such as the “white” commuity. (Morgan, Shredding the Veil) For centuries, women have been looked down upon as something weak and only good for one thing, to serve the men. In Hip Hop, it’s all personal for women. (Lecture 3/5) With songs like “Tipdrill” by Nelly, “ASS” by Big Sean, and “Diggin In my Pockets” by Hodgy Beats, you get this view that women are nothing but users, hoes, bitches, and “prizes”. With women being a main theme for rap artists, you also get a strong connotation of homophobia or a dominance of heterosexuality. Sometimes you even get artists like Lil Wayne and Tyler the Creator who uses language like “fag” in their raps, or you get battles where rappers make “links” from gay gestures to their opponent. (8 Mile, Eminem vs. Lickey Split & Lotto) Braggadocio comes hand in hand with these stereotypes, like bragging who has more women, who has the bigger d***, or who is the “man-lier” man. Machismo plays a very big part in the homophobia theme, because to the Hip Hop community, you can’t be gay AND masculine. Nonetheless, men continue to dominate and marginalizing women to very specific stereotypes. (Lecture 3/5)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4l5B4XJS3A&feature=related
DeleteThis is audio for the last 3 battles in 8 Mile. Eminem's first two raps contain a lot of homophobia connections.

ReplyDeleteThe involvement of women in hip-hop has been, and continues to be, very limited throughout the culture. In most aspects of hip-hop culture, women tend to have to work harder in order to gain respect throughout the male dominated hip-hop community. This is especially true for aspiring female MCs, which causes many of them to drop out of the rap game because they simply cannot compete with the male dominated market (NHP Lecture 3/5/12). Any female MC that portrays a positive message throughout her music is considered to be “soft” and not lyrically adept (NHP Lecture 3/5/12). This being said, there are a few female MCs that have broken through and become popular in the male dominated genre including Salt-n-Pepa, Lil Kim, and more recently Nikki Minaj. Salt-n-Pepa, an all female rap group that started in 1985, is considered the pioneer of women MCs in hip-hop because they were one of the first female MCs to gain respect throughout the hip-hop community. More recently, Nikki Minaj has blown up in popularity among today’s hip-hop fans. Minaj has had numerous features in songs with modern hip-hop greats like Lil’ Wayne, Drake, and Kanye West. These features with popular rap artists played a big role in getting Minaj’s name out to the hip-hop audience, therefore getting her past the stage where she can compete with the male dominated market of MCing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLnS-2h_nog
Hip hop culture since its inception has often viewed women as lesser and not as important. Since the culture is dominated by men, women have to work much harder to gain respect and recognition. This case presents itself usually in MCing. Many MCs who are women remain underground or drop out of rap in general (Lecture) because they can’t compete with the male market. A women who raps about things that are positive or relate to the power of women are often seen as soft or lyrically adept (Lecture). Female DJs are graffiti artists are also not that common either because they can’t compete with the male market. Although the majority of women don’t hit the big time in hip hop, there are a few exceptions to the rule, mostly for female MCs. A few female MCs that have mainstream success are Lauryn Hill, Salt-N-Pepa, Eve, and Nicki Minaj. Lauryn Hill was in The Fugees in the mid 90’s and gained respect for her flow and lyrical content and being seen as the best rapper in a group of two other men. Salt-N-Pepa was a hip hop group that began in the mid 80’s and they gained respect because they were one of the first all female rap groups. Eve and Nicki Minaj gained popularity by being signed to Ruff Ryders and Young Money respectively, which are male dominated hip hop crews. Eve has appeared on songs with DMX and The LOX while Nicki Minaj has appeared on songs by Lil Wayne and Big Sean, all which demonstrate a lot of masculinity and are quite braggadocious. This shows that these labels have respect for these women in their ability to rhyme.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA1PAkKD3Q4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPXtVuT6Mmw
The terms gender and sexuality can be viewed as very vague. In terms of hip-hop culture, the interpretations become a lot more extensive. The understanding of the terms gender and sexuality are entirely dependent on one’s gender and sexuality. Many females seem to face a more difficult task of being successful and gaining popularity when it comes to their involvement with hip-hop. Today, women don’t control the hip-hop scene as much as the men, but they are still there making their presence acknowledged. Regardless of what stereotype they fall under, they share related characteristics such as being skillful and intelligent, which leads them to become successful. According to Morgan’s article “Hip-Hop Women Shredding the Veil”, “It is common for hip-hop women to say that they support men and at the same time want to be respected and in control of their bodies… Rather, irrespective of who is leading, women and men support their relationship, critique racism, and classism, and respect each other.” (237). Also, I want to go back to the video “Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhythms” which discussed how hip hop views women as sexual objects. A few statistics from the video include “1 in 4 black women are raped after the age of 18” and “Black women are 35% more likely to be physically assaulted than white women.” Morgan says, being a male-dominated culture, hip-hop has forced women to become victims of misogyny violence (427). Gender is socially constructed, and hip-hop has constructed the function of women in hip-hop in harmful way, making them play characters such as the “gold digger.”
ReplyDeleteThe thing about gender in hip-hop that has always stood out to me was the emphasis on the masculine tone that is almost expected from rappers no matter gender or sexuality. In watching Say My Name, I discovered more female rappers that I had never heard of other than MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Erykah Badu, and mentions of Lauryn Hill. Basically the rest were completely new to me or I had really only heard of them before. I found the documentary extremely interesting to hear from female MCs and to hear them rap. They almost had every single MC freestyle for the camera at some point, which I was impressed by what they had to offer. To go along with the Clay article and her quest as a homosexual MC. It reminded me of a class that I took last summer that was about gender and sexuality in music. We watched a documentary called Pick Up the Mic, which was about “homo-hop”. I recognized some of the same names of artists from that documentary in the text. The way that all hip-hop artists spit are pretty similar in a sense whether gay, straight, male, or female, it is about going hard on the mic.
ReplyDeleteHere is a trailer to that documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr-qJhBzNzA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp7WCwMS3E4&feature=relmfu
ReplyDeleteBig Sean being one of my favorites in the game right now, I felt it appropriate to post this Freestyle he did for Tim Westwood. Sean shows his typical style in this freestyle with heavy sexual innuendos and lots of comical lines flaunting his material wealth and love of women.
When discussing gender and sexuality in hip-hop, the first thing that comes to mind is that hip-hop, in the past, has generally been dominated by males. Although one cannot neglect the many skills and successes female MC’s like Lil’ Kim, Eve, and more recently Nicki Minaj. It is interesting to hear these females rap, because when listening to a typical male rapper references to their popularity amongst the ladies and being a pimp are nearly a must. So these females are essentially coming at from the exact opposite spectrum. Often taking stances of not being an item as the men of the genre often make them out to be, and flaunting the assets they have as means of controlling their male counterparts, which is made very clear in Nicki Minaj’s verse on the song “A$$” by Big Sean. Or in many of her music videos containing provocative lyrics and imagery. She’s using what the men can’t to help her work.
DeleteIn all of our lectures the only time hip hop saw recognition for women was when we talked about B- Boying and B- Girling. It is crazy to see the sexual division that is presented in hip hop. Now, Artist like Nikki Minaj and Eve has shown a huge impact on hip hop today, and we can’t forget artist Lil Kim which according to the media Nikki Minaj as sampled from. I feel like we forget that women have made an impact on hip hop way before amazing artist like Nikki and Lil Kim. I know some may disagree with what I am about to say but women have made a name for themselves by appearing in music videos. This controversial topic for some fans may be argued by the fact that women are being degraded and being used as sex appeal. In my opinion, although in our eyes it may look bad but the fact that women are seen as sex icons proves that the media needs them to make a good video. Back then and some now needed women to make a good video in some twisted way this proves how women were seen superior. I know it’s a stretch but the fact that not very many women are in the business of hip hop really makes the women that are shine. It takes a lot for a male hip hop artist to stand out but for a woman any skill bought to the table is new. It has been a joy watching the hip hop industry expands from a women’s perspective.
ReplyDeleteWithin the hip-hop world it is much harder for women and female MC’s to make it and become successful. These women have to work much harder to gain the respect of lyricists, and those seen as “positive” female MC’s are often regarded as “soft” and not lyrically adept. Because of the struggle and hardships female MC’s have to face, many end up dropping out of the rap game because they cannot compete with the male dominates within hip-hop (3/5 Lecture). One of the more popular female MC’s that have made it recently within the rap game is Nikki Minaj. She has been featured in a number of popular hits with Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, Drake and more. With the help of these dominant, successful, and popular men, Minaj’s name become that much more known, helping her to succeed past the male dominated rap market. Here is an example of one of her most popular songs that I am pretty sure we have all heard before.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JipHEz53sU
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/339299/NICKI-MINAJ-VMAS.jpg
ReplyDeleteThis is a picture of Nicki Minaj at the VMAS
I believe the reason Nikki dress like this is to bring attention to herself at the VMAs. The reason she wants to bring attention to herself is because she is in a male dominant world, if she was to dress normal she would get looked over and just be another groupie in a male dominated game. But with the attention she lets people know that she has made it in the MC game as a woman, when they do the fly-by of the audience at the VMAs, you can’t help but notice this women standing out in a male filled audience. Which is the case with Ms. Minaj She has made it as a female rapper in a man rap world.
A song that I found while I was working on one of the essay questions for the midterm exam was "U.N.I.T.Y." by Queen Latifah. Although the song was released in 1994, the song has good messages that apply to today's hip-hop music and some of the topics we have discussed in class. In class, we talked about how women are often ignored or overlooked in hip-hop and are degraded by male MCs in their songs. This song by Queen Latifah promotes positive messages, such as not referring to women as "bitches" and "hoes" and shows that a female MC can stand up and express her feelings like male MCs can. A song like this shows that it's unfair and unjust that women are often ignored or overlooked in hip-hop because female MCs bring unique elements to hip-hop that are essential to the culture and the music itself. Queen Latifah isn't trying to say in this song that she's trying to be the best rapper or that she's the hottest girl, she's using the song to promote positive messages that her fans can listen and relate to their own lives.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8cHxydDb7o
Growing up in the 1980s and early 90s, you couldn't miss the meteoric rise of female hip-hop artists, not just solo performers, but groups of women working together and making music that told their stories, and explored their wants and needs. Hip-hop (really all music and poetry) written from a heteronormative male perspective often makes women the object of male feelings (often desires) but these women boldly declared desires of their own. They wanted, rather than just wanting to be wanted by men. They also defied the judgement of others, whether on their sexuality (“None of Your Business,” Salt-n-Pepa) or their racial authenticity (“Free Your Mind,” En Vogue). Here is a list of some of my favorite tracks that exemplify these amazing women and their art:
ReplyDelete“Push It,” Salt-n-Pepa, 1987 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCadcBR95oU&ob=av2e
“Let's Talk About Sex,” Salt-n-Pepa, 1991 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydrtF45-y-g&ob=av2n
“None of Your Business,” Salt-n-Pepa, 1993 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q96-e042bk
“Free Your Mind,” En Vogue, 1992 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7iQbBbMAFE&ob=av2e
“What About Your Friends,” TLC, 1992 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVJBhDoGapM
“Creep,” TLC, 1994 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlZydtG3xqI&ob=av2e
Masculinity is a big part of hip-hop. Many hip-hop artists try to show how masculine they are through their music. Artists often us the phrase "No Homo" so that none of the listeners might not view the lyrics or artist as being gay. Here is a video that talks about the phrase "No Homo:"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84wHXT2KgWY
http://rapgenius.com/Childish-gambino-bonfire-lyrics
ReplyDeletehttp://www.anylyrics.net/lyrics/Kia/My_neck_my_back-lyrics-163268.html
The first song shows the way that women are referenced only in terms of what they offer sexually.
The second shows how women have embraced and perpetuated their role as sexual objects.
I found a video about Murs opinion on women mc’s. He talks about how much he respects women mc’s and how hard it is for them to achieve the goal to become an mc. He talks about how many songs degrade woman and how that should not effect women to achieve the goal of becoming an mc. It is a great interview and really shows how much passion Murs has for female mc’s.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiEdJBZlaX4
In Marcyliena Morgan’s work “Hip Hop Women Shredding the Veil” she discusses the prescribed notions of feminism. One of these notions is women’s dependence and need for men even when they mistreat and are unfaithful to women. In a YouTube I found this week, the artist Janette Ikz recites her work “I Will Wait For You” at the Lyricist Lounge. Her words are compelling and representative of the woman empowering images many female hip-hop artists are promoting. Ikz is only one of the many female voices working to combat misogyny and break down the walls of feminism in hip-hop culture. Check it out:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igCj3jsbcqs
I have two music videos below that shown some opinion about the female MCs and sexuality and gender. One is Keri Hilson –Knock You Down feat Kanye West, Ne-Yo. Another one is Nicki Minaj-Moment For Life feat Drake.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_RqWocthcc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7GW8TYCEG4
Because of the histories of black men and women in the hip-hop industry, these individuals are treated differently for their gender and have different expectations. “Today, the situation for the black woman remains one where she is routinely derided for her sexuality, social class, determination, commitment to family, passion, and public displays of womanhood” (Morgan, Marcyliena pg 426). We discussed in class how female MCs have to work harder to gain respect and many give up and remain underground (Persley lecture 3/5/12). The author Joan Morgan points out how black women are stuck in the past, “centurie of being rendered helpless while racism, crime, drugs, poverty, depression, and violence robbed us of our men and left us misguidedly over-protective, hopelessly male-identified, and all too self-sacrificing,” (Morgan, Joan pg 416). She goes on to say “we are more than the rapes survived by the slave masters, the illicit familial touches accompanied by whiskey-soured breath, or the acts of violence endured…”(Morgan, Joan pg 417). Black women particularly are going to rely on the cultural movement that defines this generation. Clay refers to the concept of “black hypermasculinity” in his article and how black men will rap about women and when a women is singing along…how are they supposed to feel. I thought about that as I heard “Baby Got Back” and thought, “This is demeaning towards me as a woman, black or white.” On the contrary, Queen Latifah in “U.N.I.T.Y” raps about standing up to the male dominance and not allowing a relationship to become abusive because that is not okay and women have rights.
ReplyDeleteHere’s an article I found about Queen Latifah doing it big and being recognized as a feminist…
http://womenandhollywood.com/2009/07/20/hollywood-feminist-of-the-day-queen-latifah/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JipHEz53sU&ob=av2e
ReplyDeleteI think the "super base" music video says it all for female mcs. Even though they are becoming more popular they are still objectifying themselves. Nicki literally grinds on a guy who is sitting in a throne.
In lecture we discussed the idea of MCs constructing the ghetto and embracing stereotypes and negative terms as a strategic way to resist stereotypes and exhibit power above those who use them maliciously. If men can do this, who's to say women can't as well? These women are not stupid. They utilize their sexuality as power and choose to participate. Why not, when it clearly earns them fame and fortune? Think of popular women artists and you'll see this is true both visually and lyrically. One female MC, Missy Elliot, does not conform to the visual sexual appearance of other female hip-hop artists, but her lyrics still talk about sex and the objectification of women. She even encourages women to take advantage of the power of their sexuality. In "Work It," she says, "aint no shame, ladies do your thang, just make sure you're ahead of the game." Women use their objectification as a power play hip-hop, and it is no different than how male hip-hop artists use stereotypes against themselves as protection from outsiders.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UODX_pYpVxk
I think this music video demonstrates mixing of races and also how even when we have everything in the world, there are still struggles. Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars are complete opposites when it comes to music and how they grew up, but they come together in this song and sing about their sense of feeling alone.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZLUa8JUR18
Gender and sexuality definitely play a big factor when it comes to hip hop. In the rap game a lot of artist’s songs use the image of girls as just a “tip drill” (Nelly), or just something to have sex with. But this is not always the case. Some artists also talk about how beautiful and important women are (Neyo). There are many different way women get portrayed and many people try and change that perception. Women seem to have a much more difficult time getting “big” and being respected as a rapper. Nicki Minaj is considered one of the most popular female rappers and has her own style but some people don’t want to accept her music because it’s still a girl rapping. I think the rap game will always be divided in a way. Talking about pimpin hoes and sex will always sell in this industry, even if some of it is degrading to women. Women have skills and that is no doubt, sometimes it just makes for good music.
ReplyDeleteYoutube.com
Neyo- She’s Got Her Own
8Ball and MJG- Pimps
Rack City is a prime example of how hip-hop culture portrays women. Gender is something that is very different in the world of hip-hop and stays separate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knWnMKKEt88 . Promoting prostitution and objectifying women are a part of masculinity in hip-hop. In "vegas nights" by J-Diggs, he shows what he sees vegas as, possibly a different perspective from the normal view of vegas. People may view strip clubs and prostitution as part of vegas, but the gambling aspect is the major theme of vegas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ2Ua5d4PJk. In the video "I'm just sayin tho" by philthy rich there are constant screen shots of half naked and promiscuous women although the song is not focused on sex. This is something that constantly reoccurs in hip-hop regardless of the actual topic in the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnP-pVEbmQ
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe interplay between gender and sexuality is a big aspect of hip-hop. I'm posting a video that uses sexuality as entertainment using gesture, lyrics, and cinematography. Also, I think the era of the video also shows its mutual respect/recognition of women, while at the same time, using lyrics and styles that may also degrade them. More importantly, its just a classic feel good song and easy to listen to, and may provide an example of subliminals in hip-hop music.
ReplyDeleteHeavy D & The Boys- Now That We Found Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNEgUPKxk7A
Hip-hop is definitely a male dominated industry. Which I find interesting because, wasn’t hip-hop created as a way for everyone to speak about their opinions about current situations and their daily struggles? Wouldn’t that be a reason that every race and every gender would be popular in hip-hop today? It seems as if the only way for females to make it big in this industry is to be who they are not. In a lot of male MCs songs females are objectified and in the videos the females barely wear any clothes at all adding to the objectification.
ReplyDeleteFrom 2:32-5:10 in this clip from Notorious (2009) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i802JQkfGqw&feature=related Lil’ Kim and Notorious BIG breakdown what it means to be a woman in hip-hop. Women are not allowed to use the same type of lyrics or flow that men use, and they are not allowed to dress up, but rather dress down. For women to be respected in hip-hop they must still cater to the stereotypes that male rappers give them in their songs. There is unequal opportunity for women in hip-hop, but once women find their way into hip-hops inner circles they are free to rap about whatever they like. First they must use their bodies, and suggestive lyrics to rise to fame, then they get respect, then they can express their artistic ability as a rapper. The same could be said for breaking, as women are still treated as sexual objects until they are able to earn respect.
ReplyDeleteMen are dominant to woman in the hip-hop world. Women slowly started to making something of themselves with the feminist movement. In our reading Morgan states, "The gains of the Feminist Movement had a tremendous impact on our lives-so much we often take it for granted" (417). In today's world women have equal rights as men and because of this, we often forget what all we have accessible to us. Some women have chosen to overcome this "men are dominant to society" ideals and believe if men can do it, they can do it, too. With that said we have the rise of female rappers and artists. Women may not realize though what they are making themselves look like with their fame. Nicki Minaj is a huge icon for women rappers. Nicki Minaj portrays herself as some "I don't care, I'll do and say what I want" kind of person. This can be taken bad or good, but when it comes to the lyrics these females rap, the message they're sending to kids isn't good. Also, male rappers put this "stamp" on females that all they are good for is looking good with big boobs and big butts and sex. For example, if you ever the video Ass by Big Sean, it is all degrading women. Rappers like Nicki Minaj need to take a stand and respond to videos and songs like that, but instead sometimes you hear their songs going with it. When all of these rappers do things like that, it puts a label on females that us everyday women do not like. Women are not sexual objects that male rappers portray them to be, and they are not "bitches and hoes." Now a days, I hear more people refer to girls as bitches or hoes in a normal conversation than ever before and it disgusts me. Here are some videos that portray women to be these disgraceful ideas male rappers talk about...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_zRoCAHDbw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-keEV57SBk&ob=av3e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f8L6OYHZFo&ob=av2e
Hip-hop since the beginning has been known to be dominated by males. As we have read and learned before, women were not taken seriously in any aspect of the music, whether it was MCing, DJing, B-girling, or Graffiti. Women in fact are seen mainly as sex icons, “gold diggers”, bitches, and hoes. You see this through songs such as Gold Digger by Kanye, Baby got back by Sir-Mix-A-Lot, and Ass by Big Sean. Because it was so competitive for women, women who rapped about things that were seen as a positive message through her lyrics, were often seen as “soft” (Lecture). Nicki Minaj is definitely one of those MC’s that brought her game, now being known for her lyrical style. One thing to note though is that she didn’t come to power on her own. She put known MC’s is her songs, to help get her own name known. In Morgan’s article it was mentioned that females were always the victims of the music, and to this I disagree. In a sense Minaj kind of sends the same message about her own gender by some of her own lyrics when she refers to women as “hoes” and “bitches”, almost as if she takes over that male dominance role, which I guess works for her because she’s a very successful female MC.
ReplyDelete“Is it foul to say that imagining a world where you could paint your big brown lips in the most decadent of shades, pile your phat ass into your fave micromini, slip your freshly manicured toes into four-inch fuck-me sandals and have not one single solitary man objectify- I mean roam his eyes longingly over all the intended places- is, like, a total drag for you?” (Morgan 417)
ReplyDeletehttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JP7ZNUYE1cQ/TTAbywTC3oI/AAAAAAAALIg/xjy1-j5yhGA/s400/lilkim5.jpg
http://media.photobucket.com/image/trina+/zues23/trina.jpg
Male MCs are often criticized for objectifying women. But what happens when women flip the script? The two pictures above feature two female rappers most notoriously known for their over the top, overtly sexual lyrics. These women completely own their sexuality and in many ways objectify men. They treat men as a means to obtain cash and some good sex. If you are not bringing either to the table, they don’t want anything to do with you. These women will make men feel like little boys if their wallets aren’t deep enough or their stroke game not strong enough. Lil Kim and Trina, other female rappers too, squeeze their phat asses into skin tight clothing because it gives them a certain level of power and dominance over men. Be it wrong or right, they use their body as a means of power to get what they want. Men are attracted to the coke bottle frame and revealing outfits but they better be bringing something worthwhile if they plan on approaching these females or prepare to get your feelings hurt.
“Could he come over right fast and fuck my pretty ass?
I'll pass, nigga the dick was trash
If sex was record sales you would be double plat
The only way you seein' me is if you eatin' me”
(Lil Kim “Not Tonight”)
“I can tell by your eyes, love is what you feel
U wanna talk nigga, then lets discuss my bills
as you can see im an expensive bitch
who has good taste and love expensive shit
U wanna conversate well nigga I charge a fee
each additional minute, nigga I charge a fee”
(Trina “If You With Me”)
http://www.americanpopularculture.com/archive/music/rap_white_men.htm
ReplyDeleteThis link is a great article describing how the hip hop game is controlled by the male population and women have little to say. Also how women get lowered as people and called a number of downgrading terms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5YKz3nFZOg
This video is a song from Rick Ross called “I love my btiches”. I think it’s funny how he is trying to say how much he loves the women in his life, but still refers to them as bitches. This just shows how words like ‘bitch’ is just a common word in the hip hop culture to describe any woman.
Gender plays a large part in the culture of Hip-hop. When hip-hop first originated it was mainly male artists that broke out onto the scene. Today, many females have gained famed and recognition but they often dress in baggy clothes or take on male attitudes. It is as if they have to prove that they are strong and can stand on their own in the hip-hop world. It is a struggle to make it to the top, and many hip-hop artists remain underground. On the other hand, women in hip-hop are frequently seen as objects to be displayed or claimed. In music videos such as, Tip Drill by Nelly, this is extremely evident. There are women dressed in swim suits, dancing provocatively, and it seems that they are doing it all to please the men’s wishes. When viewing the gender roles and watching videos, it also is easy to see how hip-hop values have changed over time. People used to be creating music to deal with their frustrations or for their own enjoyment. But now it seems that the music is all about materialism, sex, and drugs. In Nelly’s video he has girls dancing in a mansion while they throw money around everywhere. Artists obviously take pride in the fact that they’ve made it onto the hip-hop scene and are wealthy, but they typically take it to ridiculous levels.
ReplyDeleteGender has always been a complex issue within hip-hop. The rap game has primarily been dominated by men and women are commonly excluded, although some women have overcome barriers and achieved success and respect; some of these women include Nicki Minaj, Trina, Lil’ Kim, Missy Elliot. A lot of female MCs that have failed to gain popularity on the national level is not because they lack skill, it is because a lot of men (and this doesn’t even have to necessarily be applied just to hip-hop) undermine women and do not treat them as equals. Another reason is that a lot of male MCs have incredible amounts of pressure to maintain a sense of masculinity. For this week’s blog I found a free style rap by Trina.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHkbwD-nLbk
There is an obvious difference between males and females in the Hip- hop world. Hip- hop began as a mostly male dominated culture and pretty much still is today, and it seems the most popular females in Hip- hop have either fallen off the map or gained success because of a male. For example when it comes to female MC’s, they have to work much harder then a male to gain the same respect. “Positive” females who rap about appropriate things are considered soft forcing female MC’s to create a rugged, almost manly exterior to be respected in the same way a man is. Some female MC’s use their womanly body parts as part of their lure to their music. Take someone like Nicki Minaj, she uses her body parts not only to rap about but to get her the male’s attention, when in actuality it’s all fake. The only way she could get legitimate recognition for her talent was to not improve her rapping skills but it was to get plastic surgery. Nicki has such a unique flow but it’s overshadowed by her ‘fakeness.’ It’s sad really, that women MC’s have to change so much about themselves ,not only within the Hip- hop world but in many other aspects of society to get noticed. Nicki Minaj is just one example of the many women in Hip- hop that have struggled to the top.
ReplyDelete“Super Bass” Nicki Minaj http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JipHEz53sU&ob=av2e
In her Super Bass video it seems although its her video, the male takes on the lead role. He’s just standing there while she dances around him. It’s hard to take her as a serious lyricist when she’s wearing barely any clothes and pathetically dancing around these men.
The topic of gender and sexuality has been an ongoing conversation in hip-hop culture. One thing that interests me is this idea that being more "male" and less "female" is considered to be more hip-hop and gives artists a better chance at acceptance and success in the industry. These two videos illustrate the attitude toward the male persona and speak on the double standard that women are held to in hip-hop or even just society in general.
ReplyDeleteThis first one is Jessie J's "Do it Like a Dude"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOf3kYtwASo&ob=av2e
This one is Ciara's "Like a Boy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKH7Emy1SY&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY84MRnxVzo
ReplyDeleteIn the audio references for the week there were many songs that related very strongly to the roles of women in hip hop. Hip hop has always been a male dominated genre. One song that is very popular and is also on the list for this week is Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” This song is all about women as sexual objects, focusing on their butts throughout the whole song. In a way he is proud of these women and their curves, but he is still talking about having sex with all of them. This song/video is a lot more tame then a video like Tip Drill by Nelly however. That video really degrades women basically referring to them as strictly sex objects. It is also a lot raunchier with the nudity. In many people these are the ways that women are viewed in hip hop still. However there have been a few women to stand out in the predominantly male genre. A few examples are Lil Kim, Nikki Minaj, Missy Elliot, and Queen Latifah. These women have proven to the men that they have what it takes to stand out in hip hop.
d.cohen
ReplyDeleteMasculinity plays a big role in today’s hip-hop. Rappers like to have plenty of women in their videos often times showing them in charge. One great example of women being treated in sexual manure is Nellys, tip drill. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DKATJMlKBOug
This video shows him sliding a debit card through girls behind and shows girls being viewed as sexual figures and not people.
Honestly, it is hard to not believe that Hip-hop is a sexist entity. However every once and awhile a song comes along that makes me change my mind. Here are four examples:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1Dk-obLsiQ
Common – I Used to Love H.E.R.
I think it’s interesting how Common uses the extended metaphor of a woman, to express his love and struggle with Hip-hop. It’s amazing how Common uses a woman to represent one of the most influential things in his life, because most likely women are just as influential and important to him as Hip-hop itself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lyGs-NZWec
Tupac – Keep Ya Head Up
This song is more straight forward with its message. Tupac’s song is a continuous shout out to all of his fellow women. He encourages them not to get down about their situations and how men treat them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DAaNzEjees
Drake – Paris Morton Music
Drake has few encouraging lines in this song. First: “I hate calling the women bitches, but the bitches love it.” I believe he thinks that a lot of women suffer from a sort of battered wife syndrome. Second: “I’m urging all daughters to kiss the mothers, with those lips that all that lipstick covers. You’re never to grown up to miss and hug her.” An inspiring line that speaks of a dynamic mother-daughter relationship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzfm0OIlaWs
J. Cole – Lights Please
Cole speaks throughout this song of how he enjoys a deep relationship with a certain unnamed woman. In this song J. Cole explains the pride he has in the fact that he is with this women, and tells of how he connects with her on many levels.
I just wanted to briefly comment on a specific gender theme that has been highlighted throughout this semester: the objectification of women. Back in week 3 of this class, we watched “Hip-hop beyond Beats and Rhymes.” Several scenes in this documentary depicted a hip-hop festival where women in attendance were extremely objectified. Yet, the most surprising thing was that the women in the video either refused to recognize their objectification or passively allowed it. In this blog I do not want to psycho-analysis why these women allow for such defamation or dehumanization, nor do I want to discuss whether or not this is merely a social or cultural norm impermeable to universal moral judgment, but I want to argue that hip-hop artists have a responsibility for the way their ideas trickle down to the public.
ReplyDeleteThe stereotypical role of women in hip-hop has been its black-eye. In most high grossing hip-hop videos, there is extreme objectification of women. Yet, even in our feministic culture, there has not been a huge outcry from within hip-hop or a feverous outcry for change, like with other gender issues. Why is this case? I don’t think this blog is the place to begin to solve these issues. What I do want to raise awareness to is the ethos of that hip-hop festival. Do you think the kids (male and female) in attendance would have acted the same way if they were in school, if they were in church, if they were at a political rally, if they were in any environment where the role models or and expectations were different? I think they would act differently. Thus, I will simplistically place the blame on the artists and those responsible for producing that atmosphere. If the artists truly cared about the well-being of their community they represent so often, then they need to recognize the platform they have.
We all have our own platform and we all fail to do and preach what’s right and good. Yet, some people’s speech reaches farther than others. Hip-hop artists cannot be afraid to change their ways, especially, if they recognize the hurt they are creating within their own community.
A quick afterward: Even if they intend their video to be ‘a social commentary’, what they intended action may not actually count as a social commentary when it reaches the public.
Decided to do a little self promo for my blog. The video I'm attaching is my newest single called "The Voicemail." The track samples the beat to 2pac's "To Live and Die in L.A." and relates to gender and sexuality as it steps outside the typical "gettin' as many b*tches as possible track." I tried to show a bit of the sensitive side in this one, without compromising the masculinity.
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you guys think.
-The Voicemail- Brian Fraze
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5eMM6hIKkU
The movie Beat Street is a great example of how women are stereotyped in hip-hop. In the first party scene, three women get up in front of a cipher and sing about how “us girls can boogey too, we can dance, we can shake it”. However, they do not break it down like the men who get in the cipher. This is the only representation in the movie that women have during any breaking or graffiti scenes. On the other hand, women are very prominent in the formalized dance classes that have recitals. I gathered that this is what the movie producer intentened for the audience to think this is where women “belonged”. The documentary Rize is very different, as women are breaking, more specifically, crumping, just like the men do, maybe even better. Beat Street was made in 1984 and Rize in 2004, so comparing the two really gives some incite to the difference that 20 years made in how women are seen in hip-hop.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5qKNlcUwKs
ReplyDeleteNelly’s “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)” was released in 2000 and the track itself doesn’t engage the complexity of gender and sexuality in hip-hop but the music video definitely does. This song if one of my favorites of Nelly’s and think that this video is great because of how it addresses/pokes fun at almost every African American stereotype/cliché; females have naked dancing around cars with huge rims, chains, huge cloths & jerseys, barbeques, huge buckets of chicken, a barbershop, and convicts. Throughout the entire music video women are used as objects to place on/beside tricked out cars or dance up on thus definitely engage in the complexity of gender and sexuality in hip-hop from my perspective. The complexity of gender and sexuality in hip-hop places a barrier on women that are trying to have their voice heard because it is a very masculine genre that is dominated in by males. That isn’t to say that there aren’t any great female artists out there today because there are many examples. I believe that it will definitely be a long time before we see a lot of women involved in the hip-hop genre but there has been much progress made thanks to the help of artists such as Nicki Manaj, Lil Kim and Missy Elliot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL2txMU50CI&feature=related
ReplyDeleteThe roles that women have in Hip-Hop are important to hip-hop culture, even though most of the time women are portrayed as sexual icons and sexual objects. The link I provided above is a music video for the song “Back That Ass Up” by Juvenile. In the video, it shows various women shaking their assets and “backing that ass up”. In the video, there features several cyphers and then it cuts to clips of individual females wearing little clothing and shaking their goodies. This is just one of the few examples of how hip-hop objectifies and portrays women as “bitches”, “hoes” and “beezys”. In hip-hop culture, male MCs, DJs, breaking, and grafitti artists are easily overrun by men and men are pretty much running the game. Women are easily outnumbered, but there are a few female MCs that have been able to rise to the top. Some examples are Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliot, Lil Kim, and Trina. Those are only a few of the big female MCs in the industry today. Even though men objectify women, some females break through that barrier and walk in to the male-dominated industry of hip-hop and make it big.
Women are becoming more and more involved in the hip-hop culture currently, but hip-hop is still very homophobic. I think what is really interesting is that women who got involved in hip-hop early on as MCs or breakers had to display masculinity in how they dressed yet hip-hop has always been homophobic. Really it is just male-dominated and it seems that males who have the biggest reputations in the culture have the most say in how the idea of hip-hop culture will be expressed to society. Also, if you are are woman who displays more feminine characteristics in hip-hop, you are likely to appear as a sexual object in a music video, like all the girls in Nelly's "Tip Drill" video.
ReplyDeleteDecimating the Queen
ReplyDeleteSince Eve we have been the downfall of humanity.
Made for man, of man, therefore we are nothing.
The Queen of Africa, but an unseen in our slave land.
The mother of every man, but the bitch of mankind.
Hip-hop, a history, escape for black America, but not for you. To you freedom is still just a mystery.
A hoe that turns over the earth like a hoe found in the alley laid out on the earth that we sowed
Barefoot and pregnant or single and working, mother. Tricking if you got it, but usually you ain’t
Babies asking where’s my daddy, creating déjà vu of your childhood and still you’re asking the same
Trying not to show fear, hiding tears when you come home and you’re in the dark like all the light is gone
Proving ourselves above every culture and race.
We are the definition of the downtrodden but will not stay there.
The black woman is the salt of the earth
More than the hook to a beat
But the flow, it’s all natural
Like the red of a delicious.
We make life, in hip hop, in society… in ourselves
More than a vixen and sex symbol
We are America, issue ridden, broke and complex, different and yet all the same
The black woman is an independent; independently wanting love from a real nigga.
When in actuality we are the countries Nigga, being spat on and taken advantage of
Killed for trying to break the glass
But a black woman is like a webble, we may wobble, but we never fall down.
Fabolous is always writing songs about females, and in terms of masculinity and gender in Hip-hop, I feel like his song "She Did It" fits the usual "stereotypes" people have towards gender in Hip-hop.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/kr_8FrMlEnU