This week, we watched the film Say My Name by Nirit Peled. This documentary presents the voices of many female MCs, past and present, who have contributed to Hip-hop culture. How are particular stereotypes of does gender and sexuality sampled in Hip-Hop? What stereotypes of men and women circulate in Hip-hop culture and how do female MCs manipulate them? As you blog on the key words GENDER and SEXUALITY, think broadly about the ways that Hip-hop culture has the potential to marginalize and liberate men and women from seemingly fixed categories of representation.
Stereotypes of gender and sexuality have played a huge part in all aspects of Hip-hop from the start because males have dominated it for so long that females have faded into the background of it all. Men have always been focused on because they are perceived as flashy and cocky with all their bling and money that is shown in their videos and by the way they act. On the other hand, women have been supposed as strictly sex symbols for men and also gold diggers. As shown in Nirit Peled’s documentary Say My Name, female MCs manipulate the male mindset by coming out and rapping about the truth and what they want people to hear about them because they are strong women who have a mind of their own, (Say My Name-Nirit). For example, in Eve’s video “Who’s That Girl” she shows the independence and braveness that women can attain and the true talent that they possess (YouTube). Many people feel that women rappers should be given the spotlight more often because they “are vocal and respected members of the Hip-Hop community, and they have quite a handle on what they are doing,” (Rose 291). Female MCs are very skilled, but not many people have heard them because the majority of Hip-hop listeners only listen to male rappers. Hip-hop music should be shared equally because no matter what sex or race a person is, they should be given a fair chance at telling their story through doing what they love most, which is rapping.
ReplyDeleteIn Morgan's article, Shredding the Veil, she uses W.E.B. Du Bois' idea of double consciousness to show how African American women in America sometimes feel about their sense of self. Double consciousness is when one experiences a divided identity and does not really know where they fit in (Morgan, 425). This corresponds with the idea of gender in hip-hop because many women (and men) are pulled towards either-or sides of how they should represent themselves. Men are suppose to be overly masculine and degrading towards women while women on the other hand are suppose to be sex bombs who bow down to their men. These are not the ways in which all want to be viewed however. Many female MCs such as those depicted in the film "Say My Name: Women In Hip-hop" are trying to get away from these stereotypes and prove that they can hold their own without men to control them while many male artists continue to produce music with lyrics that are meant to keep women down and show the power that they have over them. In many of the videos we watched this week such as Kanye West's "Golddigger" women are portrayed as sex objects who use their bodies to rob men of their money and belongings. Queen Latifah fights back in her video "U.N.I.T.Y" by letting men know that it is not ok to treat women as sexual objects. I think that through the production of politically conscious rap, artists have the opportunity to band together and great whatever kind of representation of themselves that they want. By working together and creating pictures of the opposite sex in a realistic way, hip-hop artists can liberate themselves from the categories that hip-hop has put them into.
ReplyDeleteGender and sexuality are a large part of Hip-hop and the stereotypes that is communicates. Whether it be seen in a video, or heard through lyrics, stereotypical media images of your urban women is frequently cast in the sexist and racist notions of the angry, promiscuous, wild black woman (Marcyliena Morgan 427). Female MCs use Hip-hop to manipulate this so that it is seen more as a symbol, warning, and memory of what it meant to live under the tyranny of dominant society (Morgan 427). In “Say My Name,” we see that female MCs are not afraid to say what they feel needs to be heard in order to steer away from these stereotypes. An artist that has always stood up for women and shown the power they can possess is Queen Latifah. She reconfigures the the notion of the man-dependent black woman into one who is independent of mer for her own identity (Morgan 437). She is encouraging women to speak out and show that they deserve the same respect as men artists. Due to their willingness to speak-out, female MCs are often rumored as lesbian or bisexual, but they argue that their sexuality is not what determines their skill as an artist and determination to say it the way they see it (Morgan 437-438). Women in Hip-hop act as strong leaders for all women; and they encourage women to demand respect and equality in all elements of life.
ReplyDeleteIn hip-hop gender and sexuality are important themes, whether it is the male MC expressing his masculinity by surrounding himself with bikini-clad babes, or the struggling female MC working for respect in the male-dominated rap game.
ReplyDeleteIn the documentary “Say My Name,” we see a variety of some of the top female MCs past and present voicing their views on hip-hop today, how far it has come, and where women stand within it. The same issues often arise – the objectification of women, their marginalization, and the often difficult path to the top. Many of the MCs shown are tough, urban women raised in poor, broken families, suggesting that to succeed in the hip-hop industry is to be a strong, independent woman.
Tricia Rose explains how the mainstreaming of hip-hop was seen by some as an ‘emasculation’ of the form, and thus “reduces strapping testosterone-packed men into women…” (Forman & Neal, 292). The sexist view of women as having no worth in the hip-hop world is widespread and difficult to overcome. Nevertheless, many female MCs have succeeded in making their voices heard. As Rose goes on to say, “black women are rappers are integral…they sustain an ongoing dialogue…about sexual promiscuity, emotional commitment, infidelity, the drug trade…” etc. (ibid, 294). Women rappers use hip-hop in the same way men do – as a platform for their opinions, personality and self-representation; moreover they use it as a vehicle for social change. However corporate the form has become, the words on the page are the words on the stage, and women are able to express themselves openly and clearly without the interference of dominant stereotypes that would usually reduce them to materialistic roles.
While watching Say My Name, I started to think a lot about how feminism would work in the real of hip hop; particularly talking about the waves of feminism in literature and how it's shaped over the century. In the first wave of feminism, the main concern that feminists had was over women being able to fully show their capabilities were men thought they could not do anything in, i.e. institutions, literature, politics, voting rights etc. The second wave mainly dealt with equality in the work place, ending of sexual discrimination, and also with that equality, being able to take the ideas of what feminine and masculine, and turn them on their sides. Meaning, that men have an equal potential to acquire feminine qualities and vice versa. Finally, the third wave of feminism involves ideas that span across a ton of different platforms, like combating the glorification of eating disorders, ethnic women's groups and their respective struggles for equality in society, reproductive rights and single parenthood. In the documentary, we could see a lot of these waves of feminism ebb and flow, like how Miz-Korona and Chocolate Thai repeatedly asserted that women need to rhyme and be themselves with full force, in order to encourage other women to want to assert themselves, and also because if they want to be taken seriously in hip hop, they have to establish themselves as a force to be recognized and reckoned with. Pregnancy, an issue with the second wave, was also a small issue that was presented in the film, from cases like Erykah Badu wanting to have a natural, voluntary child birth, to Shante who didn't want to have a child when she 14. Personally, I'd say that with these waves in application to hip hop, it's still very much in the first wave. The misogyny in hip hop is almost a staple at this point, and so women in hip hop need to find ways to positively assert themselves and their movement. Hip Hop is still very much in it's infancy, relative to feminism, so I am confident that gradual change is going to occur slowly but very surely.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop provides strong evidence for the powerful impact of peer or social influence and its effect it has on its followers. The core values and motifs are the same for the majority of the videos: rhymes and rappers; get money and women, live fast and die young. The videos are filled with barely clothed women “shaking it” as the rapper degrades them further with his words. These patriarchal principals are of course ideals that every male must follow; this “authenticity” is based on fixed gender roles and portrays the possession of women as a measure of male power and pleasure (Forman and Neal 89, 295). This hyper masculine violence, aggression and exploitations towards women also coincide with general notion that women do not innately belong amongst the patriarchal hierarchy of male rappers and largely “trivializes and excludes women’s role in hip hop culture” (Forman and Neal 293). These gender and social class barriers prevent hip hop from making any substantial social progress, restrained by their narrow ideas of what the music and expression can be and distracted by the material culture that it is made to be about. These shallow and short sighted representations flow into a cyclical violent progression that only digresses ethnic and gender equality. “The family is not just the site of cultural reproduction; it is also identified as the mechanism for reproducing the cultural dysfunction that disables the race as a whole” (Forman and Neal 92).
ReplyDeleteRobert Karimi’s piece “How I Found My Inner DJ” explains that sampling helps him to realize and recognize complexity in his life. Similarly, women in hip-hop cannot escape extreme complexity; they are working within a largely misogynistic and gendered culture. Instead of leaving “the game…they play and critique it as members” (Morgan 425). Marcyliena Morgan explains that women in hip-hop are “routinely derided for [their] sexuality, social class, determination, commitment to family, passion and public displays of womanhood” (Morgan 427). Tricia Rose explains that “the marginalization, deletion and mischaracterization of women’s role in black cultural production is routine practice” (Rose 292). Women in hip-hop have nonetheless managed to create identities that are at once “feminist, progressive, passionate and sexual” (Morgan 431). Female MCs range from largely feminist and theoretical rappers like Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Monie Love to hyper-sexualized MCs like Lil’ Kim or Nicki Manaj. Tricia Rose explains that rap’s coding as a male genre does not hold up “in the face of a significant and sustained female presence” (Rose 292). However marginal, these women do provide “a refreshing, kick-ass fierceness that encourages women everywhere to discuss their lives openly” (Morgan 444).
ReplyDeleteGender and sexuality play roles in all aspects of life. When it comes to Hip-hop, gender sometimes over shadows even the raw talent of the individual. Female DJ’s have never been accepted into the Hip-hop World. No matter how well a female DJ rhymes and raps, they will still be looked down upon for their sexuality. A female DJ might be better than a male DJ, but in today’s society, the male artist will be more popular. Mainstream Hip-hop listeners feel that women can not talk about sexual activities in the same way a man can. In the song “Golddigger,” Kanye is rapping about a woman who is only using you for your money. It is hard to imagine the song being performed by a female artist. The song would not have the same meaning and would not have the same affect on the audience. “But for the most part, women rappers promote self reliance and challenge the depictions of women in male raps, addressing the fears about male dishonesty and infidelity that most women share” (Rose 296). As the documentary showed, women rappers often try to give a more positive view of women then male rappers.
ReplyDeleteThe role of women in Hip-hop is often misrepresented and under appreciated. For women to thrive in hip-hop they must work harder than men and work with the already based stereotypes of women, this often results in over sexualizing themselves. For men, they can write raps about anything they want, including women, and get record sales. For women, they often must put up a persona of masculinity to relate to the male dominated hip-hop genre. “Many social critics who have neglected to make separate mention of women rappers would probably claim that these women are in many way just ‘one of the boys’” (Rose 292). The women in the documentary discussed how they often get portrayed lesbians, unemotional, or aggressive because of this male-like persona. Although women in hip-hop play out this role for the media, they cannot get away from their gender within the music. They often write about past relationships, women’s identity, and challenge men. (Rose 296) Women such as Queen Latifa write their lyrics to show that women have power and don’t need to be dominated over by men. She raps about the empowerment of women and the strength that they posses. Although women often don’t get the recognition they deserve, they do play a critical role in hip-hop’s music both from male and female artists.
ReplyDeleteHip-Hop is riddled with stereotypes that often marginalize the individual, one group being women. Due to men and Hip-Hop culture deeming women’s sole purpose as acting as sex objects, female MCs must work harder to gain recognition and respect in the Hip-Hop community. In the film we watched in class, Say My Name, female MC Monie Love recalls having to work harder than her male counterparts to be “respected as lyricists” rather than be “looked at like sex symbols”. MC Lyte became the first female Hip-Hop artist to achieve a gold record, leading to more female MCs stepping forward and parting from the oversexed stereotype they originally felt they must fill. Other female MCs, including Lil Kim, however, owned their sexuality and the stereotype by being overtly sexual. Men also have gender and sexuality stereotypes that they are fixed to, as they are “supposed” to be alpha males with big egos, and even bigger threats if you doubt their skills as a lyricist or the validity of the stories they tell. Unfortunately, these stereotypes of how men and women of Hip-Hop are supposed to act, lead to stereotypes of how Hip-Hop is depicted. As Tricia Rose points out in her article, the image of rap music based solely on how the press depicts it is a “violent, brutally sexist reality” (Forman and Neal 291). I have to agree, and appreciate the MCs that are stepping up to liberate men and women from the stereotypes in Hip-Hop culture that force them to feel as though they must fit into this violent and sexist “reality” of the Hip-Hop world.
ReplyDeleteCulturally, we live in a male dominated society; thus, it does not surprise us that hip-hop would be a male dominated genre of music. Sexuality and gender play a key role in the hip-hop industries widespread success. Women are stereotypically categorized as sex symbols through hip-hop videos, advertisements, and even lyrics; however, many would argue that females in the hip-hop industry are exhibiting their freedom through expression. According to Tricia Rose, “In addition, music videos and live performances display exuberant communities of women occupying public space while exhibiting sexual freedom, independence and, occasionally, explicit domination over men” (Forman and Neal 294). In the documentary, “Say My Name,” female hip-hop artists emphasize the progress they have made by creating a name for themselves in a male dominated industry. Although men are often seen degrading women, female artists do not let common gender stereotypes depicted in hip-hop music bind them. More and more female hip-hop artists have begun to scratch the surface, empowering women to voice their talents and create a name for themselves. The documentary clearly portrayed the great strides female hip-hop artists have started to make regardless of the minor set backs and criticisms received throughout their journey to the top.
ReplyDeleteGender and sexuality come up in our everyday life but they are also play a large part in hip-hop. Hip-hop is and always has been dominant by the male gender and the women of the industry have always been looked down upon. In almost every hip-hop song or video women are sexualized and because of the stereotype this gives them women often have to act the way they are being portrayed. The first line of “Never Trust a Big Butt and a Smile” says it perfectly, “If you were to construct an image of rap music via accounts of rap in the established press you would probably perceive rap to reflect the violent, brutally sexist reality of a pack of ‘little Willie Hortons’” (Foreman and Neal 291). The documentary “Say My Name” that we watched in class had many accounts of female MCs and rappers telling their stories of the things have been through as an artist. They said they were called things like lesbians, sluts, masculine, etc. and these women had to work a million times harder than the men to get even half the recognition. Then you have women like Queen Latifah who make it big and write songs about the empowerment of women and it is women like her who make a difference in hip-hop.
ReplyDeleteGender and sexuality are very important in most cultures, including the culture of hip-hop. As most can see, the industry is dominated by men and the women that ARE in the industry have fought extremely hard for their place. Some females appear very masculine in the game as a way to earn the respect of their male counterparts, while other women take on the personification of the over sexualized artists. This in-your-face sexual character leads some fellow rappers as well as fans to see that the overly sexualized female rappers might be part of the reason WHY its so hard for women to break into the industry and profession. As displayed in the movie “Say My Name”, there are many opinions of the objectifications of women in the world of hip-hop. Some artists such as Remy Ma claim that the sexuality isn’t a big deal and women should be allowed to depict themselves however they chose. Also it seems the reason there was so much resistance toward the movement of female rappers was because of their gender and possibly lack of knowledge and information to share. However, “both men and women have covered many issues and social situations that pertain to the lives of young, lack working-class teens in urban America.” (Forman & Neal/ Rose, 295). Which process women are very capable of doing exactly what men do in the business.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Say My Name they discussed that many female artists have resorted to using their sexuality and promiscuity to promote themselves because they are not given adequate attention if they only use they artistic talent (Peled). There are few female artists, such as Queen Latifah, that have managed to gain popularity without showing their bodies. The women’s rights movement started well before the Hip-hop movement. This has resulted in a delay of gender equality in Hip-hop compared to other realms of society. The increased pay and preference for males in Hip-hop is probably greater than in most other careers. This is probably due to the fact that male performers are more profitable and therefore attain more record deals. This paradox makes it almost impossible for an unknown female MC to rise to the surface. Government regulations cannot attack this issue in Hip-hop like it can at fast food places for example. The qualities of a good MC are subjective so there really cannot be laws enforcing the hiring of female MC’s. It is the responsibility of the consumers to ensure that female artists are given an adequate opportunity. “Many social critics who have neglected to make separate mention of women rappers would probably claim that these women are in many ways just one of the boys” (Rose 292). Rather than re-gender these female artists, the critics should re-evaluate their own ideas about gender and sex in Hip-hop because Hip-hop is dynamic and it is becoming more evident that women are marking their territory in Hip-hop.
ReplyDeleteIn Hip-hop culture, males have always dominated the Hip-hop world and have masked many of the talented female artists. Stereotypes of gender and sexuality have been crucial in how the Hip-hop world operates. More so than other genres, females have been primarily seen as sex symbols. In the film, “Say My Name”, the women rappers address how women often “sell-out” as a sex symbol to achieve fame. They particularly showed Lil’ Kim and her rise to success. Men have always dominated the Hip-hop world and have made it extremely difficult for women to gain much attention. In “Say My Name”, the women interviewed in this film manipulate their stereotype by simply speaking out and expressing themselves not as a sex symbol but as an individual. The particular women in this film are not afraid to speak up and say what they believe. The women who actually voice their opinions in their raps often have a lot of skill that is overlooked because they are women that do not sell their bodies. Due to the fact that men have the most power in the Hip-hop world this has made it significantly difficult for women‘s music to be heard. Hip-hop should see every artist for who they are regardless of their gender and/or sexuality and should instead recognize each artist for the musical talent they have.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop displays a huge influence on the stereotypes of gender and sexuality. They have done this since the beginning of hip-hop because males have dominated this genre for so long that the women artists often fade into the background. As pointed out in the documentary Say My Name viewed in lecture on Tuesday, women have been perceived as sex symbols strictly for men and as gold diggers. Some women find it insulting that their talent isn’t recognized when they don’t feel the need to rap basically naked. The dominant male stereotype in Hip-Hop is that they are supposed to be overly dominant and controlling to women while being as flashy and cocky as possible. In the article by Marcyliena Morgan, they further this evidence by stating, “Whether it be seen in a video, or heard through lyrics, stereotypical media images of young urban women is frequently cast in the sexist notions of the angry, promiscuous wild black woman” (427). She further states, “Female MCs use Hip-hop to manipulate this so that it is seen more as a symbol, warning, and memory of what it meant to live under the tyranny of a dominant society” (427). For example, in Eve’s “Who’s that Girl” displays a female MC isn’t afraid to say how she feels and that women can be brave and independent and express how she feels too. Rose explains that, “both women and men have covered many issues and social situations that pertain to the lives of young, working-class urban America” (Rose, 295). This shows that women and men are very equal in what they can do in the Hip-hop industry. The documentary Say My Name is a great tool for people to understand the relationships between women and this industry. If all MCs recognized this, maybe women will become more popular as time evolves.
ReplyDeleteGender and sexuality has always been a hot topic in hip hop culture. As we saw in the video “Say My Name”, even the most famous female MC’s in hip hop are still struggling to make a name for themselves in an industry where there is little acceptance of female rappers. The video also touched on women’s sexuality in hip hop and how it is exploited. Almost every rap music video these days features some sort of “video vixen.” These are women who are featured in videos exclusively to be sexual icons and wear almost no clothing and dance around the MC/rapper. This is also a hot spot of controversy because many woman feel objectified and that these videos put women, especially women in hip hop, in a negative light. Instead, female MC’s are putting music out for the same reasons as male MC’s; to convey a message or story and to show everyone their lives and the struggles that they have had in their lives. “But for the most part, women rappers promote self reliance and challenge the depictions of women in male raps, addressing the fears about male dishonesty and infidelity that most women share” (Rose 296). Female MC’s are trying to get themselves out of this dark light and want to share in the glory and success that most male MC’s have. Only a few female MC’s have done this such as MC Lyte, Missy Elliot, Lil’ Kim, and more recently Nicki Manaj.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching “Say My Name” in class this week it really helped break the hip-hop stereotype for women. The movie showed that female MCs we able to hold their own as well as be a support system for each other. The movie helped show that women in the hip-hop scene are more than just sex symbols, they are MCs who aren’t afraid to speak about their lives and experiences. As I read in the book, Rose explains that, “both women and men have covered many issues and social situations that pertain to the lives of young, working-class urban America” (Rose 295). In today’s hip-hop culture there have been a few more women MCs that have found their way to the forefront. Nikki Minaj takes the stereotype of women in hip-hop and embraces it. Just like Lil’ Kim did in the 90’s and early 2000’s. I think the movie “Say My Name” is a great movie that shows how the female MCs are just a creative and unique with their styles and flows as the male MCs.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the history of hip-hop, women have constantly been trying to get the recognition and respect that they deserve. As we saw in the documentary, Say My Name, women must work much harder than men to get respect and get airtime on radio stations and through communities. The women in the video are all very talented, and some are very unknown to the common listener. Without this video, some of these women would not be known as well as they are. Women like Lil’ Kim have become successful through not only skills, but also through sexual exploitation. When Lil’ Kim is seen in public or in her music videos, she is barely wearing clothes and is always promiscuous. While she is successful, women don’t always agree with her methods of how she came to find this success. On the flipside, artists like Erykah Badu, who promote ideas to women about being true to yourself and your feminine beliefs, have also seen some mainstream success, although perhaps not as much as those like Lil’ Kim. With the emergence of artists like Nicki Manaj, who in some respects exploits her sexuality, but also is an extremely talented lyricists, perhaps the tides will turn and women can start to get the respect and recognition in hip hop they should have had all along.
ReplyDeleteIn the documentary “Say My Name” the struggles of the female MC in the rap game and everyday life are highlighted. As women it was difficult for them to be taken seriously in a male dominated industry. In “Never Trust a Big Butt and a Smile” Tricia Rose discusses why women have it so hard in the hip-hop world. Rose discusses how some male rappers view “the possession of women as evidence of male power” (Foreman and Neal 295). Rose later sites an interview with rapper Ice Cube in which he suggested that men have animosity towards women, because women have the capacity to sexually reject men or manipulate them. The manipulators are “gold diggers” that “trap” men for their money by using their sexuality or getting pregnant so that the man has a legal obligation. Because of these gender stereotypes it has been difficult for women to gain respect and notoriety in the rap industry. Some, like Lil Kim, have exaggerated the perception of women as sex objects to succeed, while others, such as Queen Latifah, have uses their raps to empower women as a vehicle to their success. A female rapper can attack the industry in a variety of ways, but in the end her sheer success liberates women from the traditional “gold digger” view.
ReplyDeleteAs American culture goes, if someone who is not a listener to hip hop is asked what they think of it all, they could probably come up with a whole list of stereotypes. As a kid I can remember watching the rap videos on MTV and giving me the image that women were to only a sexualized part of the industry and to help add to the art of the video. That however is not the case. As the male dominated rap videos were being played on TV, female MC’s like MC Lyte were going gold, but no one was hearing about it. This seems to be a theme with gender in history. From the firsthand accounts watched in “Say My Name” we see how hard the rap game is for women as they struggle to climb on top and be noticed. Rose explained “women are divided into at least two categories, the kind you take home to mother, and the kind you meet at 3 in the morning” (Rose 295) This is a big part of who gets noticed. In the past a woman has to either put herself out there as a sex symbol and be talented like Lil’ Kim or be very refined and professional such as Queen Latifah. Whether the next big MC is male or female, proper respect needs to be given to both and interest should return to the actual sound of the art, not the style or sexuality of the individual.
ReplyDeleteIn Hip-hop women are viewed as sex objects while men are seen as powerful and tough. In videos girls are seen wearing little to no clothing and are usually shaking their asses. Not only have video girls sexed themselves up but also MCs, such as Lil’ Kim, to make it in this industry. In the documentary Say My Name all the artists were about looking past the sexual image women have gained in Hip-hop and earning respect based on their abilities to rap. Artists use this issue of women being degraded in their lyrics to express their frustration and get their message out. One of my favorite examples of this is Queen Latifah’s song U.N.I.T.Y. I like the point she make when she says “Every time I hear a brother call a girl a bitch or a ho /Trying to make a sister feel low /You know all of that gots to go /Now everybody knows there's exceptions to this rule /Now don't be getting mad, when we playing, it's cool”. Words like bitch and ho are a big part of Hip-hop but they don’t need to be used in demeaning ways. Even though it is a struggle female artists have been making progress in the business. Tricia Rose says that, “Rap can no longer be imagined without women rappers’ contributions”. I believe that if women keep doing what they are doing and working hard they will eventually gain the credit they deserve.
ReplyDeleteLooking at and comparing women in hip-hop to other musical genres, most people can point out the clear differences that distinguish the role that women play in hip-hop. For most people, they stereotype women as just models on music videos that shake rump and look seductive. However though there is a different conception of women that many overlook, the female MC. Tricia Rose states that “Black women rappers are integral and resistant voices in hip-hop and in popular music and sustain their audiences about sexual promiscuity, emotional commitment, infidelity and other motives (Forman and Neal, 294). After watching say my name in class, these characteristics are definitely mentioned and one in particular stood out to me and maybe to others in the class in that, the characteristic of sadness was a major theme of some of the female rappers and they said that without sadness, most would not be able to write songs. Finally, Morgan best sums up the female musical and verbal genre as “They do not use their musical and verbal genre to destroy the veil of race, gender, and class discrimination. They prefer to render it diaphanous, so that it can be seen and manipulated as symbol, warning, and memory of what it meant to live under its tyranny and the dangers of underestimating dominant society’s desire to erect it once again” (Morgan 427).
ReplyDeleteBrandt Johnson 2393614
10/13/10 “Gender and sexuality”
Let’s be honest, when we think of girls in hip-hop, it usually pertains to the background dancers in the club or party scenes. Example: Tip Drill by Nelly. Yet, women have been trying to make a name for themselves in the hip-hop nation for years and have slowly but surely been climbing their way into the game, and they are beginning to show that they can run with the best of them. In the movie Say My Name: Women in Hip-hop, we hear Miz-Korona say that she would go head to head in freestyles with men and win. Now do we take in consideration biased judging? When women are talented in rapping (or freestyling) we may give them an upper hand just because we realize that women rappers and MCs and rare and sadly unappreciated. Yet, that type of thinking could show how we don’t fully appreciate women and how we view them in the hip-hop world. In the movie much of the thanks for women to get involved in hip-hop goes to Roxanna Shante, who got her break as a young girl. Then we saw another downfall in women and their opportunities: pregnancy. The fact is, women cannot perform to their full potential while pregnant. They may be able to write more emotional lyrics (as stated by Chocolate Thai) but that may not be enough when you are out of the game for a while. The way the world works is detrimental to women when it comes to trying to get a break in a (as we see it) a man’s game. Unless you want to show off your body, it is, sad to say, still a man’s world. Yet, when the women do rise above all of the obstacles, they prove that they are something to be reckoned with. Example: Queen Latifah, rapper and actress. As Ice Cube mentions in an interview: “she can make you buy cigarettes you never wanted to buy in life,” but still “the whole damn world is hostel toward women” (Tracia Rose, Never Trust a Big Butt and a Smile, 295).
ReplyDeleteEach week we learn a new aspect of Hip Hop in our popular culture. Each week we learn how each aspect intertwines with the birth and longevity of this music genre. Each week I am blown away with that fact that without one aspect, the Hip Hop “phenomenon” we are living through might not be as proficient as it is or it might even have evaporated at this point.
ReplyDeleteBending gender lines in Hip Hop is no different. Seeing women participating and succeeded in Hip Hop is empowering and allows for more and more diversity in the Hip Hop game. She reconfigures the notion of the man-dependent black woman into one who is independent of more for her own identity (Morgan 437). Women in Hip Hop are being misrepresented. I believe they are working twice as hard to prove themselves and gain respect among the entire Hip Hop community. This is evident in Say My Name. Throughout the movie I was tapping my foot and nodding my head to their flows as I took an ethnographic journey through these women’s lives. They were doing everything it takes to make a living and in some cases raise families and doing all of this, while breaking social barriers aspiring to make a living doing what they all love to do, MC.
Since its origin, Hip-hop music has been a male dominated genre. The number of well-known female rappers, MCs, graffiti artists, and breakers are few and far between but the women in “the game” have worked hard to break the stereotypes that are projected upon them. However, the media portrays a far different view of women in hip hop culture- in music videos these women are pictured in an overtly sexual way often dancing very graphically and dressed in minimal clothing. In the documentary Say My Name, women express frustration that arises when trying to make a name for themselves in the industry when they are constantly pressured to conform to the stereotypes, if they choose to rap or sing about issues other than sex it is often far more difficult for them to get signed. There are also instances of women who believe that being sexual in their work is empowering. For example, one woman describes how it is not fair for her to be held to the standards of a role model and chastised for the image she sells when she never had any positive role models of her own as a young girl. The task of rising above sexual stereotypes is made even more arduous by the lyrics used by many male artists. No matter how many women go against the stereotypes, public opinion of women in hip hop will be based off of, “an ongoing dialogue with their audiences and male rappers about sexual promiscuity, emotional commitment, infidelity, the drug trade, racial politics and black cultural history” (Rose 294).
ReplyDeleteGender and Sexuality have been an issue not only of hip hop but all avenues of music as well as culture. Comparing gender I believe that females got the short end of the stick. Woman have been deprived of rights and respect for centuries, breaking into the hip hop scene was no different either. Ms. Melodie does a great job of expressing this unfortunate advantage that men are given, “It wasn’t that the male started rap, the male was just the first to be put on wax. Females were always into rap, and females always had their little crews and were always known for rockin’ house parties...” (Forman & Neal p. 294). With consideration to sexuality, hip hop women shredding the veil I believed to be most accurate. “While some artists consider it important to talk about their sexual preference, overwhelmingly they argue that feminism and sexuality do not determine their skill as artists and their determination to say it the way they see it. African American women who are involved in hip hop are faced with a double edged sward. They are competing in a game dominated right now by male artists. If they choose to compete and deliver similar styles of music such as hard, ruff, tuff, physical, competent, independent, their sexuality is often questioned. Most lyrics are chosen to show and prove the capability they have, an interest in sexual expression isn’t ignored by all but most often not a top priority of female hip hop artists.
ReplyDeleteGender and Sexuality is a big in emphasis in the hip hop world that is ran by men. We see, and hear about the misrepresentation of the female gender in rap songs and videos. "In addition, music videos and live performances display exuberant communities of women occupying public space while exhibiting sexual freedom, independence and, occasionally, explicit domination over men” (Forman and Neal 294). Music video that shows a lot of sexual appeal give women the wrong impression that women in general are not going to dress or be like the video girls. Not only does sexuality affect the common day women but is makes it harder for female rappers in the hip hop industries as their male colleagues continue to make misinterpret the female sexuality. Some female rappers go along with the overly sexualized persona like Lil Kim and Nikki Minaji. But rappers like MC Lyte and Queen Latifah are the voice of what being a female is all about, in the Latifah's song U.N.I.T.Y.
ReplyDelete“If you were to construct an image of rap music via accounts of rap in the established press you would probably perceive rap to reflect the violent, brutally sexist reality of a pack of ‘little Willie Hortons’” (Foreman and Neal 29) Its hard to reconstruct the image of women in the hip hop world, since its been constructed from the beginning of hip hop. But with more female rappers like Queen Latifah maybe the views towards women in the hip hop world would change for the better.
Hip-Hop is covered by many biases and stereotypes. Is a rapper “real”, a sellout, or fake? One of the biggest biases and obstacles in hip-hop is for female rappers/MCs. With an industry dominated so heavily by male rappers and all aspects that go along with that, woman who have had success with hip-hop have worked double time to get to where they are. Along with female MC’s, sexuality plays a big role with women in hip-hop. Some women found an outlet by being models or video girls. Many older women and some younger women have really bashed this act, because the women are creative a negative model for the youth of our community to look up to. Many of the youth in the inner city come from broken homes, or have single parents. With the limited availability from that one parent due to working double time to support the family, young children have to look elsewhere for guidance and a life model. I can turn on the TV and turn to a music channel, geared toward youth entertainment, and find young adult women portraying themselves in a negative manner. However, “both men and women have covered many issues and social situations that pertain to the lives of young, lack working-class teens in urban America.” (Forman & Neal/ Rose, 295).
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand there are some females that have masculine tendencies, as a way to earn the respect of their male counterparts. As seen in “Say My Name”, there are many avenues for women in the world of hip-hop. Rapper Remy Ma says that the sexuality isn’t a big deal and women should be allowed to depict themselves however they may chose.
“Rap written and performed by women regarding male/female relationships can be divided into at least three categories: (1) raps that challenge male dominance over women within the sexual arena, (2) raps, that by virtue of their authoritative stance, challenge men as representatives of Hip Hop, and (3) raps that explicitly discuss women’s identity and celebrate women’s physical and sexual power (Forman and Neal 296).” Women serve multiple roles in Hip Hop, as one of the characters from Say My Name, (I can’t remember her name) said that women are mothers and daughters as well as representatives of the movement and individuals. Identities can be confusing and overlapping, and socially created identities can be unnatural and harmful. “Let me say why I think the prominence of the family is a problem. Spreading the Oedipal narrative around a bit can probably produce some interesting effects, but this bears repeating: the trope of the family is central to the means whereby the crisis we are living – of black social and political life – gets represented as the crisis of black masculinity. That trope of the family is there, also, in the way conflict, within and between our communities, gets resolved through the mystic reconstruction of the ideal heterosexual family (Forman and Neal 92).” Female MCs do in some ways have a harder task than men do because they seem to be overshadowed without producing a hypersexual image and because the issues that women want to (and have to discuss to remain sane) discuss can lead to their being viewed as “soft”. That being said, women are an integral part of Hip Hop as ambassadors and historians who are constantly redefining music through sampling and in keeping with the continued cultural dialogue that has come to be known as rapping.
ReplyDeleteIn the article Never Trust a Big Butt and a Smile, Tricia Rose states that “sexism in rap has been gravely exaggerated by the mainstream press (291). The image portrayed by the media of females in hip-hop is one that involves in-your-face sexuality or a woman that deeply embraces her African heritage. In the documentary Say My Name, Estelle is shown talking about how you either have to be African w/ a head wrap or all about sex appeal to make it easily because that is what people want. She then goes on to say that this makes it harder for all the other female rappers, like herself, that are just somewhere in between the two. These women have to have incredible talent to make it, while many men who have less talent would make it easier than any women. Females have to do a lot more to earn respect in the hip-hop industry (Say My Name). Both male and female rappers address many of the same issues including sexual power, economic opportunity, and the pain of racism and sexism. They just take on a different perspective, not only based on gender, but based on unique experiences within and between genders. Some women even challenge the sexism that they face in hip-hop from the males in the industry; they are trying to get women to be seen in a different light in this male-dominated culture (Rose).
ReplyDeleteIn my perspective it is very clear what the gender roles are in hip hop music. It is seen time and time again that the men are the pimps and the women are their hoes. The first female MC that stood out to me that was able to go against this stereotype was Missy Elliot. I remember seeing her “I Can’t Stand the Rain” music video where she was either wearing a trash bag or a fully clothed outfit through the entire video, yet still looked feminine with her make up and nails done. Being fully clothed allows the viewer to focus more on her lyrics and appreciate her as a rap artist rather than her sex appeal. I thought a lot about her as I was watching the film Say My Name. The female rappers wanted to be respected for their lyrics, not their body. It is sad that female MCs usually only make it big if they dress sexy. If they don’t want to dress sexy they need to work extra hard to get noticed and appreciated for their talent.
ReplyDeleteThere are a handful of female MCs that go against the female stereotype that is in hip hop. Queen Latifah’s song “U.N.I.T.Y” is a great example. Part of the lyrics say “Infinity to infinity, you aint a bitch or a hoe,” which gives the female listeners the confidence to also go against the stereotype. On the other hand we have Nicki Minaj that is dressing sexy and giving the industry what it wants. I can’t help but wonder, would Nicki have made it big without dressing sexy?
Society has made stereotypical roles for genders through the years. Men are to be masculine and strong while women are supposed to be feminine and reliant for the male presence for security. Different sides of the hip-hop world can legitimize or delegitimize these roles. Male artists usually present women as sex objects in a lot of the mainstream videos like in Kanye West’s “Golddigger” video. This is a way to empower the male role and solidify the gender role that women are nothing more than objects that men have to spend money on.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop has always challenged institutional values and rules, including gender roles. Women MCs like Queen Latifah has shown that females can be just as talented as men at rapping and in any aspect in life. She reconfigures the notion of the man-dependent black woman into one who is independent of men for her own identity (Morgan 437). Hip-hop can be used as a platform for women to voice their opinions and critique the socially constructed gender roles as seen in Say My Name. Both men and women use hip-hop to empower their gender, in exchange it usually undermines the other gender’s goals leaving hip-hop in a constant power struggle over gender roles.