![]() ‘Lyte As A Rock’ album cover Album cover, Lyte as a Rock (1988) What I find is that even though the early female rappers addressed their femininity in different ways, they all appealed to this image of male swagger. I will look at female rappers in the late 19th century to see how they attempted to use/ addressed their gender/sexuality whilst constructing their public image and in their music. The fact that female rappers were females played a significant role in their music just as other rappers were addressing societal issues they addressed many issues related to gender and femininity. I also want to see how these women specifically addressed their gender and sexuality during this period (the 1980s and 1990s) when hip-hop artists were addressing a lot of topical issues in their lyrics. I want to examine female hip-hop artists at this time because as Goodhall stated, the mere presence of female rappers helepd to combat the prevalent sexisim (Goodhall, 84). King would have to say about rappers calling black women bitches and whores? About rappers glorifying thugs and drug dealers and rapists? What kind of role models are those for young children living in the ghetto?” (Philips, 1996).Ĭleary, the context is very significant. Black activist, Delores Tucker, stated, “the pimps in the entertainment industry who distribute gangsta rap are major contributors to the destruction of the African American community,” and “What do you think Dr. Gangsta rap is the sub-genre which is often criticized by the public as it is thought to promote crime, violence, racism, sex addiction, profanity, alcohol and substance abuser, and misogyny (historyofhiphop).Īs discussed in class, the emergence of gangsta rap widened the generational divide between the African American community too. This golden age also saw the emergence and development of Gangsta rap, a style of hip-hop characterized by themes that emphasize the gangster lifestyle. Artists often associated with this period include LL Cool J, Run D.M.C., Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest. Certain social-political themes emerged in the music during this age, such as Afrocentricity, political militancy, racism, and economic inequality to name a few. It is said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation, and influence (Duinker and Martin). Golden Age hip hop is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop during the 1908s and 1990s. It is hard for female rappers not to address their gender/sexuality in their music because of the culture and stereotypes within the hip-hop industry. ![]() Women rappers’ gender and sexuality are of prime importance because of the reasons stated above. Nevertheless, a handful of female rappers have shined through and been able to attain worldwide success. ![]() This misogyny provides another barrier for females to succeed in the hip-hop industry. In her aritcle about the evolution of black female rap, Nataki Goodhall states, “Rap music written and performed by men has generally either ignored the existence of women or defined them as commodities, objects of male pleasure, or ornaments” (Goodhall, 85). ![]() Ever since its start women have been exploited and sexualized by hip-hop artists and they would glorify the objectification of women, not only in their lyrics but also in the music videos. Additionally, hip hop music tends to be misogynistic. Authenticity in hip-hop has been intrinsically tied to masculinity, hence it is less likely for society to accept female rappers, doing the job of a man. It is thought to be aggressive, masculine and manly. Because of this male domination, many have come to see hip-hop as being a genre exclusively for men. Hip-hop to this day is a male-dominated industry, it’s hard for female rappers to rise, and if so, become extremely successful.
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