hiphop3755

[hiphop3755]

I recommend this playlist when viewing blog. 

* I HIGHLY advise to scroll all the way to the bottom and start from there

[hiphop3755]

The End,For Now

Throughout this research we see the various versions and understanding of sexuality of each female rapper spoken about, from Missy Elliot adhering to comfortable and baggy style, Nicki Minaj emphasizing her ass-ets to Meg the Stallion and Cardi B majorly flipping the script on men. Women are and continue to make important moves within hip hop for the forwarding of women empowerment and feminist thought. Rap being a highly respected art form helps the culture reach all corners of the world. Although with that is the transportation of toxic masculinity and sexist ideologies that are rooted in hip hop that cannot be ignored. With the voices of women in hip hop, different outlooks and experiences can change the thoughts and self-image of the masses, which can make a positive lead to equality and fairness for all. Sometimes on the surface hip hop can be a hard place for women but with a closer listening or watching of their content, we are able to understand and advance the hip hop game.

[hiphop3755]

Looking for The Future

I heavily believe that there should be more academic research dedicated on female rappers and their influence on women’s empowerment. I think there is a huge gap with the exploration of female rappers, hip hop and the influence that art form has on society. As we know that sexism, feminism and toxic masculinity all have attributes within hip hop, thus greater research would promote more conversations on such topics and hopes for positive change. Since hip hop is an art form used for promoting voices that are often silent, academic research can help tie in different points of view and discussions. Possibly tying in important concepts of toxic masculinity, female empowerment and feminism in hip hop to broaden the conversation.

[hiphop3755]

WAP Empowerment

With the use of Hip hop feminism, we are able to see that Cardi B and Meg challenge and bring clear attention to the societal double standards on the topic of sexuality and men and women. Both women do not fully destroy sexual scripts but force a role reversal where they are the dominant individuals in the encounters with men. This sexual script reversal is was very uncommon at the time explaining why so many men had an issue with the nature of WAP during its release. Since we live in a heteronormative society when traditional sexual scripts are not followed there is often dispute but such rebellion leads to the empowerment of women and forwarding of equality in the hip hop arena. Gathering we find Meg and Cardi able to use their openness with sexuality as an advantage to push back against the sexual scripts placed upon women by heavily downplaying men and their power evident in the song WAP.

[hiphop3755]

With sexual scripts, we commonly see the gender imbalance of male = dominance and women = submission.

[hiphop3755]

The Lyrics alone in this song provide a great push for the concept of hip-hop feminism. One of the main points within this concept is the advocacy of a pro-sex  framework, that involves “coming up with language to talk about both the pleasure and pain of sex and sexuality outside a singular heteropatriarchal lens while also looking at the nexus of hierarchal structures that shape our sexual selves.”(Durham et al 724) With stereotypes and sexual scripts placed upon often POC women within rap, society uses tactics of control, humiliation and shame to discourage women rappers to speak their truth or their desires.

#stereotypes #pro-sex #poc

[hiphop3755]

With one of MegAN Thee Stallions lyrics humiliating and frightening men: “in the food chain, i’m the one that eat ya”, where she is positioning herself at the top of the food chain over men, in that instant flipping the script on men. Also with Miss Stallion using the lines “If it don’t hang, then he can’t bang”, where she objectifies the male body by stating her standards that are demanding him to nothing more than his genitals, this is what male rappers often do to women.  Through the use of objectifying and demanding men, Cardi B and Megan were able to empower women with their lyrics by putting men down and reversing the common power dynamics

#empower #uno reverse card

[hiphop3755]

The song WAP had been a pivotal point for female rappers within hip hop due to the controversy and important conversation around the empowerment of women. As the song was released on August 7th, 2020 by Cardi B and featuring Megan Thee Stallion, a female rapper pushing the envelope was nothing new, but this song rocked the world.  Many people found this song crude and others find it relatable, focusing on expletive lyrics used by Meg and Cardi to express their enjoyment of their personal sexual experiences.

While on the other hand, this song was able to combat the power men have, by making them uncomfortable with the particle power being stolen and having to face the objectification they often place upon women. In a patriarchal society, it is socially acceptable for men to openly admit that women satisfy their sexual desires. It is aggressively discouraged for women to advocate for themselves and their desires so that they can be gratified by their partners by owning their sexuality.

Cardi B - Boddi, Tommaso. “Fashion Nova Presents: Party With Cardi - Arrivals.” Getty Images , 8 May 2019, www.gettyimages.ca/photos/cardi-b?assettype=image&family=editorial&phrase=cardi%20b&sort=mostpopular.

Megan Thee Stallion - Fury, Rich. “2019 American Music Awards - Arrivals.” Getty Images , 26 Nov. 2019, www.gettyimages.ca/photos/megan-thee-stallion?assettype=image&family=editorial&phrase=megan%20thee%20stallion&sort=mostpopular.

[hiphop3755]

You’re in Control

We can understand that if these sexual scripts are not battled then it can have a negative effect on society and people’s interruption of sexuality.  “When preadolescent females are presented primarily as objects of male desire rather than sexual agents in their own right, the cultural script of women as sexually powerless is perpetuated and ignores their possible experience of desire”(Stephens 63). People often believed that women who express their sexual desires through their words or actions are for the benefit of men, but from recent female rapper, we see that their use of adhering to the freak script they empower themselves for their own freedom and thought. This freedom and thought are not what women had at the beginning of hip hop since the genre and sexual scripts are dominated by men. As of the current day we see would like Nicki using their platform to promote against traditional thought of sexuality and push for women to have the ability to control and choice on who they want to be and portray themselves.

[hiphop3755]

So for black women to be seen as undesirable then having the notion of sheer attention only being sexual is a damaging image that was too often pushed through hip hop. With most women in hip hop being understood by the audience as“The term freak refers to a woman who uses her sexuality on men purely for sexual ends. The term bad girl is used interchangeably with this sexual script, which alludes to women who are looking for attention from men and are often hyper-sexualized” (Stephens 2007). The sexual scripts for women show traits of waiting to be pursued, wanting sex for affection and focusing on how to please a man and never refusing sex.

#racism #sexism #scripts

[hiphop3755]

in order to survive, those of us for whose oppression is as American as apple pie have always had to be watchers. This “watching” generates a dual consciousness in African-American women, one in which Black women become familiar with the language and manners of the oppressor, even sometimes adopting them for some illusion of protection

Black feminist poet Audre Lorde (1984) 

[hiphop3755]

Why Not Show Off

Nicki decided to promote her butt instead of hiding herself, giving herself the power. She is pushing the image of herself that she wants out, not for anyone else but herself, ”Making a case for understanding female big buttocks as a sign of pride and self-assertion rather than abjection, while calling for the de-stigmatization of the negative connotations” (Pääkkölä 365).

In the history of American culture people of colour more specifically black women have had a negative sexual script that often stems from sexist and racist beliefs. Since the beauty standard in America was white European features, they often equated the black features as ugly and undesirable.

[hiphop3755]

Also boosted by the lyrics of the hook being “oh my gosh look at her butt” which is a sample taken from ‘Baby got back’ released by sir -mix a lot,  with the original song speaking to the judgemental white gaze commenting on a girl physique, Now with Nicki’s track that line is used in a parody of the original white gaze and in appreciation of a bigger butt. ( first 30 seconds)

Sir Mix-A-Lot. “Baby Got Back .” Youtube , 1 Mar. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=X53ZSxkQ3Ho.

[hiphop3755]

From the beginning of the video, the sight of a butt was inescapable, which I clearly the purpose, an example being the iconic Nicki twerk scene (1:22) and the girl-on-girl activity (1:01).

Nicki Minaj. “Anaconda.” Youtube , 19 Aug. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDZX4ooRsWs .

[hiphop3755]

Shake it up

Nicki Minaj has been one of the top female rappers within our decade being highly recognized for her ever-changing styles and amazing flow. In the music video ‘Anaconda’ released on August 19th 2014, Nicki Minaj rocked the world with the bold and sexually suggestive visuals throughout the video.

[hiphop3755]

Nicki Minaj slaying the MTV red carpet

Harrison, Frazer. “2017 MTV Video Music Awards - Arrivals.” Getty Images , 27 Aug. 2017, www.gettyimages.ca/photos/nicki-minaj?assettype=image&license=rf&alloweduse=availableforalluses&family=creative&phrase=nicki%20minaj&sort=mostpopular.

#Nicki minaj #mtv #Barb

[hiphop3755]

Cool Like You

Missy Elliot is able to use the same mechanics to work for herself. Instead of adhering to the commonly disrespected sexual script of the freak or bad girl she moves towards a more masculine style to pass through the male-dominated hip-hop world easier.  Even with the increase in sexualization of female rappers during this time Missy Elliott choice to not adhere to it was not in protest of the sexual freedoms of other women in rap but as a push for her own identity. Showing the world that women did not need to be sexy to reach the top of the hip hop game, but their personal choice and just as much as a powerful move if they choose that image.