Monday 9 April 2012

FEATURE: Women and Rap Music

I am a writer and recently had to write a feature for an assignment. I wrote it on the representation of women in rap music and you can read the article below.

I personally love rap music and don't really think too much of the way women are spoken about in rap because I'm just used to hearing it now. Since doing the research and writing the feature though, I am noticing it a lil more. Anyway, have a read and feel free to leave comments, I'd like to hear your opinions on the subject!

WOMEN & RAP MUSIC: WILL IT EVER CHANGE?
“Now every day is a hoe-ly day, so stop the violence and put the 4-4 away, skeet shoot a hoe today.”
It’s a sentence sure to send chills down the spine of anyone who hears it, but this is the reality of rap music today. Bitches, hoes, sluts and strippers are the topic of discussion and these words frequently litter the lyrics of our favourite rap stars’ biggest hit singles. Shockingly, some of the men who regularly broadcast these somewhat hostile attitudes towards women in their music are respectful and gentlemanly outside of the studio, and interestingly, a vast majority are married with children. There is money to be made as a successful rapper in the US, and the phenomenon has travelled to the UK in recent years, with aspiring UK rappers drawing inspiration from the American superstars of Hip-Hop. Unfortunately, some of that inspiration comes in the form of the negative slurs used against women in their lyrics, which worryingly suggests that this is a part of rap culture that cannot be changed. So where do these attitudes towards females come from and does an infective beat take away the reality, and offensiveness of what these men are promoting?


World renowned US rap artists such as Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Nas and Eminem to name a few, have acquired millions of dollars through platinum album sales, sell out tours and Billboard smash hits. Charismatic New Orleans native Lil Wayne, 29, is rumoured to be worth a staggering 95 million US dollars (approximately 59 million pounds) while rap veteran Jay Z, 42, is allegedly worth around a mind blowing 450 million dollars (283 million pounds). These riches are a result of obvious popularity, amongst both men and women, but both superstars are guilty of cashing in on catchy tunes laden with shockingly sexist lyrics such as: “And if that bitch is crazy/ believe I will sue her/ got some hungry ass lawyers/ that would eat her up and chew her” taken from Lil Wayne’s single entitled Ask Dem Hoes. Said in conversation, this would presumably be highly offensive to whoever he is speaking about, considering that in the previous verse he speaks about having sex with the woman: “Ya bitch love me/ we don’t even have to meet/ but if I run into her/ believe me I will do her”, but judging by the weight of Lil Wayne’s pockets, it seems to be that this way of speaking about women has become accepted and sadly, expected in rap culture.
“It’s become more accepted for women to be seen as sexualized creatures, to the point where the women themselves no longer classifies it as derogatory to be called bitches by men,” says psychology graduate Amber-Jessie Amayo, who has spent time studying the minds of these men to find the root of these hostile attitudes. “As women, we don’t fight back and say ‘don’t call us that’ or actually make a proper effort to unite and refuse to participate in their rap videos. It will never change because it has become accepted; the average woman wouldn’t bat an eyelid at that type of statement anymore. So basically it’s just because they’re allowed to get away it.”
So we can identify the social factors that contribute the representation of females in the rap industry, and if all women came together to protest against these representations the result could be profound. However, it seems that women have become desensitized to the misogynist slurs often found in rap music, making it unlikely to find a large enough number of women willing to protest with a lasting effect. What’s worse is that it seems there is a deeper reason these rappers speak about women in such a way, so alarming that it could leave us questioning the true state of relations between men and women in this world today.
“The more derogatory you are to women the more respect you seem to attain as rapper,” continues Amayo. A recent example that mirrors the concept of this statement is the criticism that Canadian rap star Drake receives for being ‘soft’ and a ‘p***y’. This is said to be because of the sensitive, truthful anecdotes that he turns into raps about women he has come across. Despite this, even he very occasionally uses misogynist terms and theories in his music, often talking about his experiences with strippers, ‘hoes’ and ‘bitches’. However, the platinum selling rapper has also said that his biggest turn on is a woman that can recite his lyrics, and that he loves women and enjoys making songs for them. Drake’s large female fan base also backs Amayo’s theory that women are no longer fazed by sexist slurs in rap music.
“It’s an inferiority complex, it’s the fact that they [male rappers] need to feel power over females, and be the more dominant sex,” says Amayo. “Therefore, they use those words to keep women inferior, and the more women accept it, the longer they will stay inferior and continue to be sexualized.”
UK female lyricist Naomi Francis, who goes by the stage name of Trumpetstar Nay or T Star Nay, agrees that there is a certain power struggle between male and females that is contributing to the hostile attitudes portrayed in rap music.
“A lot of people think that women in rap is not a good look, they think we should be in the kitchen,” says Francis, 19. “I think it’s just the pressure of the fact that there are a lot of female lyricists out there who are better than guys so it’s a pride thing. [The men] know that they’re not as great so they need to shut it down somehow.”
Across the Atlantic, it is becoming clear that as UK rappers strive to match the heavyweight bank balances of our favourite US rap artists, the sexist attitudes and representations of women are slowly matching that of US rap music too. UK rapper Dwayne Agymang, who goes by the stage name of Agy D admits he is guilty of using slurs against women in his music, but is unapologetic.

“I think it’s just the way people speak and the way you are brought up,” says Agymang, 20. “I personally do it under the influence of those that I listen to.” The aspiring young rapper from Battersea lists his musical inspirations as Jay-Z, Kanye West and Eminem, and finds their music relatable to his own. “I think that the way women are portrayed in rap is acceptable because there are certain women who are bitches. I’m sorry, but there really are.”

Although many young rappers in the UK are using the slurs, Agy D notes that there are a select few rappers that don’t use the terms, such as UK rapper Tinie Tempah, who was an underground hit before his mainstream success, due to a song he rapped on entitled Wifey Riddim, a sensitively written tribute to his girlfriend. Ironically, the idea of the megastar who was once relatively unknown and is now said to be sitting on a £900,000 fortune, releasing such a song and having the same reception to it in this day and age is laughable, although Tinie has maintained his gentlemanly attitude towards women in his music despite being incredibly successful not only in the UK but also in the US. The case of Tinie Tempah, who was recently described as ‘the perfect gentleman’ by Big Brother glamour model Georgia Salpa, proves that men can rap without promoting sexist attitudes and still be just as popular, so why is it seemingly so much easier to take the route of being hostile?
Rapper Agy D maintains a more black and white viewpoint on the whole issue: “its music and it’s true. It’s not just me that says it. Whether you listen to rappers from the UK or the US, they are all talking about women like that. It’s not to disrespect them or anything, that’s just how it is.”

“Sex sells. The media is very sexualised these days because sex makes things popular and people pay attention to sex,” says Amayo. “In rap videos you see women dancing in next to nothing clothes, and that’s what attracts your attention. If it was just a big batch of men rapping it would be boring. The use of women attracts a variety of audiences that will want to watch their videos. If you took away the slurs, it would be a good thing for women, but I don’t think rap would be as popular. I think that people would be less inclined to watch things or listen to things because that type of talk is ’hard’ and what their fans aspire to achieve, and the more derogatory you are to women, the more respect you seem to attain as rapper.”
Attitudes towards women in the rap industry have been a topic of conversation for years, with many notable female rappers in the US but considerably much less in the UK. Like the men, US female rappers are also making more money than the UK female rappers, again leaving the UK artists striving to be like their wealthy US counterparts. US rap sensation Nicki Minaj is now said to be worth 14 million dollars (8 million pounds), five years after the release of her first mix tape back in 2007. Her debut album went platinum within a month and she became the first artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at once. She is one of four women, and the only one that raps, signed to Lil Wayne’s 14 man strong record label, Young Money Entertainment. Missy Elliot, once dubbed the ‘Queen of Hip Hop’ is one of the most successful female rappers in history and has a jaw dropping net worth of around 250 million dollars (157 million pounds).
In stark contrast, the most notable UK rapper is possibly Lady Sovereign, who came under much criticism for being ‘a girl, British and white’. Opinions over Lady Sovereign have also been greatly divided in the UK, with some embracing the starlet and some expressing a strong dislike for her. T Star Nay, who got to the semi-finals of the Open Mic UK competition and has opened shows for the likes of UK heavyweights like Tinie Tempah and Bashy explains the pressures of being a British female in the rap industry.
“There’s a lot of female rappers at the moment, who try and come across like guys in their lyrics, like fierce and aggressive because obviously that sells to men and will get their respect,” says T Star, who also plays the trumpet. “I guess a lot of girls try and go down that route because otherwise they are criticized for looking like Nicki Minaj if they try and sell sex but then again this is what sells music.” The aspiring rapper from South East London does not personally use slurs against women in her music, and rather tellingly lists UK female rappers such as Lady Sovereign and Shystie as her inspirations, with the exception of Missy Elliot, the only US rapper she lists. “I choose to rap about topical content, I’ve written a song about slavery. I write about the grind of the music scene, from a female’s perspective,” she explains. Rap sensation Nicki Minaj, who recently released a song called Stupid Hoe, on the other hand, is guilty of regularly using slurs against women in her music, often calling them bitches, and making references to ‘nappy-headed hoes’ and whores. Minaj also talks about herself in an overtly sexualized way and refers to herself as a ‘bad bitch and a c***’. If a woman is sending out these messages to people, is there any chance of the men stopping? And will we begin to see up and coming UK female rappers doing the same in order to make it big?
“There’s a lot of hype around rap music, just because of how people behave when they hear the songs. People call Immortal Technique a rap genius because his lyrics are pure, he doesn’t need any of those negative images,” says T Star. “With times of today and how much influence image has, and how much hype there is about girls and guys, I don’t think rap music would be as successful (without the slurs), especially for a female breaking through. You have to look a certain way or there’s no market for you really.”
With such large barriers between men and women to break down, we have to wonder if rap music will ever fully accept females. Will they always be the subject matter, simply the objects that are used for sexual gratification by men as so many rappers would have us believe in their songs? Or is it possible to eliminate sexism in rap? Unfortunately, it seems to be that sexism has become a part of rap. In the rap industry where the vast majority of rappers are male, the sometimes harsh words could be seen as a reflection of the true relationships between men and women. Rap artists cover all kinds of topics, and need to be extra careful not to upset their ‘hard’ ‘gangster’ images that many men aspire to possess themselves. It is common to see women pouring their hearts out in ballads, but in the rap industry, any talk of feelings comes with an extra-large serving of bravado. It seems that this is the best way to convey their feelings about women and maintain respect in the industry. Worryingly, in many cases art is imitating life, and women are complaining of men who don’t communicate their feelings properly in relationships. These artists are role models for many men of all ages, who respect and look up to these men so much that they will sometimes imitate their actions and apply the mind-sets that they project through song in their own lives. So, we’ve uncovered the deeper issues that lie in the heart of rap music, including male and female relations. Only time and the natural development of rap music will tell us if there is enough room for both men and women in the rap industry. The young and aspiring rap stars of the UK seem to be following the trend of slurs against women in their music, but some of the bigger British stars like Tinie Tempah and Tinchy Stryder continue to remain respectful despite acquiring international success. However, both of these artists have both chosen to leave their underground British rap roots, known as Grime, for a more commercial type of rap. Rappers that have stuck to the more traditional British rapping style, Grime, remain guilty of using sexist slurs in their music, and as the demand for hot new urban acts is growing, so is the trend of sexism in rap as it makes its way to England and shows no signs of leaving the rap industry with an equal representation of men and women.

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