The topic I would like to discuss is the portrayal of women in the Hip Hop industry. I believe the way women have been portrayed has evolved over time. This is interesting to me because in the past women used to be viewed as props, sex toys, and barbies. As you would see women dancing in rap videos or rapping themselves. For example, performers like Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, Nicki Minaj, Da Brat, Young Ma, Queen Latifa, etc. They are all female Hip Hop icons. I believe discussing the history of women in Hip Hop is important because it shows how far women came generationally today.
Mass media often portray women in various sexualised demeanours or as sexual objects of pleasure. The sexualization of women in the Hip – Hop industry is used to attract people’s attention. The portrayal of women in hip hop music lyrics and videos tend to be violent, degrading, and oversexualised. Videos often portray female bodies and depict women as being the object of male pleasure.
I believe this issue is already currently being resolved. More men are listening to women in the music industry. For instance, The City Girls is very popular. They made a hit song in 2018 called “season”. Which was heard from all over the world. Another example of a popular you will hear is Cardi B “Bodak Yellow”. These women are creating a higher pedestal for women in Hip Hop. Showing that women are not just sexual props. But can be leaders in the industry as well. There are more new female music artists now than before.
The portrayal of women in Hip Hop has changed dramatically. As more time and decades go by, I believe that the women in the industry will keep evolving. Men aren’t looking females as just props anymore but musicians. But it wasn’t until the third wave of feminism during the mid 90s that we really saw a reformation of sexuality in hip-hop. At that point, the feminist movement had de-mystified and un-tabooed notions of women’s sexuality within the academic sphere. Now, with the help of female music artists, women’s sexual liberation was becoming more than just a literal conversation at the table. It was ranking high on Billboard charts, selling out in record stores, and playing at local clubs. Female MC’s were using hip-hop as a medium and their music as a platform to send strong messages about femininity, sexuality, gender representation, and self-worth louder and clearer than a lot of activists could.
Do you think women in the Hip Hop industry are still being degraded? Do you think the image of women in the Hip Hop industry has changed for the better or worse? Are there any female artists that are leading the industry in the right direction? Please let me know what you think.