Discussion Post

There are plenty of problems in the hip-hop industry that gain little to no attention including misogyny. Although many may be against these hip hop related problems, there is a lack of understanding as to why misogyny is an issue in the first place. The perception is that people are to timid to stand up and fight for what’s right. Not only is misogyny in hip hop but it is normally in everything that surrounds you (i.e. rock, rap, country, and even techno). Thankfully, not all rap songs are misogynistic and all male artists do not speak and think this way, but there is a large percentage within hip-hop culture that do. The name calling, disrespecting, degrading, and discrediting of women have become the norm. A question that still remains is what effect does or will misogyny in hip-hop have on young listeners? Eventually, the effects of misogyny in hip hop will be drastic. First, misogyny will promote and emphasize cosmetic enhancement which will cause self-hatred. Secondly it supports the demeaning idea that men are greater than women. Finally there is a potential that misogyny will escalate to where it is easy for anyone to have disrespect towards black women in general.


The hip hop misogyny is not one sided. The females of hip hop have played their role in supporting the degrading and shame. The image they presented by the older female emcees actually left something to a man’s imagination instead of just putting it all out on Front Street, like the newspaper, like most of the female emcees nowadays. Lil' Kim, a well-known female hip-hop artist, for instance, gained significant notoriety by flaunting her sexuality and using it as a means of control to generate controversy. For example, when she dropped the artwork for her debut album, Hardcore, with her legs spread, leaving nothing to the imagination, she took the conversation about sex to a new level. She represented the other side of the spectrum. Her skimpily clad body and braggadocios lyrics about cunnilingus and stripteases were a legendary middle finger to the former view of women in this so called man’s world, and they completely disturbed the ultra-sensitive concept of the over-sexualized female. These actions are a female’s acceptance and portrayal of what the male hip hop artist are singing about. Support of the misogynistic view can be perceived as misogyny.

Nicki Minaj, another famous hip-hop female artist is now following in the footsteps of Lil’ Kim but with bigger walking shoes resulting in heightening controversy than already set forth.  Her mixes are expected to spit the same exact hypersexual lyrics that are just as misogynistic as any other male emcees that gladly invite her into the playing field of their degrading lyrics. Nicki Minaj is simply a part of the manhood for better or worse so she’s expected to put on exactly the same type of performances that promote some of the misogynistic lyrics she produces. Nicki Minaj appeared to enjoy producing a photo with a similar spread leg pose as Lil Kim’s indecent album cover with the addition of a lollipop in her right hand; to give the perception of innocent? Not!  What is brought to light is that Nicki is attacking herself; maybe she realizes this and does not care or maybe she just does not realize it. However, the mainstream commercial recognition she’s already achieved with her over-the-top, multiple-personality, plasticized, black Barbie persona should really make viewers think twice of what she is actually advertising to the younger generation. These types of female actions by the referenced female emcees could be interpreted as a self-consuming nature of this gendered violence all around.  Could that be considered a form of misogyny, as well?  The message of misogyny is the same whether it comes from the male degrading women or the women doing it their selves to sell a record and it still shows that young listeners can gain self-hatred by following in the footsteps of the females that were given as examples.

There is a perception that hip hop has taking a strong lead in the communication of misogynistic messages. Their targeted audience is millions of multiple generations supported in the sales of their recording. As these listeners support their hip hop they are being exposed to ideas of misogyny that can negatively impact self-esteem and relationships between the opposite sex; how they will relate to each other in all aspects of life. For women of color, misogyny is two-fold, playing on stereotypes of both gender and race. Scholar Jelani Cobb blames sexist music videos for taking “a view of women of color that’s not radically different from the views of 19th-century white slaveholders” (Cobb 1).  Positive images of a strong black woman through the hip-hop lens are becoming dimmer and dimmer year by year. Little girls everywhere have Hollywood dreams, Barbie is not real, and things are not what they seem. Fake nose, fake breasts, plastic everywhere, fake hair and fake nails, why is it that women have a desire to be less or more than what they are – unrealistic? Fake blue eyes and the dreams of having long blond hair all seem to be the new lifestyle similar to the models and dances or the hip hop videos and the artist they are trying to emulate In Pine Hall at the University of Pembroke all 5 of the black girls in the Career development program have experimented with fake hair, nails, or contacts. Instead of the positive images the emergence of the negative stereotype of black women as promiscuous and oversexed appears more popular. At least, you would think so with the prevalence of that stereotype in videos and movies.

With the growing negativity on display many of the black females started to look at themselves as society views them, and some accepted that they had no control over their own bodies which can produce self-hate due to misogyny. The opposite should be true. Woman should love themselves or nobody else will truly love or even respect them or get a chance to understand who they genuinely are – their true value. So when the comment “Act like a lady and I will treat you like one” comes across that young lady will know how to response. Amanda Anderson, the author of an article entitled “Sexism in Hip Hop: Why must female emcees be philosophical, but mal emcees don’t?”  Anderson explains “that the old school emcees that stood for something and knew the true definition of a strong black woman seemed to have died in the hip hop generation” (Anderson 2). To now it is where the female emcees are breaking the mold that was created to stand out and starting to reform into the well-known woman, who shakes her assets, and exchanges the super hero cape for miniskirts, thongs and more cleavage, and dirty lyrics. With all of the change the current female emcees where questioned. Are they truly considered role models and are they contributing to the black community?

Secondly, In addition to community impact based on individual self-esteem breakdown, the relationships between men and women are negatively impacted by the hip hop messages. The idea that men are greater and powerful than women is kept alive by artist promoting misogyny in the many things that they produce  that also include a underlying hatred of women, depending on the interpretation of the listener. . An example would include Jay-Z’s  “Big Pimpin” song and video where he pours the champagne on the women giving the impression that woman are beneath him and that he has the most power. Chris Brown, a hip-hop artist, illustrated his agreement with misogyny when he and his pop artist girlfriend Rihanna had an altercation that left her with bruises and scars showing abuse.  His actions during the initial altercation and follow-up activity of distaste (temper tantrum during Good Morning America March,2011 interview with Robin Roberts) and Rihanna's acceptance proved that even strong, empowered, classy, and beautiful woman can be treated in a degrading manner. The situation and the circumstances are indication that woman do not get the same amount of respect as men. Emulating their artist of choice, some young ladies in the general society began to believe that they are supposed to be treated the same abusive way based on the fact that the females they admire still choose to perform and be in the videos portraying those negative actions regardless of the treatment. Many hip-hop videos embrace this view as women are portrayed as abused, barely clothed, abundant, replaceable, and vulnerable. According to the United States domestic violence statistics a women is abused are beaten every 9 seconds (USdomesticviolence.com).

 Men in relationships, without weapons, not having sex as often as possible, and not down to do something that may jeopardize his future in the name of friendship are all seen as weak male characteristics in hip hop.  That seems to explain why even though most artists are married, media rumors will give countless stories about their romantic encounters with other women and barely mention of their wives. Guns and weapons aren't just for protection, but they are carried to portray their image of a man. Friendship is now linked to doing anything asked of you with no questions asked like being in a gang as opposed to doing what you can when you can. According to the National Gang Center statistics gang numbers increased markedly from 2001- 2005 and have continued a constant increase since then (nationagangcenter.gov). The more community accepted role for a man as provider and protector of their family, is hard to find in the hip-hop industry, because of several misguided roles that we need to examine including misogyny. Will most women only engage in a relationship with a man that fits certain criteria in terms of masculinity?  In the common debate of good guy/bad guy women responses are not always what they seem. Although most women will say they want the good guy, often times they will end up with the bad guy. There are very few men in hip hop that are willing to lean-to some of these images of being a player, or gangsta instead of just being a strong male figure that understands and have people relate to the actually struggles that life has to offer. Trylates, the writer of Why Children need fathers:, discusses some of these rationales as possibilities for why many children are growing up in todays’ family without fathers and the impact on society (n.d.).  Child abuse and neglect staff (Rosenburg and Wilcox) concur that good fathers are absent from the home. With 75% of our children in the United States growing up in fatherless home there is a high potential that their role models and development of expectations for the father and manhood would be in the mainstream populations. Hip hop Lyrics produced could have a different meaning one day causing chaos when that little girl the male refers to as princess (their own daughter or relative) is being considered.

 

Lastly, misogyny has escalated to where it is easy for anyone to have disrespect towards black women in general. Considering the Don Imus “nappy headed hoes” comment one would assume yes. Don Imus is an American radio talk show host and writer, best known for his sarcasm, wit and often harsh language. Imus comment “nappy headed hoes” referred to the 2007 championship women’s Rutgers basketball team, which, “comprised of eight African-American and two white players”(Springer 2). In a time where they should have been celebrating and overjoyed they were presented with a “nappy headed hoes” remark by Imus who was able to wipe away smiles and jubilation and replace it with a distaste of misogyny and racism.  This makes his statement rather untrue regardless of how one may look at it. According to mainstream media the comment was dubbed as a racist remark. In reference to Urban Dictionary it is really used as a more general term to describe “broke-down bitches of all races”. Misunderstanding that by using the term "nappy headed" Imus was merely making reference to the player’s messy appearance not their  black heritage and that with the word "ho" he was simple making reference to them as women and not prostitutes. 

All in all the comment can be taken both ways considering that Imus does not know the lifestyle of each girl or where they happen to have been raised. The women of the basketball team could just have been likely honor roll students who participated in multiple organizations while keeping a steady head to balance everything and continue to play ball. Even though, Imus’s remark may never be accepted if one was to look at how many times have male emcees used misogynistic words such as: bitch, hoe, whore, trick, jump off, slut, and skeezer to refer to a women or black women in general instead of using sister or queen? Also take into consideration how many times male emcees have beaten down women not only literally but figuratively one may understand why Don Imus felt it ok to refer to the as “nappy headed hoes”. This event shows that misogyny in hip hop makes it a little easier for anyone and everyone to show or have disrespect towards black women overall since all that has to be done to clarify any comment is to mention back to the lyrics produced in hip-hop.