The article “Hip-Hop Betrayal of Black Women” was written by Jennifer McLune and appeared in Z magazine Online in the July 2006 issue. McLune argues that sexism in hip-hop’s culture is a big part and has helped make the industry what it is today. This article can be divided into 5 different sections. In the first section, she talks about Kevin Powell and how he writes how men talk about women in hip-hop. McLune goes on to say that even wealthy white boys talked about African American women in their songs, yet its okay with society. The second section she gives examples of entertainers that…
In her essay “Hip-Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women” Jennifer McLunes states that “Hip-hop owes its success to the ideology of woman-hating”(222). She states that hip-hop condones an attitude of objectification, sexism, and homophobia. That rarely does an artist break the mold of rampant sexism. While she is right that some lyrics may be interpreted as chauvinistic and perhaps even sexist, this is not majority of the music. McLunes argument is not valid because hip-hop’s artists, the environment it is born from, and its culture is a celebration of materialism not misogyny.…
There is no set “rules” for Hip-Hop, each cultural background and differences can bring their own take on Hip-Hop and at the end of the day, this is the greatest strength Hip-Hop has to offer. Each person’s interpretation on Hip-Hop is what makes it art. This is showed when Schloss states that, “Hip Hops strength lies precisely in the diversity of its concept and practices” (7). Schloss believes that B-Boying has been mainly overlooked in scholarship terms is due to it being so culturally dependant. There is no set rules or theory that holds true to really understand B-Boys or B-Gils culture.…
After I watched “Shut Up and Give Me Your Bone Marrow” I have realized that, Hip hop beyond beats & rhymes provides a fascinating examination of manhood, sexism, and homophobia in hip-hop culture. Director Byron Hurt, former star college quarterback, longtime hip-hop fan, and gender violence prevention educator, conceived the documentary as a loving critique of a number of disturbing trends in the world of rap music. He pays tribute to hip-hop while challenging the rap music industry to take responsibility for glamorizing destructive, deeply conservative stereotypes of manhood. Critically acclaimed for its fearless engagement with issues of race, gender violence, and the corporate exploitation of youth culture.…
In his article, Powell poses poverty as the explanation for the sexism found in hip-hop today. McLune believes that, Powell’s explanations of hip hop are one way to silence those that are critiquing it. McLune begins to explain that Kevin’s argument, “completely ignores the fact that women, too, are raised in this environment of poverty and violence, but have yet to produce the same negative and hateful representation of black men” (McLune 214).…
Mickey Hess looks at the use of multiple identities by rap musicians to obscure the conflicting contradictions between authenticity and marketability. Hip hop, having budded from a culture of oppression against African-Americans, grew as a medium of resistance. Hess cites Tricia Rose’s words, stating that hip hop, in the context of resistance, wages an “ideological warfare with institutions and groups that symbolically, ideologically, and materially oppress African Americans” (pp.298). Therefore, the experience of oppression and life in the projects is central to most rappers’ identities as hip hop artists.…
This article is a response to Kevin Powell’s article “Notes of a Hip Hop Head”. In his article, Kevin states “just as it was unfair to demonize men of color in the 60’s solely as wild-eyed radicals when what they wanted, amidst their fury, was a little freedom and a little power, today it is wrong to categorically dismiss hip-hop without…
Although Morgan addresses the negatives to hip-hop music and rap, she also highlights what she appreciates and admires about it. The things she values in this style of music is that it offers a rare opportunity for black men to voice their despair, and she values the fact that its popularity provides a channel for a strong voice commenting on their communities. Morgan argues that listeners should hear these sexist and angry lyrics as a sign that large-scale changes that are necessary in the opportunities available to black men.…
Manhood in western societies is pre-programmed, pre-packaged and forced-fed to boys from birth to adulthood. Historically the purest example of a real man was the military standard. Military manliness dictates that a man must be strong, both physically and mentally, a man must be unfeeling and must be loyal to their fellow comrades. Military manhood favors the heterosexual man and believes that he should not gay or exhibit feminine behaviors if he is to be considered a real man. Above all else they must protect what is theirs, the bloodier the better. This idolized and ideal expression of masculinity is losing much of its relevance in the ever-changing and evolving modern world but, it will always have a platform in Hip- Hop culture.…
In the essay ”Hip-Hop wars”, Tricia Rose focuses on the debate in hip-hop about sexism and discrimination. Sexism in hip-hop can be divided into two groups. People in the first group use hip-hop’s sexism as a way to strengthen the image that black people are strange and subordinate, and facilitate anti-feminist situations. People in the other group are liberals who like hip-hop, they concern about sexism because hip-hop heavily relies on it. The images that degradation of black women is strongly rooted in white conservatism and black religious. It encourages black women to counter the mainstream culture and find their own values in the society. The essay “R.E.S.P.E.C.T-But Not the Kind Aretha Franklin Had in Mind” implies that the mainstream…
This article, written by Shanara R. Reid, discusses the over-sexualization of women in rap/hip hop songs and music videos, and the possible social causes of this. It has become apparent nowadays that women are heavily degraded in all kinds of media in order to appeal to the male viewing audience. Scantily clad women partaking in provocative dance routines and actions has become a norm of music videos. Machismo ideals that stress the extreme superiority of men over women and encourage the representation of women almost as an item prevail among lyrics. African-American women are especially susceptible to this kind of treatment, and many, including the author of this journal article, believe that more should be done by these women to protect the good name of their own class of people.…
In recent years, controversy in Hip-hop culture has been in the mix of America media. From the hype of the lyrics and the impact that Hip-hop music has on the youth. It seems that political and media groups have been quick to place all of the blame on rap music for the trend in youth violence from the murders and the gang related problems. However, forms of music cannot be understood unless you study the fame of its historical and social context. Hip-hop culture reflects the young, urban, working-class African Americans and uses the voice to express the views of the everyday life and the struggle. Now in the pop culture Hip Hop music popularity has grown, and now commercialization has took place and the culture and the origin is controlled by the music industry.…
With the help of technology hip-hop has become a global movement. This newfound globalization has connected different people by one love of the hip-hop culture. Some ways in which people connect through hip-hop include international organizations and competitions. A prime example is Hip Hop International (HHI), the creators of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. HHI puts on a world competition each year for dance crews to compete for a world title in Las Vegas. While it is a competition, it is also an opportunity for dancers to meet other dancers from other countries. Other ways to people to connect are through the Internet with collaborations on music. An example is the collaboration of Will.i.am and Apl.de.ap (Black Eyed Peas, USA) with CL…
Hip hop is one of the most controversial and beloved genres of music amongst the youth and working class culture of the 20th century (Aldridge et al. 2016). Even though it is popularized as just a form of music, some would argue that it is a lifestyle that transcends borders. It is an art form that has been driven through the social, economic, and cultural realities that individuals face on a daily basis while sampling jazz, rock, blues, and soul to compose a breed of its own (Aldridge et al. 2016, Rice 2003). The imbedded realities within hip hop create a social consciousness that reflect the ideologies of the Civil Rights Movement and serves as a positive outlet that lets the youth express their frustrations while pushing towards a solution…
Hip Hop has gotten too hard core, it’s only about misogynist and materialism. Back in the day rappers had more to talk about than guns, money, jewels, cars and women. In today’s Hip Hop, it glorifies the ghetto, gangs, guns, money and jewelry which reinforces the tradition of the black stereotypes. Gangster rap is described as the angriest type of rap music where it glamorizes sex and violence. N.W.A was one of the most controversial rap groups in the world of hip hop who are known as the creators of “gansta rap”. The group was an influential force in the Hip-Hop culture because of their harsh music which questioned the government and the police. In all Hip-Hop music video you will always see a female flaunting her assets. These women are often called…
