Music in Popular Culture

Rap and Hip Hop music is usually consumed by teens and young adults. It is thought to be a more urban genre due to its content, which often describes living in poverty, gang activity, violence, drug use, and often also refers to rising above these things and achieving financial power and respect. The energy and power associated with these types of music is very attractive to American youth culture, and the rap industry is thriving and highly influential. This music is opposed by older generations for its offensive content, favorable positioning of violent conflict resolution, and blatant references to sex. African Americans may also oppose this type of music because it paints a very single minded, often derogatory picture of Black culture.

Eric K. Watts, in “An exploration of spectacular consumption: Gangsta rap as cultural commodity,” questioned why rap music is able to be marketed in this country despite its content, which is often deemed inappropriate. He notes that Gangsta rap narratives often discuss African American male identity and their social experience. These narratives talk about living in urban America and making ends meet. The demographic that identifies with this music is primarily urban, black youth. They relate with the references to ’street’ as well as ‘indecent’ behaviors and understand the circumstances which drove their favorite artist to take part in the confrontations, illegal activities, and uplift material possessions. The idea of making ends meet is a desired theme of rap music fans and valued because it shows opportunity for everyone. Wearing similar jewelry and clothing, as well as owning  CD’s from their favorite rapper, makes urban youth feel that they are one step closer to success and power and this group creates a huge market for cultural products of the rap industry. 

Somehow this genre, which most would guess was alienating to a majority of the country, has gained mass appeal. When observed through a critical lens, one starts to notice that the issues discussed in rap narratives often coincide with larger American culture values such as consumerism and the love of material wealth. Young people in any demographic group are able to latch on to the common thread of materialism and rebellion and are then able to relate to rap music and its content. According to Watts, young people “can share in an artist’s attempt to ‘live large’ by replicating and consuming the imagery”.  Those who live a life style similar to that which is referenced in rap music relate to the idea of the rapper being a product of the ’street;’ but White American youth, as well as other demographics, are able to relate to this genre’s general principals, because rap songs have powerful messages that draw a mass audience in.

  Watts refers to a term called spectacular consumption, which he claims leads Americans to “over-value, and sell the ’street’ orientation”. Even though many young people may not live an urban lifestyle, the popularity of this culture causes youth to value it anyway. Rap music has achieved enough popularity and power to be considered ‘cool’ and sell. Watt argues that “hard-core rap artistry participates in a complex and fluid set of economic exchange relations among the lived experiences of artists, the operations of a consumer culture, and the dictates of rap music industry.” He also notes that racially provocative material sells and that black cultural artifacts are currently considered ‘trendy.’ Overall, the mass production of rap and hip hop music and the promotion of its products, coinciding with the values and messages of its artists, lead this genre to be one of the most consumed in American pop culture today.

I will be considering Lady Sovereign and Lil’ Mama’s overall presentation of race in hip-hop and rap music.  This will be done by critiquing their style, musical lyrics, and comparing them to a theory of “discursive practices.”  In the Storey   text, Herman Gray mentions three discursive practices of contemporary television representations of Blackness. These three practices include pluralist, assimilationist, and multiculturalist. 

Keeping in mind the pictures above, these two female hip-hop artists do not seem that different.  The one thing that I find stands out is Lil’ Mama’s use of hats and extra jewelry to portray her more urban roots.  These symbols make connections to African American stereotypes of “ghettoness.”  With this said and their genre of music being hip-hop, these women are still shown wearing a considerable amount of make-up.  Through their clothing and general appearance, they are representations of feminist and critical race theory critique.

 As for their music… Check out their MySpace pages!

***Lil Mama’***

***Lady Sovereign***

This is where the two artists diverge from one other.  The topics that Lady Sovereign and Lil’ Mama rap about are different, not completely, but none the less.  Lady Sovereign talks about her English roots and Lil’ Mama about her ‘hard’ past.  It also seems as if Lady Sovereign is unable to rap about the same things that Lil’ Mama is.  Whenever a White person mentions being from the ‘hood,’ questions and looks normally follow; which illustrates Gray’s discursive practices.

            With the three discursive practices mentioned, I see rap and hip-hop to be multiculuralist, for African Americans.  Multiculturalist is the practice of diversity with an emphasis on mobility and individualism.  Blacks are free to move around, grow, and be themselves, no longer suppressed by the White culture.  In this case, diverse settings are presented and blacks are welcome and more likely to include their own culture and past in these texts.  Blacks live their own lives as Americans, not highlighted as Black Americans.  Rap and hip-hop can be seen as an example of this because it originated in the African American community; the music is their own or a part of their heritage.  Blacks are not constrained by other races when making this music.  Quite ironically, I find that those of the White race are constrained through rap and hip-hop music.  They are unable to speak about the same topics and even criticized if they try to dress and act in the same manner as those in the Black community. When White Americans take on the persona of Black American, whether in the music industry or not, they are often designated as a ‘wigger,’ which is essentially a White person taking on the characteristics of an Black person.  

            When looking at rap and hip-hop through a critical race lens, one is able to see a paradox.  Those of the White race, including Lady Sovereign, are trying to step foot into the African American domain of popular music.  They are trying to achieve status through aligning themselves closely with the characteristics, persona, and dress of Black celebrities. This is not completely cohesive because White Americans did not grow up as African Americans and are unable to refer to those childhood hardships in their lyrics.  Thus, Lil’ Mama is able to portray herself as a strong black woman, who has been through a lot and is ready to take on more.  Whereas, Lady Sovereign portrays her race as more uptight and concerned with her looks, her music also includes deviations to a dance beat, as opposed to a hard rap driven beat.

Rap music values masculinity and dominance. The masculinity expressed in and valued by rap music come from several sources. Antonia Randolph states that masculinity is,  “shaped not only by dominant culture, but by the repression that characterizes society’s treatment of non-normative sexuality and gender.” The tendency of American culture to value heterosexuality and reject sensitive male behavior is highlighted within this type of music. Rap’s lyrics strongly discourage homosexual behavior; but by repressing and rejecting this behavior, this type of music often instigates conversation about alternative life styles. This ties in with the ideas of Foucault (1978) . Such strict boundary policing by this type of music has allowed artists to express non-normative expressions of masculinity as long as they continue to state the obvious values of heteronormativity and powerful male roles. In this way, the genre doesn’t totally alienate people with alternative views of masculinity. These ideas are expressed by Randolph in her article, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful: Black masculinity and alternative embodiment in rap music.”

It seems that black youths tend to assimilate to the rap culture’s definition of Black masculinity if they begin to associate themselves with the artists and their struggles.  Overall, the rap culture seems to be fairly pluralistic in nature. It tends to be Afro-centric and express pride in being African American while rejecting those African Americans that do not identify with the rap culture. This alienates potential fans of this music who are not African American. However, the spectacle of the genre, trendiness of Black culture, and the power and rebellion expressed in the lyrics of many songs gives white youth cause to continue to listen to this music. Often, this genre dispels women, because there is a strong male dominance within this music and often women are seen as objects. In music videos for this genre women are usually props and in the lyrics of these songs women are over sexualized and easily won over by money and gifts.

Overall,  a rich niche group exists that relates to the content of this music, which tends to value African Americans as a group. On the other hand, the genre has experienced great popularity and pull with many young people who may not relate as easily because the culture valued by rap artists and their lyrics has been deemed cool and therefore being a rap fan is cool. Hip Hop still has a great impact on society even though it’s lyrics often contain content that applies more to those who live an urban lifestyle. It is so commonly played on pop radio stations that its influence is widespread and its appeal goes across many races and socioeconomic groups. Because the artists rap about going from having nothing to having money and power these desires in listeners draw them into this type of music.

When you think of jazz and the blues, hip hop is not the immediate genre of music that comes to mind.  But, these musical forms lay the foundation for popular hip hop music today.  The blues and jazz are considered black musical forms, brought to America during the period of slavery.  The music caught attention from all races, and other genres of popular music were born.  Hip-Hop artists often mention jazz and blues singers as being their idols for their careers.  The singers they idolize were brought into this country initially as black bodies to work for white people.  This fact directly relates with the production and distribution of hip-hop music.

“Black musical forms have been ‘the juice’ that has driven American musical expressions, and whites have gotten rich off it” (Kelley).  Hip-Hop music is under direct control of whites, and is also purchased by mostly white adolescents.  You may argue that black artists have their own recording companies and produce their own material.  The truth is, black artists are controlled by white recording companies.  For example, Dr. Dre and Knight created Death Row Records.  But, this recording company would be inexistent if it were not for Interscope.  Interscope was founded by Jimmy Lovine and Ted Fields.  They control the distribution of Hip-Hop music and many other forms.  While, black-owned production companies do make millions of dollars each year, they do not control the key component of the “music-making nexus.”  This key component is distribution.  Death Row records responds to the demands of the major labels for a marketable product.  In turn, these major labels (ie: Interscope) respond to the demands of the audience.  In the case of popular hip-hop music, this audience is young and white, accounting for 66% of listeners of popular hip-hop.

Norman Kelley explains the reasoning behind this situation.  He says, “the war for control of black music was won years ago by corporate America, aided by black leadership that has never understood the cultural and economic significance of its own culture.”  If black leaders had realized their music, jazz & the blues, spawned a $12 million music industry in the US, the hip-hop scene may be completely different.  Instead, the music is controlled by white recording companies.

Kelley discusses the idea of neocolonialism while making this argument.  Neocolonialism refers to products “produced in a raw periphery, sent to the imperial motherland, finished into commodities, and sold in metropolitan centers or colonies.”  This stunts the economic growth of the raw periphery because here there is a lack of ability to engage in manufacturing products for its own need and export.  I’ll explain.  Hip-hop music is typically produced in inner cities (the raw periphery), the music is finished in a recording studio, turned into commodities through the major record labels, and sold to the suburbs.  The inner city where the music was initially produced does not reap the benefits of their production.

These ideas of the production and consumption of hip-hop music relate directly to the critical theory of Political Economy.  Scholar, Bourdieu, claims, “Consumption is predisposed consciously and deliberately or not, to fulfill a social function of legitimizing social difference.”  He is not interested in what the differences are, rather how these differences are used by the dominant class as a means of social production.

Corporate America is the dominant class, and they dominate the production of hip-hop music, even though without the black musical roots of jazz and blues, there would not be a $12 million industry to distribute.

Norman, K. (2002).  The Political Economy of Black Music.  Canada: Akashic Books.

“Since their inception, music videos have evolved as a postmodern, commercially successful, and engaging variety of popular media. Through images and sound, music videos both construct culture, and are an ‘expression of culture’” (Williams, 2003). With this expression of culture, especially in the hip-hop genre, involves the women being used as sex symbols to bring in viewers. For example, for strip clubs and gentlemen clubs, there is usually a picture or figure of a woman to advertise to the public there are women to be seen. This is similar to the music videos produced by most hip-hop artists, the music video not only advertises a certain kind of music but also a lifestyle (Moncrief, 2004). This lifestyle that is sold through hip-hop music videos persuade viewers that women are desirable and are the visual need for most men.

The persuasion of viewers to see women as that sex symbol not only affect the men, but also the women who see these videos as well. “Images women see of themselves on television may adversely affect the way they see themselves and what they can and should aspire to” (Clory, 2001). This impact on women can also be linked to the use of eating disorders that women use to lose weight, but that is for another topic (Smolak & Levine, 1996). Women see these videos and think that they are supposed to let the men control their actions and that they have to dance like a stripper.

Women are used as decorative objects in music videos, this is becoming more apparent as the videos become much more flagrant and advanced. Sherman and Dominick (1986) concluded that, women were more likely to wear revealing clothing than men. Music videos have also portrayed Black females participating in more sexual behavior than other groups (Brown & Campbell, 1986). In a study conducted by Moncrief (2004), data showed that women portrayed in both the rock and country music genres are far less sexualized, proving that hip-hop music videos use women as attractions, or visually appealing objects. “Overall, hip-hop primary and supporting video figures revealed the most body parts” (Moncrief, 2004).

The images and representations approached by Betty Friedan can also be applied. Friedan described her study with images in women magazines during the WWII: “’Why is it never said,’ Friedan observed, ‘that the really crucial function, the really important role that women serve as housewives, is to buy more things for the house’ (p. 206)” (Storey, 2009). Friedan saw the images as what they really meant, not entertainment or visual appeal, she gave a caption to what the images were really meant to say, she gave them a representation. The visual representations that women in hip-hop encompass aid in developing stereotypic constructions of women as sexual objects. Women in hip-hop music videos are expected to show cleavage, dance, shake their butt, and possibly include sexual innuendos like licking their tongues, grabbing their butt or showing skin in places usually unexposed. These images are why the dominant conception of women in hip-hop music videos consists of the terms- ‘hoe,’ ’stripper,’ and sometimes ‘victim.’

The way women express themselves in these music videos are not how younger viewers should be learning to represent themselves. The young women of our world today should be viewing women as independent, strong, and capable of protecting themselves. A great representation of how women should be seen in music videos would be the music video ‘Irreplaceable’ by Beyonce. This video depicts how Beyonce protects herself from a man who cheated on her and also represents her as being a strong, young female empowered to take care of herself. Teaching young women how to carry themselves in a respectful and appropriate manner leads to those women knowing how to protect themselves and having respect for themselves.

 Beyonce’s “Irreplacable” video:

Women in today’s society have made a huge step up from what women went through years ago. Today women hold CEO positions, work in construction, have professions as firefighters and police officers; women have developed a great respect for themselves and have shown that they are more than bakers, cooks, cleaners, maids, chauffeurs, and etc. A view of women that has changed very little has been the view within music videos such as the genre of hip-hop. In these music videos, women are depicted as sexual images, desires and more of a stereotypical image of females.

Several hip-hop music videos portray women as sexual symbols and are of less importance than the men. Women tend to wear more provocative outfits during a music video (Conrad 2009). They are also seen as a victim while the male is seen as the person in charge. There are several different music videos that portray these ideas, for example Nelly-Hot In Herre. This video shows a nightclub with men and women dancing. The video portrays them as hot and sweaty so the entire time and throughout the lyrics the women are being told to and stating that they want to take their clothes off. The women are shown taking their shirts off to reveal different color bras and bikini tops. There is only one time throughout the video that a man takes off his clothes: Nelly is shown taking his shirt off while keeping a white tank on so there is no more skin revealed.

The women in this video are shown as sex symbols. The women are all black, pretty, thin, and know how to dance in a seductive manner. The video is meant to attract men with the women dancing and showing skin. All the males in the video are dancing with the women but at the same time exhibiting a more dominant role. The males are perceived as controlling the actions of the females, male audiences will then begin to objectify women and see the act of rape as acceptable (Arganbright 2007). Arnett (2002) discusses the role of women in music videos: “a typical music video…features one or more men performing while beautiful, scantily clad young women dance and writhe lasciviously. Often the men dance, too, but the women always have fewer clothes on. The women are mostly just props…They appear for a fraction of a second, long enough to shake their butts a couple of times, then the camera moves on” (Arnett 2002). Arnett describes the Nelly music video perfectly. Most of the women are shown for a couple of seconds and then the camera moves on, to the next woman shaking her butt. The main performer is Nelly because he is singing the song and is shown in almost every other scene.

Numerous other portrayals of women exist in the music video realm. The recent videos that have come out are not as demeaning to women, especially those made by female hip-hop artists. The most recent video is “Videophone” by Beyonce, featuring Lady Gaga. In the video, the only men that appear are dressed formally in a suit and tie with camera lens over their heads. The two women present in the video are Beyonce and Lady Gaga. They dance throughout the entire video in a sexual manner while also showing that they control their movements. The video has a nuance of female independence and power. Both Beyonce and Lady Gaga embrace these characteristics. These women are developing a new kind of music video that is not just based on the nightclub scene with the women bouncing their booty all over men. This music video shows how women can depict themselves as sexy while also keeping their respect and dignity.

                                                     http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=100735584

Just a few years ago, the world was introduced to the music sensation that was Eminem.  Not only were people shocked to see a white man attempting to succeed in a genre of music that was generally reserved as a place for African-American success, but people were also appalled by the violent, anti-female content of many of his songs.  However, as Gilbert Rodman outlines in his article “Race…and Other Four Letter Words: Eminem and the Cultural Politics of Authenticity,” the outrage that was directed specifically at Eminem was particularly contentious because what the rapper was seeking to do was essentially blurring the racial lines that exist within popular music.

            As Rodman points out, we typically like to think of types and genres of music along strict racial lines.  Certain types of music are classified as “black” types of music and other types of music are thought to be “white” types of music.  For example, country music is thought to be the domain of white artists, while rap and hip hop is typically believed to be dominated by black music artists.  However, this approach to music neglects to take into account music’s diverse history.  As Rodman states, “[j]azz, for instance, commonly gets pegged as ‘Black music’ despite the fact that early jazz drew heavily on the instrumental structures of European military marching bands.  Similarly, rock has come to be widely understood as ‘White music’ despite the central roles that the blues, R&B, and Black gospel all played in its birth” (Rodman, 2006). 

What got people so up in arms about Eminem was the fact that he was a white man who was actually achieving success in a traditionally black field and challenging our long held beliefs about race.  Eminem was attempting (and somewhat succeeding at) to break down the hegemonic structure of racial politics currently at play, and that made us rather uncomfortable.

            Performing in a musical genre whose racial identity did not match his own also placed Eminem at another decided disadvantage.  It seems as though the general public is much quicker to get upset at offensive lyrics if they come from a rap (and typically black) artist.  For instance, people have no qualms with a song by Eric Clapton that proclaims how “I Shot the Sheriff,” but Ice-T rapping about being a “Cop Killer” is all of a sudden attacked as being a signifier of the downfall of American society as we know it.  For this very reason, many of Eminem’s songs have been critically derided for the messages that they contain.  Not only is Eminem burdened by the fact that his musical performance already causes discomfort on the basis of his breaking free of hegemony, but he is also performing in a music genre that is routinely bombarded by critics, more so than any other.  Despite all of these disadvantages though, Eminem has been able to achieve a good deal of success with his music, but his career is still a prime example of critical race theory at work in today’s culture.

            Although the height of Eminem’s popularity could probably be pinpointed to a few years ago, these racial politics are still very much present in the year 2009.  Granted, the music world is occasionally witness to genre (and consequently, racial) crossovers, such as the recent success of the single “Whatcha Say” by Jason Derulo and Imogen Heap or the highly anticipated single featuring Beyonce and Lady Gaga, but this is still far from the norm.  We are still apt to view musical acts to only be eligible to perform within certain genres depending on the color of their skin.  Perhaps in the future, race will play as big of a role in the music industry, but for now, who would be able to imagine Kanye West singing country music?

Listen here to Jason Derulo’s song with Imogen Heap

Imma Let You Finish….

When considering popular rap artists of our time, it is hard not to consider the infamous but widely popular career of Kanye West.  Although West could be considered to be one of the top music artists of our generation, his career has also been marked by controversy after controversy.  Many would argue that this has only increased his level of fame and caused him to become an even bigger celebrity.  However, at the heart of much of Kanye West’s music is how he has constructed his racial identity throughout his career.  Since he is a black man performing in a musical genre that has traditionally been dominated by black men, he must set himself apart in some way in order to achieve the level of success that he has attained.

Many of the lyrics in Kanye West’s music convey messages that can be viewed through a racial lens. For example, West’s first album, College Dropout, featured messages of discontent with the current educational system as well as critical evaluations of the racial divide currently occurring in America (Daws, 2007).  As has been outlined by previous articles (Rodman, 2006), music artists that fall into the category of either hip-hop or rap face the unique challenge of having to substantiate the identities they portray in their music.  The general public never questions if Eric Clapton really “shot the sheriff,” but rap artists are criticized for the demeaning social value of their music nearly every day.  Thus, Kanye West has to prove that he is truly from the “streets” and worthy of his title as a rap artist.  This is why much of his music and his lyrics focus on his over the top stances on issues like education.  If Kanye West were to take a moderate approach to anything, he would not have achieved the level of fame that he enjoys today.

Even the controversies that have almost become expected of Kanye West could be viewed as sending a racially charged message.  First of all, during a live telethon hosted by a number of celebrities in order to raise money for victims effected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Kanye West famously stated to the camera that “George Bush hates black people.”  While this could have been an opportunity for Kanye West to bring some serious awareness to a potentially serious racial issue going on at the time, very few people actually took his actions seriously.  Another instance of a Kanye outburst was featured during the infamous MTV VMA Awards in September of 2009.  As a result of awards show in previous years, it had become almost expected of Kanye West to express some discontent if he did not approve of some of the night’s winners; however his reaction to these particular awards was like nothing anyone had ever seen.  When Taylor Swift was announced to have won one of night’s first awards, Kanye West promptly ran up on stage, snatched the microphone away from Swift and proclaimed that Beyonce should have won the award instead.  A media frenzy ensued shortly after that night. By utilizing the lens of critical race theory, a person could view this event as an occasion of a black man asserting his dominance over a young (almost a minor), white woman.  Thus, even these supposedly “spur of the moment” actions could be viewed to have a deeper, racial meaning.

Clearly, much of the career of the widely popular music artist, Kanye West, has featured some sort of message being put forth regarding race and racial identity.  Perhaps Kanye is attempting to bring more critical attention to the issue of race in America.  His actions are not easily ignored and thus people are forced to begin talking about these issues whether they like it or not.  However, the real question becomes whether or not the attention that Kanye is bringing to the issue of race is positive or not.  At this point in his career, do the majority of people really take what Kanye West has to say seriously?

The positive representations of females in the hip-hop genre are continually growing, as female hip-hop artists are continually breaking down the barriers between themselves and their male counterparts. In the late 1980s, consumers of popular hip-hop music were destined to see a rap world dominated by masculinity and presenting a conception of female suppression and objectification. While these trends still have a tendency to be presented, the black female hip-hop artist has broken into the male-dominated scene and projected herself as a vision of empowerment and female identity.

While some constructions of female hip-hop artist are highly sexualized and potentially demeaning to the female gender, many other Black hip-hop females have taken it upon themselves to change the conception and stereotype of female rappers. Beginning in the late 1980s and spanning through the 1990s, groups such as Salt-N- Pepa, TLC, Destiny’s Child, Queen Latifah, Da Brat and Lil’ Kim have fallen in the spotlight. They have taken away the reigns from the males and presented an image of feminism that presents the strength of women everywhere, especially women of color.

In Cheryl L. Keyes’s (2000) article, “Empowering Self, Making Choices, Creating Spaces: Black Female Identity via Rap Music Performance,” Keyes’s analyzes the manner in which Black women have contributed to a shift in the male-dominated structure of the rap and hip-hop industry. In addition, Keyes outlines the various roles that female hip-hop artists fulfill in the industry. By establishing these categories, Keyes is able to constructively explain the various roles Black females have taken on in the industry and the dramatic contributions these artists have made in the realm of Feminist theory.

The four categories guide Keyes’s discussion: “Queen Mother,” “Fly Girl,” “Sista with Attitude,” and “Lesbian” lead to a better understanding of how the Black female has been constructed within the rap and hip-hop industry.

Because this article was written in 2000, it lends itself to the use of older examples. However, comparisons can be made to contemporary stars in the hip-hop industry. What links all of these constructions together is that they all give ‘voice’ to the Black female, which was for a long period silenced in culture. Discussions of sex, gender and power were hushed in all dominions of music. But, as male rap and hip-hop emerged, these topics became voraciously splashed in lyrics and music videos. They cut females down, minimizing Black women to ‘hoes’ and ‘bitches,’ who slept around, contracted sexually transmitted diseases, and had children out of wedlock.

Instead of bitterly biting back, many Black female rap artists took to an uplifting of the male and a critique of his harsh constructions of the female. In addition, female rappers infused positive messages into their lyrical content as a way of giving empowerment to women everywhere, and letting females know that they did not deserve belittlement, in any area.

So, in observance of Keyes’s constructions, “Queen Mother” can be understood as those female hip-hop artists who are demanding of respect, because of the way they choose to dress and conduct themselves and also because of what topics they choose to confront in their music. In addition, the “Queens” also take it upon themselves to return to their roots as African Americans and showcase heritage, again in how they present themselves and in the lifestyle that they live. Often, Queen Mothers are the well-respected in the hip-hop community, and present a construction of pride in being a Black female and having African heritage. Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah are the most fitting examples of two modern day hip-hop Queens.

 Keyes’s next construction, “Fly Girl,” highlights the female hip-hop artists who fit the stereotypical mold of wearing tight-fitting clothing, having the ‘right’ hair, and quite simply flaunting sexuality to the masses. The key to understanding the “Fly Girl” construction is that it presents a mindset of independence.  

TLC and Missy Elliot are both accurate representations of artists who dress how they choose. They have combated the established “female” style of dress, for something that makes them unique.  Also, while their lyrical content may be abrasive to some, their message is powerful and empowering to Black women who listen to it.

A present example of Keyes’s “Fly Girl” construction is Rhianna, who dresses how she chooses, but also adorns herself with hot couture fashions, perfect makeup, and sexy hairstyles. Rhianna represents a shift back into masculine objectification, but through her music re-directs the path for females. Especially in her recent debacle with Chris Brown, Rhianna shone as a pristine example of female empowerment and poise. She wanted to role model for Black females and women everywhere that abuse, of any sort, cannot be tolerated. In addition, Rhianna has presented great challenges to listeners with her lyrics. Her meanings are intentional and often thought provoking.

The third construction, “Sista with Attitude,” represents those females of hip-hop who embrace their strength and are not afraid to confront the masculine power in culture. In fact, this construction re-claims the term “bitch” for themselves, as a turn to female empowerment through it. Lil’ Kim and white female rap artist, Lady Sovreign, of England, are pertinent examples of this classification. Basically, these are the rap artists who aren’t willing to take crap from anyone. They know they’re strong and are not afraid to voice it. Additionally, they also know the power that they hold before their audience.

Lastly, Keyes’s presents the “Lesbian” construction.  The overarching importance of this construction is that it presents a dual or even trifecta struggle to be heard in the industry. As observed, it was difficult in general for females to emerge in the hip-hop and rap industry. Second, it was even more difficult for the Black female to find her place. This construction adds a third barrier to entry into the industry- lesbianism. While there have been a few artists to emerge from this construction, the journey has not been easy. Queen Pen, who released a debut album in 1997, battled to have her voice heard. She made claims for those lesbians such as Ellen DeGeneres, who did not experience as many restrictions because of their race. However, in all considerations, the lesbian construction has been a difficult wall to scale. This is tremendously unfortunate, because nuances of the black lesbian culture as so seldom talked about. In fact, lesbianism and homosexuality in the African American race appear to be extremely dispelled.

A modern day rap duo, God-des & She, have experience some of the similar barriers. However, this white duo appeared on the season finale of the L Word and will probably experience a greater expanse of success.

In summary, the realm of female hip-hop seemed to explode in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Messages were posed of Black female strength and identity. There were positive messages being sent out through the airwaves. However, in present day, it appears that the hip-hop industry has once again been reclaimed by the masculine viewpoint. Until the next “Queen” or “Fly-Girl” of hip-hop takes center stage, consumers will have to rely on the older representations of female power they have already been given.

In Nataki H. Goodall’s (1994) article, “Depend on Myself: T.L.C. and the Evolution of Black Female Rap,” Goodall presents the Feminist perspective on the sexuality of rap stars in the media. In particular, Goodall examines how the female rap group, T.L.C., stood up for women’s rights and issues and sang about topics that other artists were afraid to approach.

For far too long, female rappers and hip-hop stars were not taken seriously by their masculine counterparts. In fact, when women first emerged into this genre, they were laughed at. Many of the female pioneers of rap took it upon themselves to be the leading voice for women and cut down walls that were constricting Black females and women everywhere to certain constructions and idealizations. T.L.C. was just one of these groups.

Growing up, I enjoyed listening to the music of T.L.C. However, I never truly realized what messages their songs were reflecting. I especially enjoyed the song, “Waterfalls.” The video was heavily digitized and the song had a really great flow. But after reading Goodall’s article, I gained a new appreciation for the message that was being put forth through the song.

 ”Little precious has a natural obsession
For temptation but he just can’t see
She gives him loving that his body can’t handle
But all he can say is baby it’s good to me
One day he goes and takes a glimpse
In the mirror
But he doesn’t recognize his own face
His health is fading and he doesn’t know why
3 letters took him to his final resting place
Y’all don’t hear me…”

If you closely listen to and analyze these lyrics, it becomes clear that T.L.C. is discussing the ramification of sexual promiscuity and the result of a young male contracting AIDS. This is a powerful message that before may never have been considered worthy of presentation, or could have been considered as too abrasive. However, TLC and other female rap artists of the late 1980s throughout the 1990s brought these controversial ideas heartily to the forefront.

While many of these female rappers still kept their sexuality concealed in their manner of dress, their lyrics spoke otherwise. As noted by Goodall, the predominance of male raps focused on the topic of female sexuality place the females in a position of deceptive allure or manipulation to the male. This leads on to male rappers defining women as “bitches” and “hos.” However, T.L.C. completely turned the tables on this with many of their songs.

Through their lyrical content, T.L.C. freely spoke about a woman’s sexual desires for a man. This amplified a sense of freedom for women to be able to sexually express themselves more openly. In addition, it placed the female in control of the relationship, especially sexually.  Other hip-hop artists such as Missy Elliott have fueled their lyrics with hyper-sexualized commentary.

As a final example, Destiny’s Child can be observed as a hip-hop, R&B group that has given rise to female power and identity. Their entire collection of songs on their junior album Survivor, released in 2001, put power in the hands of the female. Two of the hit songs off the album, “Survivor,” and “Independent Women,” gave control to the female in terms of relationships and placed the female in control of her future. This is a general theme carried throughout the music of Destiny’s Child, who present a Feminist view of reclaiming a “voice” in an industry overpowered by masculine vision.

The following is the video for “Survivor,” which depicts the dynamic trio on a desserted beach, flaunting their sexuality at every move. Additionally, their lyrics depict a true sense of female empowerment: