HIPHOP Feminism

Question 1

What is hiphop feminism?

Answer 1

Fly Girls, Bitches and Hoes: Notes of a Hip-Hop Feminist, Joan Morgan (1995)

• Argues for a functional feminism, not simply calling out the sexism in hiphop, because this doesn’t address the root of the issue.
• ‘Black-on-black’ love being lost. Entrenched in important history, having survived slavery, segregation etc.
• Condemns 2nd wave 90s feminism that fails to acknowledge black women

Question 2

give details of Morgan’s argument

Answer 2

• Examples of machismo/sexism etc in hip-hop demonstrated in Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Notorious B.I.G
• Problem is within community – can only be solved from inside
• Machismo in hip hop is depression masquerading as machismo – hip hop is the only way in which young black men can express their pain at all
• Racism and white power conditioned black men to believe the enemy is among their own
• Women also engaging in self-oppressive behaviours

Question 3

Give 2 examples of issues in hiphop, one old, one recent

Answer 3

Notorious B.I.G: Album, Ready to Die – chronicles the life of the urban ‘soldier’ – chronicles his life, durg abuse, jail, murder etc – album full of guilt, regret and ends with suicide (even though at first seems like he doesn’t have any cares). Wall of machismo/sexism as mask for black men to express their pain.

Anaconda: samples Sir Mix-A-Lot’s ‘Baby Got Back’ but by reversing the narrative of sexuality where women’s bodies are only worthy of appreciation by pleasing men – video pictures Nicki Minaj and all female dancers twerking in a rainforest. Sonic elements like snare sounds on drum track you might call ‘slap’.

Question 4

How does Lizzo reclaim the narrative?

Answer 4

Tempo: reclaim power and reappropriate misognystic language of hip-hop: refers to herself and women as ‘bitches’ and ‘hoes’ and terms of empowerment.

Audre Lorde: incorporating not just black women into feminist discussion, but also homosexuality, gender, class and age: all without which ‘the feminist discussion is weakened’. Intersectionality. E.g. Lizzo Better in Color ‘bitch don’t label me…you and you and you can be my lover’ as well as ‘black white ebony all sound good to me’.

Question 5

Describe the progression of hiphop feminism

Answer 5

So hip-hop feminism progression – to now where a female hip-hop artist has the central platform to reclaim and reverse narrative without putting down the entrenched black history – reclaiming it instead.