By Kayla Williams 

Staff Writer - The Boom Bap Hour Uncut

 

Modern Feminism in Hip Hop 

“I really cannot wrap my head around the fact it's 

Taken me this long to finally realize I'm fantastic 

I used to write my little raps 

They'd always look right past it 

Like it's average” 

Mexican- American rapper Snow Tha Product rapped these lyrics (from the song Bilingue) last year. These lyrics voice her frustrations of being a woman in the hip hop industry. She feels as if she is overlooked by big players in the field because she is female, even though she has delivered great lyrics, performances, and deserves to be taken seriously as an artist. 

Unfortunately hip hop and the music industry are still riddled with sexism. In spite of this, women are persevering and paving the way for others as they have been succeeding in the genre of hip hop as of late.  Last year’s charts reflected the highest total number of female hip hop artists making their mark on the Billboard Hot 100 during this decade. Saweetie, Iggy Azalea, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Lizzo and City Girls all had songs topping the charts last year. On top of this, Lizzo also impressively became the sixth woman rapper to ever hit the No. 1 slot, and the first to do so in two years. Her single “Truth Hurts” officially became the longest-reigning Number 1 single performed by a female rapper without any features in the chart’s history (Orcutt). 

Not only is there a place for women in the industry as successful hip hop artists; women have also begun to show their sexuality in a positive light and use it to empower themselves as well as other women. A new wave of feminism has emerged through modern day hip hop artists’ music and images. These women have used their social media platforms to educate young women and speak about important issues like colorism, sexism, politics, and above all to stand together. They have also shown women as sexy, powerful, and desirable through their music videos and lyrics. Take for example, Texas rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who was the first female to be signed to 300 Entertainment’s record label. Megan Thee Stallion is known for her confidence, sensuality, and explicit lyrics. She presents this throughout her lyrics, videos, and live performances. In an interview with Pitchfork she stated, "It's not just about being sexy, it's about confidence and me being confident in my sexuality." 

A large part of Megan’s appeal is that in her music, she raps as a dominant alpha male. Her song, Cash Sh*t , emphasizes her  position of power in a relationship with a man. She raps that to be romantically involved with her, a man has to understand that she is in charge. Lyrics like, “Yeah, that's my dawg, he gon' sit down and listen. Call him a trick and he don't get offended”, portray her as a female pimp.  This goes against the status quo of the typical gender dynamic in hip hop. Often male hip hop artists depict themselves as pimps in their songs or compare their lifestyle to that of a pimp (since pimps are seen as successful, powerful figures). The pimp is often used as a metaphor in rap lyrics, however female rappers like Megan are flipping the script and putting themselves in the position of power. In Cash Sh*t Megan raps, 

“He know he giving his money to Megan 

He know it's very expensive to date me 

Told him go put my name on that account 

Because when I need money, I ain't tryna, hold up,” 

Megan has also been very vocal about her journey through college (which she is currently enrolled in) and has encouraged her listeners (who are in college), to do well during the school semester. Megan Thee Stallion studies health administration and is also becoming involved in her community by helping to foster better assisted-living facilities in her hometown of Houston, Texas. She popularized the phrase “Hot Girl Summer” and then wished her fans a “Hot Girl Semester”, promoting the idea that women can be sexy and have fun while partying in college, but can also be focused and successful in furthering their education.  

In the past women who danced in hip hop videos were looked down upon and referred to as “video hoes”, but this viewpoint reflects negatively on strippers, who they are often compared to.  Many do not understand or realize that some women dancers and artists in hip hop perpetuate this stereotype and present themselves this way purposefully. Some enjoy flaunting their sensuality and actually use it to promote feminism as well as for their own financial gain. More female artists who once performed as strippers are coming into fame and shedding light on their pasts. Record breaking rapper, Cardi B has spoken about her past experiences as a stripper and is not ashamed of her previous career. She has embraced her sexuality and referenced her past in music videos, lyrics, and live performances.  

Cardi has advocated for exotic dancers and strippers, stating in an interview with Cosmo that she is honest about her past to ensure that people remember where she came from and to hopefully get them to respect her and her past experiences. She also urges people of all genders, to understand that women who strip need to be respected. Cardi points out that just because she was once a stripper, that doesn't mean that she is uneducated. She had gone to college, but did not complete her degree.  She still has strong opinions about important topics such as police brutality, politics, and the Me Too movement, and these opinions should not be ignored or trivialized because of society’s view on overly sexual women. Cardi’s openness about her past brings up the discussion about sex workers, and the stigma that surrounds sex work as a whole. Women who participate in this trade are immediately looked down upon; their feelings are invalidated, their intelligence is questioned, and their voices are silenced. 

In addition to breaking stereotypes, we have also started to see an influx of positivity and inspiration amongst female rappers. There have been many posts and positive comments made by women about other women in the industry. In July, Cardi B took to social media to shout out Rapsody, Tierra Whack, Kamaiyah, and Chika as a few lyrical rappers who deserve more recognition in the game. Rihanna tweeted last year that she would love to collaborate with Lizzo and called her “so bad*ss”.  This is an indication of how more female hip hop artists are coming together to collaborate as well. In August of last year Megan thee Stallion and Nicki Manji released Hot Girl Summer, and a few months prior, Cardi B and City Girls teamed up for Twerk. 

There is definitely still room for improvement from male artists, who should be encouraging their female counterparts. Although men rap about sex, their status, and their riches; they criticize women when they do the same thing. A prime example of this is when hip hop producer Jermaine Duprii created a major controversy in the music industry last summer after he shaded some of today’s top female rappers. In an interview with People, he called out Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, and Meghan Thee Stallion, when asked how he felt about them. “I can’t really say, I feel they’re all rapping about the same thing. I don’t think they’re showing us who’s the best rapper. For me, it’s like strippers rapping and as far as rap goes I’m not getting who’s the best,” he responded. Not only is his comment sexist, it is also untrue. Of the women mentioned, Cardi is the only one who ever worked as a stripper.  

Jermaine clarified that his remarks were aimed only at the artists he was asked about (Nicki, Cardi, and Megan) -- and made a point to say that his statement was not meant to be a blanket label on all female rappers. He also argued against claims that he's sexist, saying nothing is further from the truth (Robidoux and Weakland). Yet lumping Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, and Nicki Manji, together because of their sexual lyrics does exactly that. All three women are have different flows and styles, and they make different types of rap music. Such statements by males artists, producers and the media minimize the achievements and progress women have made in the music industry.   

Attitudes like Dupri’s further promote misogyny in hip hop and prove yet again that it is extremely difficult for women to succeed. It’s a double standard to believe that women should not rap about sex or be sexual, but it is acceptable for their male counterparts to do so. Dupri does not call out male artists for doing the same thing or state that there is a problem with male rap artists “rapping about the same things all the time”.  He also belittles women who work as strippers by implying that, because they take their clothes off for a living they don’t possess any musical talent or have skill sets outside of sex work. To make matters worse, he also groups all female rappers together, even those who do not choose to express their sexuality, although he later claimed that was not his intention.  

In response, Cardi B posted an Instagram video in which she states that raunchy lyrics are what audiences respond to. "It seems that's what people want to hear," she explained. "When I did 'Be Careful,' people we're talking mad sh*t in the beginning. If that's what people ain't trying to hear, then alright," (Saponara). 

There is still much work to do, as sexism is embedded into many aspects of life, but hip hop (or any music genre) should not be excused from its partaking in furthering misogynistic views even though women are proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can keep up in this male dominated field. 

Works Cited 

Arceneaux, Michael. “The Obsession With Cardi B's Stripper Days Is Boring And She Deserves Better.” Essence, Essence, 25 Apr. 2018, www.essence.com/culture/cardi-b-stripper-past-hyper-sexualization-female-rappers/. 

Hernandez, Emma. “Cardi B Opens up About Her Stripping Days and Her #MeToo Moment.” Life & Style, Life & Style, 3 Apr. 2018, www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/cardi-b-stripping-me-too-movement-156306/. 

Orcutt, KC. “Each One, Teach One: What Generations of Women in Hip Hop Teach Us about Perseverance.” REVOLT, REVOLT, 16 Oct. 2019, www.revolt.tv/2019/10/16/20917629/women-in-hip-hop-lessons. 

Robidoux, Brandy. “Jermaine Dupri Defends His 'Strippers Rapping' Comment That Sparked Backlash From Cardi B.” Hollywood Life, Hollywood Life, 22 July 2019, hollywoodlife.com/2019/07/22/jermaine-dupri-defends-comments-strippers-rapping-interview/. 

Saponara, Michael. “Cardi B Urges Fans to Support Female MCs Who Don't Rap About Sex.” Billboard, Billboard, 12 July 2019, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8519631/cardi-b-support-female-mc-dont-rap-about-sex.

By Bria Jackson 

Staff Writer - The Boom Bap Hour Uncut

 

Just yesterday everyone learned that upcoming rapper, Bashar Barakah Jackson, or Pop Smoke to most, died from being shot during a home robbery. What was even more shocking was that a lot of us were just finding out who Pop Smoke even was. I know I just learned of him last week. He was twenty years old from Brooklyn, New York. I kept hearing his song Dior, thinking it was Desiigner because of how deep and unique his voice was but I learned quickly they were two different people.  

I’ve been trying to avoid social media lately because of Kobe and Gianna, then there was Ja’Net Dubois and Esther Scott (two phenomenal women many of us grew up watching) and there was also Fort Valley State University student, Anitra Gunn, who’s body was found after she went missing on Valentine’s Day. I’ve been blessed at 24 years old have not had to deal with any death super close to me, so it’s not something I typically think about. So in addition to not being used to that, I really couldn’t handle getting on social media as much these past few days, or at least not Twitter. 

One of the few times I did end up getting on social media, I noticed people on Instagram were beginning to play detective to what happened to Pop Smoke. What everyone knew so far was that some guys had found out where he lived. Before I continue any further, I want to make the topic of my article very clear. I am not a journalist telling the story of how Pop Smoke really died or what I think happened. Whether the facts that I know are true or not, I want to talk about how important it is to watch what information we are putting on the internet. 

To proceed, social media initially blamed Pop Smoke’s long-time friend, Mike Dee, for setting him up because he posted a picture that had part of the street number in the picture. The world can be so critical and cruel these days. Too many times do we jump and give unsolicited opinions without knowing all the facts. I knew people were in this man's comments being nasty. I mean, telling someone who just lost their best friend that they were the ones to set them up? It’s so cruel it’s not even funny. It’s sick. 

As more facts start unraveling, I think everyone came to the conclusion Pop Smoke may have accidentally put his own self in harm's way because of what he was posting on his story. What rapper isn’t out here posting their nice watches and stacks? Well, that’s exactly what he did as well and in one video where Pop Smoke is seen showing off what seems to be a bag, you can see a luggage tag that had his address on it. It can be assumed that this may be how the robbers got his exact address. 

We need to be careful about what we’re posting on the internet because we never know who is watching and we never know who is secretly envious. The world is not the safest place anymore, in my opinion. After a traumatizing incident I had with a guy once, I’ve learned to not even put my location on my stories/posts if I’m somewhere specific. I don’t let my followers know what I’m up to. There are some people that I don’t even let follow me; I will just go ahead and block them. I don’t do these things for any other reason except to keep my business private. People see you doing good and start feeling green instead of being happy that someone else from our community made it. I don’t think anybody should be trying to play “creator” and decide the fate of someone’s life. The universe doesn’t sweep actions like that under the rug. What amazes me is that people are willing to risk their entire freedom on a simple chance…the chance of possibly living off of what they robbed him for, for who knows how long, a few weeks? Months maybe? It’ll never be worth it. 

Nicki Minaj said it best in her caption as she sent her condolences to Pop Smoke, “The Bible tells us that jealousy is as cruel as the grave” and I don’t think there is a truer statement. I encourage everyone to stop putting locations on their every move, as in not putting every single restaurant you’ve gone to in a day. You’re literally leaving a trail for someone. Snapchat allows you to share your location or go ghost mode. The other day, my cousin asked me why was I ghost and I told her that Snapchat shows the exact location down to the street. For what purpose do my followers need that information? Even on Twitter, some people tweet with their location on and it will show what city; I keep all of that information turned off. Do not hesitate to block people that look fishy or have 0 mutual followers with you. I had to get onto one of my other cousins the other day because she always puts something like “Work the next 3 days *eye-rolling emoji*” on her story and I told her to stop because she doesn’t know who is watching her stories and picking up on her work schedule. And last but most importantly, keep social media out of your pockets!!! I can’t stress this enough. 

I understand social media has gotten to a point where we feel the need to constantly post our accomplishments and flaunt our newest purchases, but the point is, you can never be too safe because this world is a sick and evil place. It is completely okay to be private with your life. Pop Smoke didn’t do anything wrong but post on his story as we all do. I hope this is a message to remind everyone to pay more attention to the things we post and share on the internet. 

Rest in Peace.

 

By Jessa J.L. Jansen 

Staff Writer - The Boom Bap Hour Uncut 

With the unfortunate passing of celebrity figures, it always seems to have effects on the public. The devastating loss of a well-known figure in society, along with his child, has parents all over holding their children a little tighter. "​Girls are the best" expressed Kobe Bryant to ESPN's Elle Duncan after she shared the news of her pregnancy with him and that she was having a girl. Duncan went on to share the memory that Bryant continued to tell her, "I would have five more girls if I could, I'm a girl dad.” Since sharing her story, the hashtag #girldad has gone viral with tributes from both fathers sharing special moments and daughters expressing gratitude.  

Bryant’s role as a father to four daughters and his strong support of women’s athletics later in life have emerged as essential parts of his legacy. Kobe Bryant's unexpected death leaves the world grieving, searching for answers and tributes have been pouring in from all over the world for the deceased athlete.  

Richard Harris, professor of psychology, says many people develop relationships with media characters in a similar manner to how they do so in real life. A phenomenon referred to as parasocial interaction, a one-sided relationship commonly observed between celebrities and their fans. "We don't have the social structures and support for grieving the loss of a media character," Harris says, "as a result, social media postings can turn therapeutic for some devoted fans or supporters," Harris says. Fellow celebrities have also taken to social media sites and other mediums to mourn the loss of fellow stars or influential people (2). 

“Fan mourns not only the loss of the celebrity but other aspects of their personal life which have become bound-up with the celebrity,” says Michael Brennan, a sociologist at Liverpool Hope University. "When we think about a public figure, we often reflect on when we first became aware of them, or when their work began to resonate with us so personally. Hearing the news of their deaths forces us to reflect on that time. We feel nostalgia for it and may even regret the passage of time. So although we may outwardly express the fact that we’re mourning for the particular person, that’s not really the case. Instead, we’re mourning who they were to us, and who we were when we discovered them" (1). 

Kobe Bryant may forever be remembered as a basketball legend, still, to his daughters and others that knew him, he was also a "girl dad.”  

References: 

(1) Foley, Katherine Ellen. “Feeling Grief Is a Totally Normal Reaction to a Celebrity Death.” Quartz, Quartz, 8 June 2018, qz.com/1301069/when-celebrities-die-its-normal-to-feel-personal-grief/. 

(2) Kansas State University. “News.” Celebrity Deaths Often Have Pronounced Effects on Their Audiences, www.socialworktoday.com/news/dn_071312.shtml.

 

By Jason Callahan 

Staff Writer - The Boom Bap Hour Uncut 

During the late eighties and nineties, very few professional athletes had an impact on society for the betterment of people. Among these athletes are; Michael Jordan, Steve Young, Joe Montana, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant to name a few. I did watch Kobe play some games and his intensity for the game seems to come from the pure love of the game. Kobe was very talented and seemed very passionate about basketball.  

 Watching Kobe play was a treat to many folks. I would place him up there with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, and Shaquille O’Neal. To me, these are the guys that stand out and make the biggest impact on and off of the court. After Kobe retired the 2015-2016 season, he still made sure to keep a level head on his shoulders and be the stand-up guy many enjoyed.  

 Kobe Bryant was a family man, a superstar on and off of the court, and someone people could look up to at any time. Some professional athletes are not in the game for any other reason than the money. They seem to not enjoy the game, the fans, or even their co-workers. I am sure that even the ones we look up to have had a run-in or two with others and have even done these things themselves. The difference is they have chosen to learn and move forward. Kobe I believe, was definitely one of those that wanted to learn and did learn.  

 Kobe knew that he wanted to play basketball and knew that he was as good as he thought. If you go into anything and believe that you can accomplish great things, you can and you will. If you go into anything thinking that you will fail you will. The biggest key to success is knowing that if you fail, to get your ass up and not give in to the voice that tells you that you need to give up. We all fail, we all have doubt, it is how we choose to conquer or to give in, that makes us a success or quitter.  

 Though Kobe and his daughter have left this earth and moved on, we have the memories that will carry us onward. We remember the good times, and the way Kobe chose to hold himself to a high standard. We remember his accomplishments, achievements, and the inspiration he gave to us while he was among us. The tragedy of Kobe and his daughter’s passing was too soon. However, let us remember the other 7 people on the helicopter with Kobe and his daughter. That truly is a tragedy for those that lost them. Losing someone is hard and can have a very bad effect on us - to have our soulmate and child with us one day and gone the next. Love knows no boundaries, but the loss of a love can shake your whole world to the very core and be long-lasting.  

 For myself, this brought forth the memory of losing my spouse. I spoke to her that morning and that afternoon, she was in a fatal auto accident. My heart sank, my life seemed to stop, and I did not know what to do, what I wanted, or even if I could survive. Well, three years later I am still standing and moving forward. Yes, I remember her, the times we shared and the memories we made. It still hurts and it still sucks. The best we can do for us all is to remember how Kobe Bryant gave us someone to watch and enjoy - that loved the game and loved life. Though he may be gone, the memories will never leave us. May Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and those seven others that lost their lives be in Heaven, praising the Lord our God. May we place our differences aside and come together, and pray for the families of those who have lost someone.  

To Kobe Bryant, remembering how you have inspired me to believe in myself - thank you for all you have done and accomplished while on this earth. We shall remember the good times you gave us.