DuPont_AB Midterm

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Siobhan DuPont

Dr. Pabon

Gender and Sexuality in Hip Hop Midterm

March 12, 2018

Annotated Bibliography for Hip Hop Feminism Wikipedia Page

Cosimini, Seth. “‘I’m a Motherfuckin’ Monster!’: Play, Perversity, and Performance of Nicki Minaj.” no. 2, 2017, p. 47. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1353/ff.2017.0016.

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=f875bc36-dc52-44ba-9f05-44d3d513453e%40sessionmgr120&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVybCx1aWQsY29va2ll#AN=edspmu.S2151737117200032&db=edspmu

This article hones in on black female Hip Hop artists, particularly Nicki Minaj’s use of her body as a mechanism to convey sexual desires and challenge heteronormative customs in Hip Hop.  Cosimini also defines the “monstrous” and expounds on this characteristic that is often associated with black women’s bodies, and how Minaj uses this to her benefit which subsequently benefits black women.  Including the black body as text that can be read and understood in Hip Hop is important to include in the Feminism in Hip Hop Wikipedia page because it is very much a part of the female perspective.

Cuenca, Alhelí and Hunter, Margaret. “Nicki Minaj and the Changing Politics of Hip-Hop: Real Blackness, Real Bodies, Real Feminism?.” no. 2, 2017, p. 26. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1353/ff.2017.0015.

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=f875bc36-dc52-44ba-9f05-44d3d513453e@sessionmgr120&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVybCx1aWQsY29va2ll#AN=edspmu.S2151737117200020&db=edspmu

In order to fully understand Hip Hop feminism and what this entails for the twenty-first century, one must first explore the female leaders of Hip Hop during this time.  Authors Hunter and Cuenca discuss the appeal of the feminism marketed by Nicki Minaj and its societal implications. Nicki Minaj, though known for her legacy in rap music, also pertains to other issues related to Blackness, body image, and body type that are equally as important to Hip Hop Feminism as rap music is.  Nicki Minaj, the top selling female rapper, has made a huge contribution for women in Hip Hop and thus, should be mentioned on the Wikipedia Hip Hop Feminism page.

Pough, Gwendolyn. “Do the Ladies Run This…?: Some Thoughts on Hip-Hop Feminism.” Catching a Wave: Reclaiming Feminism for the 21St Century, Jan. 2003, pp. 232-243. 

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&sid=f875bc36-dc52-44ba-9f05-44d3d513453e%40sessionmgr120

Author Gwendolyn Dough seeks to unpack the messages that are embedded in Hip Hop, not only via music lyrics but Hip Hop as a “way of life”.  The author applies this strategy to Hip Hop with a black feminist twist and speaks on several “texts”, both modern and historical, that contribute to the understanding of feminism in Hip Hop as well as their role in the lives of black women.  She separates the difference between black feminism and Hip Hop feminism yet emphasizes the intersectionality of the two. These are important elements that would enhance the Hip Hop Feminism Wikipedia page.

Smith, Marquita R. “Or a Real, Real Bad Lesbian”: Nicki Minaj and the Acknowledgement of Queer Desire in Hip-Hop Culture.” Popular Music and Society, vol. 37, no. 3, 2014, pp. 360–370., doi:10.1080/03007766.2013.800680.

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=f875bc36-dc52-44ba-9f05-44d3d513453e%40sessionmgr120

Marquita Smith goes into depth about the sexual fluidity that Nicki Minaj posses and her queer desires expressed through her music lyrics.  Sexuality is a surreal part of the feminist experience and would hinder the overall understanding of feminism in Hip Hop if left out of the discussion.  Nicki Minaj’s ability to express desires that may be perceived or labeled as queer while continuously expanding her brand and being highly regarded by her male peers signifies a major step forward for feminism in Hip Hop, and thus, should be noted on the Feminism in Hip Hop page.  

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Feminism in Hip Hop is a multifaceted and multidimensional phenomenon that requires thorough coverage in order to be explained and understood.  Feminism in itself is a subject that must first be digested followed by a breakdown of Hip Hop to grasp the overall picture. Thus, establishing a page that accurately and effectively combines the two can seem daunting.  The current Feminism in Hip Hop Wikipedia page’s lack of a modern figure served as a disservice to those who seek to learn more about Hip Hop Feminism. There are various themes that can be uncovered by a prominent female figure in Hip Hop- Nicki Minaj, who is mentioned briefly towards the end of the page.  

Nicki Minaj represents a myriad of feminism wrapped in a life-size Barbie box.  She is a feminist that has changed the Hip Hop game and has successfully taken a stand in a male-dominated arena by claiming her space.  Though not the first female rapper to enter the game, Minaj’s unprecedented success indicates that she has done something different for Hip Hop that her predecessors and/or peers haven’t, giving her something new to offer for Hip Hop as well as a legacy that will set her apart from her competition. Minaj’s success is due part in parcel to her not only marketing herself towards women of color.  Her versatile, yet genuine and honest style attracts a range of fans which has served to build her a substantial platform as a female MC. She is embraced by male and female black, white, latinx, and LGBTQ+ people alike.

The most important themes sought out in the researched outlined above had to do with the role that Minaj’s lyric content, body, and sexuality played in  modern Hip Hop feminism, which can be seen throughout the pieces written by Cosimini, Cuenca, Hunter, Pough, and Smith. The coverage provided by these authors will allow for a more thorough and well-rounded section dedicated to Nicki Minaj and the role she plays in redefining modern feminism in Hip Hop.  It is necessary to emphasize or distinguish modern features of Hip Hop Feminism to reiterate that Hip Hop is not a stagnant entity that is limited to rap music or the videos that emerge from the music itself. Rather, Hip Hop is a way of life, as author Gwendolyn Pough articulates in her piece, Do the Ladies Run This…?: Some Thoughts on Hip-Hop Feminism (Pough, 2003).  Hip Hop Feminism is continuously performed and changing by the figures inside and outside the industry, Minaj being one of them.  

The current Hip Hop Feminism Wikipedia page mentions Nicki Minaj under the Music Videos section, however, Nicki Minaj’s contribution to Hip Hop Feminism should not be reduced to her visual presence in music videos.  If Hip Hop is considered more than rap and more than music itself, then Minaj’s role in Hip Hop extends beyond what is seen on screen and extends to the messages and societal implications that are conveyed to her listeners and fans.  

Minaj’s name refers to a Menage A Trois, or threesome.  Her name indicates that Nicki Minaj is not afraid to open up about sexuality, putting her feminist attitude at the forefront of her persona and position in the Hip Hop industry.  Females have historically had their sexuality repressed, therefore, Nicki Minaj’s decision to liberate herself from any societal pressures that seek to stifle these feelings and emotions consequently open the door for her female supporters to be liberated, as well.  This is an important aspect of black feminism that Minaj takes into consideration when creating her music. She is not the first Black female rapper to express her sexuality, however her way of articulating these ideas differs from those who have come before her and provide a different overall experience to the listener.  Smith’s exploration of Minaj’s fluid sexuality infiltrates the LGBTQ+ community, which Smith would argue that Minaj occasionally identifies herself with as referenced in Or a Real, Real Bad Lesbian: Nicki Minaj and the Acknowledgement of Queer Desire in Hip-Hop Culture (Smith, 2014).  In short, sexuality is a major factor in Nicki Minaj’s character and lyrical content as a rap artist actively engaging in Hip Hop Feminism.  

Nicki Minaj’s body is one of her most notable features.  She embraces her curves and her brown skin, which reiterates the idea of finding strength and empowerment through areas that once oppressed women of color.  Nicki Minaj’s black Barbie persona flips the mainstream standard of beauty on its head to include of women of color, a battle that is arguably far from over.  Cuenca and Hunter discuss further in Nicki Minaj and the Changing Politics of Hip-Hop:
Real Blackness, Real Bodies, Real Feminism, the ways in which Nicki Minaj utilizes her body as a cash cow, respectively (Cuenca, Hunter, 2017).  They also contend that Nicki Minaj’s success is related to her creation of a Feminism that fuses critique and oppression together to present a marketable and appealing rhetoric to multiple audiences.  

There is more work to be done when studying contemporary female Hip Hop artists.  A simple Google image search of “Hip Hop Feminists” shows faces of artists such as Queen Latifa, Missy Elliot, Dej Loaf, and others, but no immediate presence of Nicki Minaj.  This does not negate her contribution to Feminism in Hip Hop, however, it does indicate a challenge because she has not been studied as extensively as her female predecessors in Hip Hop.  Nonetheless, it does not hinder her credibility or notable contribution for women in Hip Hop. It is important to note that Minaj is arguably still in her prime and has the potential to add to the current Feminist wave in Hip Hop.  This may take the form of creating space for other female artists to voice their stories and realities through Hip Hop, in whichever mode they choose. As indicated by Cuenca and Hunter, the time when Nicki Minaj entered the Hip Hop game marked an era in which the female presence in Hip Hop was reduced, however, Minaj’s presence exploded and experienced great longevity.  These changes that occurred in Black Feminism that were brought on by Nicki Minaj should be explored in relation to Hip Hop Feminism as it will enhance the content of the Hip Hop Feminism Wikipedia Page.