Rivera_AB Midterm
Kaina Rivera
12 March 2018
Gender and Sexuality in Hip Hop
Annotated Bibliography for Hip Hop Feminism Wikipedia Page
Source #1:
Gupta-Carlson, Himanee. “Planet B-Girl: Community Building and Feminism in Hip-Hop.” New
Political Science, vol. 32, no. 4, Dec. 2010, pp. 515-529. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/07393148.2010.520438.
The article Planet B-Girl: Community Building and Feminism in Hip-Hop refers to the impact that women have in Hip Hop, in roles such as break dancing. Break Dancers typically identify as b-boys or b-girls which makes the distinction between men and women break dancers more prevalent. As Gupta-Carlson states, the ‘b’ refers to the historical roots of Hip Hop which originated in the Bronx, and the ‘b’ also signifies the breaks in between the lyrics and the beats in those breaks. Those moments that were used shown with aggressive and powerful steps were used to symbolize the intent to fight oppression with dance (Gupta 516). Gupta-Carlson describes Hip-Hop as a form of art to explain why it is an ideal concept to use when blending protest and self-expression. It is a medium that balances out what a protest entails while the people involved are excited on the topic and draws attention to the youth that idolizes Hip-Hop.
Source #2:
Peoples, Whitney A. “Under Construction”: Identifying Foundations of Hip-Hop Feminism and
Exploring Bridges between Black Second-Wave and Hip-Hop Feminisms.” Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism, vol. 8, no. 1, Apr. 2008, pp. 19-52. EBSCOhost, libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=33415469&site=ehost-live.
The article “Under Construction”: Identifying Foundations of Hip-Hop Feminism and Exploring Bridges between Black Second-Wave and Hip-Hop Feminisms refers to a transition from Black second-wave black feminism to hip hop feminism. The term Hip-Hop Feminism is a problematic yet empowering word that authors like Peoples, and Pough are continuously trying to explain. Hip-hop provides an outlet for women of color to express themselves and critique racism, but it is also a place where they can critique their own gender and feminist identity and “turn toward the misogyny of rap music (Keyes et al 20). Peoples attempts to explain the ways in which hip-hop feminists claim to engage in the hip-hop community and what the effects are of such a relationship. There are factors that contribute to the relationship or impact of hip-hop feminists on the community like the political economy and the identities of those who identify as hip-hop feminists. Hip-hop derived in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s as an outlet for the black and Latino youth to be able to voice their experiences with being low income as well as racially marginalized. Hip-hop can be viewed as a movement of resistance to the various methods of oppression (i.e. political and economic).
Source #3:
Hayduk, Ron. The Politics of Hip Hop. Socialism & Democracy, vol. 18, Routledge, Ltd., n.d.
EBSCOhost, libdatabase.newpaltz.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=snh&AN=14914883&site=ehost-live.
The interview by Ron Hayduk in the article The Politics of Hip Hop unfolds the life of George Martinez, the first ever MC to run for office. George Martinez addresses the development of Hip Hop and how it is viewed now alongside the rap music that is being produced. Martinez says that “Hip Hop comes from the community…” (197); “Hip Hop was born out of many struggles: poverty, crime, drugs, racism, police brutality and others” (197). Hip Hop has now transformed and is masked by rap music as Martinez states are for people who have no musical training, but make beats with their bodies. There are 3 stages to the political development of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop community that Martinez states which are the cultural emergence, social creation, and political. None of these are exclusive to one another, but they showcase the transition of Hip Hop. Hip Hop originated as a place for people who were marginalized to be able to have their voices heard, and moved to a place where they could begin organizing and making change in those same communities to a place where now they can hold power and make decisions on what is affecting the communities. These stages show the power of Hip Hop and the impact that it has and continues to make for urban and marginalized communities.
Kaina Rivera
12 March 2018
Gender and Sexuality in Hip Hop
Annotated Bibliography for Hip Hop Feminism Wikipedia Page
Summary:
The three articles above mention the transition of Hip-Hop and the political statement that it has been able to make today. Hip-Hop is viewed as a cultural phenomenon that brings people together to be able to voice concerns of those in communities that are marginalized racially and economically. It is agreed that Hip-Hop originated in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s from the black and Latino youth that were racially and economically marginalized in the low-income communities. Hip-Hop has continuously evolved into various stages and adopted new forms of presenting itself. The purpose of Hip-Hop is evident in lyrics, and may sometimes be masked by the current rap culture as Martinez would say are those with ‘no musical training’. Note the transition from Hip-Hop to a political stage where it now has the power to make a change on a larger scale than simply a community-oriented basis.
As research continues to be developed on the topic, it is important that we incorporate the political climate that we are in, and how that impacts the work that the Hip-Hop community produces and addresses. In the article, “Under Construction”: Identifying Foundations of Hip-Hop Feminism and Exploring Bridges between Black Second-Wave and Hip-Hop Feminism we can note the importance of self-reflection and constant reworking of oneself. We take into account the success of a Hip-Hop in a political environment as it pertains to the culture that it supports. As Peoples states in the article, “Under Construction”: Identifying Foundations of Hip-Hop Feminism and Exploring Bridges between Black Second-Wave and Hip-Hop Feminism, “Mainstream rap music is most easily commodified because it represents ideas of blackness that are in line with dominant racist and sexist ideologies; it has economic potential only because it works hand-in-hand with long-established ideas about the sexual, social, and moral nature of black people” (24). These images are marketable because these stereotypes of aggression and violence of black individuals exist. In this case, rap is portraying was is deemed to be ‘normal’ in society, and sells the image. It can then be assumed that Rap culture is problematic and damaging to the goal of Hip-Hop. This concept ties into the political environment that the society is in, and how these stereotypes are being addressed if they are. The influence or lack of influence from a political standpoint can be a factor in the reproduction of these images of blackness.
It is difficult to be able to take the political environment into account because not much research has been done on its influence in the marginalized communities. Many of the articles mention how much of Hip-Hop was developed during the Reagan-era, and fail to recognize any other political officers that may have influenced the reactions of the public to these presidents as well as to any laws that they may have potentially passed. Politics influence Hip-Hop in a massive way, and these three articles are great examples of showcasing the various levels in which Hip-Hop is influenced. Politics are ever changing and the same can be said for Hip-Hop, making the personal political and the political personal.