The deconstruction/construction of gender and sexuality was an interesting section as there is prominent progression of different themes and topics of relevance/discussion involving one’s role and place in hip hop depending on their gender, color, sexuality, etc., in hip hop culture and content throughout the years. I have never “cared” to pay attention to/place emphasis on how such themes of gender and sexuality  are portrayed within hip hop songs, although I am always aware of its presence and its importance as people do explore these aspects of music and culture in depth, possibly for application of evidence to their own beliefs about feminism, and overall, gender and sexuality as a whole in hip hop culture. Music videos assist in portraying such imagery as visual representations make understanding the content of the song easier to comprehend; whether the music video shows the controversiality of themes such as women embracing their femininity through dance, apparel, etc., or men expressing typical and hardships they face being a part of the minority group, or sexualizing women and their bodies themselves. Gender and sexuality is a vast and explorational as there are various focal points pertaining to the topic as shown throughout our class-readings and discussion.

Marcyliena Morgan, author of “The Real Hip Hop” describes that young girls are “not focused on what boys say and think about girls, but rather on expressing who they are and what they are learning about life through art”. I feel like this is one of the main and important parts about the construction of gender and sexuality in hip hop, especially today as various empowered females are making it big in the hip-hop game, and while they’re at it, they using full expression of their femininity to get the point across that sex and gender is not getting in their way and is not a mtter of true influence anymore. It is crucial to keep this in consideration as women are seen as sex objects and they’re constantly objectified in music videos, etc., and are expected to conform to society; yet when doing it for their own personal content (such as music videos, or appearances, or even in just daily life) – free expression, they’re shamed for embracing their free gender and sexuality due to the fact that they are women, and women are supposed to be consumed by men and their opinions when in actuality, it is the opposite. Furthermore, in the video shown in class about the gay Vatos, they explain how they simply want to make music while still embracing their identities and being true to who they are which reinforces a similar theme about being able to be open and free in hip hop despite gender and sexuality factors.

All in all the deconstruction/construction of gender and sexuality did challenge me and my preconceptions because although I always have been conscious about gender and sexuality in hip hop, and I understand the main principles, it’s not something in which I truly looked into or found particular interest in exploring on my own. I feel as though I understood the basics and I am be able to follow along with other’s statements and opinions pertaining to the subject… Most controversies such as gender and sexuality pertaining hip hop remain the same as they typically consume women and the gay population, and according to Morgan, they follow a typical script of function that has been shown to change as hip hop and society changes as well (“Females tell stories of love and care for themselves and the future of their community, children, family, lovers, and so forth”; they’re passionate, caretakers, etc., which are all glorified expectations of women that places such limitations on gender and sexuality in hip hop).

.