“Women in Hip Hop do not think that misogyny exists because men don’t understand the situation of women… Women in Hip Hop suggest that men disrespect them because it mirrors dominant culture’s attitudes, and also simply because they can do it and get paid off handsomely at the same time-and all at black women’s expense”.

 This section’s topic on De/constructing Gender and sexuality gave me new perspectives to think about when looking at the construction of gender/sexuality in Hip Hop as a whole. This quote from page 138 was one of the quotes that got my attention because it allows us to understand that the objectification of women in Hip Hop music may not necessarily be because men are ignorant to our struggle, pressures and situations, but that they choose to use sexist and vulgar language because they simply get away with it and are praised for it. It’s like they can say “well we’re just giving the people what they want” while of course completely disrespecting the people (women) they are targeting in these messages.

We live in a culture where women have always been viewed as inferior to men, whether it be through education, talent, physical ability, etc. Seeing how much has changed (in just my generation alone) and how far the women’s movement has gotten… in hopes for more change, we sometimes forget that many women before us have already paved the way for a lot of the opportunities we have today. I found it interesting how the women in Marcyliena Morgan’s book valued knowledge (as it was important to understand their history) respect, and skill in order to make names for themselves. They knew that in order to be recognized or taken seriously they would have to develop their art in greater ways because “female” or not you cannot deny someone’s skill or talent if they truly have it. 

Cardi B was a great example of this because the same way every young woman had to fight for their right to “MC, perform, DJ, and be a part of the hip hop culture” they had to push borders that were intended to keep them in and away from that opportunity. Cardi has her own story of how she made it and it was so important that she be able to tell that story HER WAY , BECAUSE IT’S HERS. 

Overall I would love to keep learning about the history of  the construction of GS in Hip Hop and how our generation can make moves to allow marginalized groups to have equal opportunities. Especially in the form of Hip Hop because it is an ART and everyone deserves the right to express themselves the best way they see fit.