When thinking about rap and hip hop from a feminist standpoint, you begin to notice how really misogynistic and homophobic it can really be. After finishing our de/constructing hip hop section, it really opened my eyes as to how rap music now to rap music back when hip hop first began have many lyrics degrading women or saying that something or someone is gay.

When we listen to music from men like Blaxican and see the visuals in the music video, you can clearly see how misogynistic he is. Yes, his music is semi-conscious about identities he has, but completely puts down women. In the music video for “What You Might Do” by Blaxican and  Kemo, you can clearly see the main focus is the woman, them, and how much they’re saying she is manipulative and a heartbreaker.

But there was a turn of events when we listened to the female graffiti writers and how they used their gender to their advantage. When reading the first chapter of Graffiti Grrlz, we are introduced (sort of) to the idea of feminist masculinity. To be independent, courageous and tough is to embody feminist masculinity. Many of the graffiti writers highlighted in the chapter, like Egr and JerkLA embody this feminist masculinity to break down the rumors about them or be equal to their male counterparts. In hip hop, many female rappers also embody this masculinity and thrive in the industry. Hearing Cardi B’s “Get Up 10” and Young M.A.’s “Big” shows us the aggressiveness, toughness, and pride that usually male rappers embody. It is safe to say that male rappers aren’t the only one who can be bold and upfront. However, I still question how some of these rappers who are using feminist masculinity will appear to their male counterparts? Would they be seen as trying too hard?