Something we have looked a lot in to during class is how women perform their gender in hip-hop. By watching the videos of, and listening to artists like Cardi B, Lauryn Hill, Nicki Minaj, Salt ‘n’ Pepa, and Young M.A., we can see many views on hip-hop feminism. Delving into Dr. Pabón’s book Graffiti Grrlz, we deconstructed feminist masculinity. But what does that mean?

Feminist masculinity means many things to different people. Graffiti grrlz such as Claw Money and Lady Pink state on page 41 that being feminine does not equate to being successful. To be a writer is to be aggressive, to rebel, and to be against femininity. According to Dr. Pabón on page 46, “Feminist masculinity is a gender performance characterized by the utilization of recognizably masculine traits.. for feminist means (community building, self-empowerment, peer support).”

How is this different from hip-hop feminism? Hip-hop feminism is about bodily autonomy, claiming your sexuality and your own body, it “fucks with the grays” and lives in the tumultuous, contradicting world that is feminism. Watching Salt-N-Pepa’s “None Of Your Business” really ties together these ideas. Lines like, “now who do you think you are, puttin’ your cheap two cents in,” and, “I used to think it was me, but now I see it wasn’t” shows strong women, who are happy with how they’re living, calling out men. In Hill’s “To Zion” she sings to her son. This song was an example of motherhood in hip-hop, an often overlooked or looked down upon topic. Not only is Lauryn singing about her struggles, she’s singing about her worry for her son. This song is hip-hop feminism and feminist masculinity in one. She sings of raising her black son in a white supremacist world.

Claw Money

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/saltnpepa/noneofyourbusiness.html

Salt ‘n’ Pepa’s lyrics to None Of Your Business