At the beginning of the reading “Hip Hop Is Not Responsible for Sexism” by Tricia Rose, the following is quoted by Russell Simmons on The O’Reilly Factor, April 26, 2007:
“And I think that it’s important that we listen to their voices so we can have a roadmap, because artists – almost every single artist in hip hop, they paint a picture that is overlooked. The misogyny, the racism, the violence, the homophobia, these are things that we try to avoid instead of dealing with. All of that, I see it so often”
pertaining to hip hop artists and their content which was being portrayed in these pieces at the time of the introduction to hip hop. This quote is such an accurate depiction to what the Netflix series, “The Get Down Brothers” engages in pertaining to topics and themes that are addressed in the show; in recent episodes the words “homo” and “homophobic” have begun trending; for example, Cadillac calling Shao and the boys The Homo Brothers for being an all-male group, etc., in part 2, episode 1, and overall, they are fighting and hustling to make it despite constantly becoming intertwined in the various complications of making it in the hip hop world during this time.
The reading, however, mainly focuses on sexism in hip hop music and how women are the ones being sexualized (i.e.: Lil Wayne’s Lollipop song,etc.). It is very true that even still to this day women are sexualized all throughout hip-hop and even society at large. It is no secret that women are expected to conform to men and essentially cater to them; therefore, men have an established sense of dominance and control when it comes to women. Women are held on a higher pedestal (value wise, and that’s if you haven’t yet “decreased your value” as a woman), however, with that, comes the responsibility of being someones (men and society) puppet.
Mylene is being highly sexualized as she pursues trying to be signed. Between Cadillac eyeing her and expressing his determination to sign her, have extended periods of sex with her and “make little Cadillac” babies, and everyone else claiming her as a superstar while being mainly taken over by her looks and what type of face she’ll be in the world, it is almost as if everyone is focused on different aspects of Mylene and her singing career than what she really wants and expects from this future in music (her father, friends, what she wants with Ezekiel, Marrakesh, Jackie, etc.).
Tricia Rose makes a captivating statement that reads, “Clearly hip hop didin’t create sexism, nor is it soley responsible fo sexism. No one alive today created it, there is nothing to which we can point that be held responsible for all sexism. The power of gender inequality and sexual disrespect is its ability to be everywhere at once, to seem normal and inevitable” (Rose, 2008, p. 254). The last part aboout the power of gender inequality and sexual disrespect is enough said about the overall topic. Men don’t respect women, nor do they necessarily “have too”; its their nature and it’s what it is. It is the responsibility of women to be aware and keep their guards up against such predatory motivation and intent, especially when it comes to business and getting into a tangled market such as the music industry and getting signed with even semi-successful producers as per Mylene’s expereicnes. There truly is sexual disrespect and women are exploited and put in negative light based on male artists music content involving how they treat women, what they do to women, etc., as per any male rapper hip-hop song; essentially normalizing such expectations and certain rules for women throughout societies culture. Because Mylene is a young, beautiful, Spanish girl who would make great eye candy as a star (she has the look, the face, the voice, the style, etc.), and more or less a great sex object in the eyes of the men whom she has had to and will deal with as she pursues her fight to secure her future in the music business; she is vulnerable and susceptible to sexism and being treated differently as a female trying to make it as a result.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/the-get-down/images/4/44/Mylenegif1.gif/revision/latest?cb=20170427024755
