Throughout the semester we read several pieces that truly resonated with me and gave me a rich insight on how women have started to progress in terms of hip-hop feminism. I chose these 10 quotes because I felt that they spoke the truth about how sexism in general has become normalized over generations, and in turn this has led to the oversexualization of the female body in hip-hop, leading women to finally take a stand. These quotes also display the perceived falsity that women in hip-hop aren’t as talented as men. The first five quotes that I chose show how the perception of women in hip-hop, and women in general, is that they are seen as sexual objects getting noticed for things like looks instead of talent. I think that they accurately portray how sexism is almost encouraged in music because of the ‘need’ for establishing masculinity, and how the music industry reaps the benefits of sexism and patriarchy. One of my quotes chosen from the reading “How To Make Love With Your Clothes On” by Jan Fairley describes the female body as ‘convertible currency’, which is quite bothersome. It made me think about how the female body is basically seen as dollar bills, aka it’s disposable. This is very frustrating because realistically, men ain’t shit and if we didn’t have the wholesome and beautiful gift of women and their bodies on this earth, then there would be no men. This quote also made me think about my part in my crew’s presentation where I did a lyrical analysis in terms of double standards. Women’s bodies are constantly being oversexualized by men in the hip-hop industry, their bodies also seen as convertible currency, yet when a woman raps about this ‘currency’ it’s seen as trashy. Again, the hip-hop industry is profiting extensively through the promotion of sexism by men, as stated in the second quote that I chose from ‘Hip-Hop is Not Responsible for Sexism’ by Tricia Rose.
The last five quotes that I chose show how Hip-Hop Feminism has developed into a platform for women to accurately represent themselves, share their own realities, change perspectives, and finally be heard. I absolutely loved another quote from ‘Hip-Hop is Not Responsible for Sexism’ by Tricia Rose, where Russell Simmons states the importance of “…listen(ing) to their voices so we can have a road map, because artists – almost every single artist in hip hop, they paint a picture that is overlooked.” I love this quote because it’s said by a man who is a huge hip-hop label co-founder, someone who can easily benefit from the oversexualization of the female body in music. I chose my last five quotes because they reflect the personal beliefs that I have about forming alliances to combat gender inequality, and because they show a transitional solution as to the first five quotes I chose about sexism in hip-hop. These quotes tell a story to me, they tell me that sexism is a construct formed a long time ago that has seeped into aspects of everyday life, including hip hop. The first five and last five quotes connect the full story, that hip-hop feminism IS rising, and that it is allowing women to tell their stories.
