“Out of ruin, it pulled beauty.” (Furious Styles, Chang, p. 125) This was my favorite quote of the ones I saw. Not only does it define hip hop wonderfully, highlighting the beauty that comes in articulating struggle, but it is applicable to life in general. You can take any situation and find beauty in it.… Continue reading →

Lisa : The Beginning of Sexuality in Hip Hop In 1996, Lil’ Kim’s Hardcore album changed the game for females in the Hip Hop genre. Until then, a lot of female rappers had a masculine edge… baggy, layered clothing, Timberlands, and gold doorknocker earrings were the rage. Female artists had to perform masculinity for visibility… Continue reading →

A lot of the readings have had to do with the decolonization and deconstruction of gender in hip hop, particularly for female artists of color. I would like to start off by saying that I do agree with hip hop being an outlet for decolonization within communities of color. I also agree that the disparity… Continue reading →

I find a lot of the commentary on the origins of hip hop to be very intriguing. Prior to taking this class, I thought I had a pretty expansive education on hip hop. However, there are many artists I do not know about that have been able to pave the way for a lot of… Continue reading →