Let's "Rap"
Hip Hop and Women:
Hip hop and Women today are mostly represented as “Sistas with Attitude”. According to Empowering Self, Making Choices, Creating Spaces by Cheryl Keyes from the book entitled That’s the Joint! “Sistas with Attitude can be defined as aggressive, arrogant, defiant, I know-I’m bad pose.” (Pg. 406). The artists that can relate to this are Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, and Trina. The way these artists represent women through hip hop music may seem to be degrading women by using words like “hoes” and “bitches” in their lyrics. This adds fuel to the fire of hidden misogyny within the hip hop music industry. Due to this consistent pattern of female artists using profane words to describe themselves, let’s just say this is only the pre-game.
Hip Hop in the LGBTQ Community:
Artists such as Young M.A., Azealia Banks, and Big Freedia are just a few of the artists that represent the LGBTQ community of hip hop culture. There is still very much hatred for the LGBTQ community out there and the opportunities are lesser than those outside of the community but, based on a commenter from Hip-hop and the LGBT community: a look back and a look ahead on Reddit.com “we are getting better and it is shown in how hip-hop, a subtly homophobic genre, is getting real talents from any part of LGBT.” These artists, especially within this decade, are not only more comfortable expressing themselves, but they are also more socially accepted than about 30 years back. If this continues, then it makes you wonder if LGBTQ will ever be a steady trend.
Cultural Appropriation and Hip Hop:
People don’t realize “Hip-Hop” is more than just music, it a whole culture and lifestyle, as well as a way for black people to express themselves in their own unique way. Now we see it everywhere with black hairstyles, clothing styles, and dancing. We are visualizing more white people who are being called out on using these styles and using them more as a “fad”…
Kim Kardashian and her “Boxer Braids”
Marc Jacob’s models wearing dreadlocks
Makes you wonder if white people will continue to use the things from this culture until there is no more for them to use. For Further info, visit: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/look-at-cultural-appropriation
Conclusion:
To close, the prevalent controversial topics of hip hop culture include the recognition of female hip hop artist, cultural appropriation of black community, and the inclusion of all hip hop artists in the LGBTQ community. Subjects like these don’t necessarily scream the words “CALL TO ACTION!” however they do say “Oh really?” The Culture of Hip hop is vastly expanding with new avenues opening and closing every season. Instead of closing these streets in hip hop culture, shouldn’t we focus on beautifying them?
Works Cited
Works Cited
-Akens, Diona. “A Look At Cultural Appropriation Within The Hip-Hop Culture.” The Odyssey Online,
Odyssey Media Group, Inc., 28 Aug. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/look-at-cultural-appropriation.
-“Defining LGBTQ.” Liberate Yourself, 27 Oct. 2011, www.liberateyourself.co.uk/lgbtq/what-is-lgbtq/.
-“Definition of ‘Cultural Appropriation’ - English Dictionary.” Cultural Appropriation Definition in the
Cambridge English Dictionary, © Cambridge University Press 2017, dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/cultural-appropriation.
-“Feminism.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism.
-Keyes, Cheryl L. “ Empowering Self, Making Choices, Creating Space: Black Female Identity via Rap Music
Performance.” That's The Joint! The Hip-Hop Studies Reader, Second ed., Routledge, 2012, pp. 400–413.
-Kiwi. “Tea.” Urban Dictionary, Urban Dictionary ®, 22 Sept. 2003,
-misogyny. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved November 13, 2017 from Dictionary.com
-VodkaInsipido. “Hip-Hop and the LGBT Community: a Look Back and a Look Ahead. •
r/Hiphopheads.” Reddit, Reddit Inc, 1ADAD, www.reddit.com/r/hiphopheads/comments/5kmbrj/hiphop_and_the_lgbt_community_a_look_back_and_a/.
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