Hypersexuality and Black Women Rappers in a Male Dominated Genre by: Erika Carter

In the music industry, rap is a genre of music which allows artists to express their thoughts and feelings about certain issues whether it be personal or political. It especially mirrors the African-American way of telling a story while telling the truth about urban life in communities. Living in a world where Hip-Hop has been a genre dominated by men has been difficult for black female artists who want to be recognized as artists and women in the rap industry. According to feminist writer Gwendolyn Pough, this is due to the voices of black female artists being ignored and silenced. Thus causing these black female rappers to use their music as a way to fix different views of their identities. From MC Queen Latifah to Nicki Minaj, there has been a major transition over time that has taken place within the hypersexualization of female rappers in black culture. Four artists representing this change over time are Queen Latifah, Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, and Lauryn Hill. These four artists and their work show this change over time by the way in which they present themselves in their work to empower others. Both Minaj and Lil Kim do so by using their sexuality in their lyrics, videos, and wardrobe. Both artists use explicit verses in their music where neither are afraid to speak of their sexual capabilities and desires. Both artists use such explicit lyrics in an effort to be higher than or equivalent to the male MC’s in the industry. While incorporating their sexuality, they are empowering women to reclaim and own their sexualities. Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill take an alternative route of empowering women by carefully using their lyrics. In Latifah’s hit U.N.I.T.Y, she discussed the use of the words “hoe” and bitch while demanding respect and an end to domestic violence. She tells a story about walking down the street with low cut shorts and having her “ass” grabbed then being called a bitch. Through this song, she shows how black women are so easily devalued and how quick women are looked down upon for wearing something that may show more skin than usual. Wearing short shorts does not make a woman a “hoe” and she makes that disrespect and misunderstanding very clear in her song. Lauryn Hill also demands respect to both men and women in her hit “Doo Wop”. She demands for men and women to have self respect and stick to who they are because if not, it affects they will be viewed. Without sexually exploiting themselves, both women challenge and empower the men and the women of their communities.

While seeing two different methods of empowerment, one concerning sexuality and the other being what is viewed as a more “positive” or “appropriate” way of empowering others, I challenge the use and stereotypes of hypersexuality of black female artists in their music. The use of sexuality in their music is viewed as negative because of society and it’s expectations of sexual submissive women. Sexuality should not be something that women are ashamed of and rapper Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim prove that in their lyrics and videos where they dress in skin tight clothes, knee high heels, etc. These two artists both manage to challenge the idea that certain clothes worn make a woman a “slut” or a “hoe” in the way that they dress and present themselves and their music. Both willingly talk about their sex lives while managing not to make themselves sexual objects as men MC’s in the industry have done.

Although black female rappers have struggled to come up in what is considered to be a male dominated genre, they continue to be on the rise in an effort to gain power and respect. Queen Latifah, Lil Kim, Lauryn Hill, and Nicki Minaj have all contributed to hip-hop and they are important figures in encouraging other females artists to enter the rap industry. Women should not feel as if they have to do certain things such as dress under the male gaze which is this idea that in the media, e.g. the rap industry, the audience is predominantly a male audience. With the help of these four black artists, there is now a female gaze, a female audience to empower. The start of this female gaze is a huge step to black female artists being more openly accepted in the music industry.