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WAP: Setting Women Back or Offering Female Empowerment?
Rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s anticipated collab “WAP” dropped late last week and the internet has been abuzz ever since. So far, besides a random and inexplicable cameo by Kylie Jenner that has resulted in a growing petition to get her removed from the video, both the song and music video have been criticized for their explicit lyrics and imagery from just about all sides.
Neither Cardi B or Megan Thee Stallion are strangers to controversy. As two of this generation’s most successful and celebrated female rappers, both women have faced their fair share of criticism, albeit for different reasons. Despite this, one thing that both women have proven since their breakthroughs into the music industry is that they’re not afraid of showing a little skin or spitting out bars just as dirty as male rappers’.
Unlike their male counterparts though, female rappers and musicians seem to be the only ones expected to apologize for openly and unapologetically showcasing their sexuality. Much like Cardi and Megan, rapper Nicki Minaj has also faced harsh criticism throughout her career for suggestive songs and videos, most notably for her song “Anaconda” which…
