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December 23, 2005
Women rappers
If I haven't expressed enough already how much I like alternet and how I usually forget about it's existence for several weeks at a time, maybe you should look into it now. I am pleased with it's continually progressive attitude, especially after I was listening to NPR recently and heard a Sodexho "commercial" on air. Anyways, alternet is the website, but the article I read today was How To Sell a Stereotype, by Lisa Katayama from Bitch Magazine. Bitch is also a semi-ok feminist magazine, but I would say go read Off Our Backs waaay before you read Bitch.
Anyways. I was trying to solve a "problem" of liking Northern State so much, even though I know most people think I'm ridiculous for liking them. I used Amazon to find something, but instead of being directed towards more female hiphop/rap artists, I was pushed towards more indie rock-esque stuff, which makes me wonder if it is because they're white and not black musicians. The other women hiphop artists I can think of (that I listen/listened to) are Missy Elliot, Princess Superstar, kinda Peaches, Lauryn Hill... is there anything else? If so, I can't think of it at 2:19 a.m.
To bring it back, I am watching a vh1 show called 'Hip Hop Honors' and they just did a medley with Salt N Pepa, En Vogue and a bunch of other important women in rap. Now that was really cool, but then they did it with the song that goes 'What a man, what a man, what a mighty fine man' which I know is very famous, but isn't that sick? The background was a slideshow of a bunch of men (maybe famous?) but come on! How can these women who are incredibly important to opening the door to women in hiphop have to get on television and have to slut themselves to men in the end?
This is frustrating. These are all black women who have opened the way for women of all races to take up the mic and they're still being subverted, even as they're being praised for their success. As hiphop has been very... unfriendly to women, to say the least, can't there be some oasis of idealism? Even if it's just a moment.
On a happier note, now I know where to go looking for music.
Posted by jay at December 23, 2005 1:07 AM