The Hip Hop Wars: Chapter 5

Hip Hop Demeans Women

In chapter 5 Tricia Rose goes in depth about the debate in hip hop on sexism and women. She comments on the bigger issues about sexism as a whole not just an issue in hip hop and solutions to this issue as well as giving her personal opinions on this matter. She does this into three general sections, R.E.S.P.E.C.T- But Not the Kind Aretha Franklin Had in Mind, Explicit Isn't Always Exploitative, and "Free the Girls": Hip Hop's Betrayal of Black Women.

In the first section, R.E.S.P.E.C.T- But Not the Kind Aretha Franklin Had in Mind, she quotes George W. Bush's State of the Union Address on February 3, 2005, "Tonight I propose a three-year [faith-based] initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence." Her rejection of this quote is basically the back-bone of this section of the chapter.(113)

This quote:

1. Relies on the fiction that American mainstream models of masculinity (the white middle class) are non-violent, "respect" women, and reflect a history of civility, honor, and justice. (118)

First of all, this implies that the mainstream model of masculinity in society has always honored and respected women throughout history and that hip hop brings sexism as a completely new idea.

2. Hip hop does not break from the fundamental logic of mainstream msculinity so much as convey it with excess, bravado, an extra insult.(119)

Basically, the demeaning of women is not a new idea, but has existed in mainstrean society in many forms. Hip hop culture takes it to the extreme and magnifies what is already occuring. Pointing the finger at hip hop ignores the overall issue of sexism in society and that doesn't solve anything. There are polite forms of sexism as well that are reflected in religious, moral, social, and political ways. Religious leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have jumped on the "respect" black-women bandwagon but do not include any specifics on how black women are discriminated against nor does it often include a black feminist analysis of the issues.

In the second section, Explicit Isn't Always Exploitative, Rose points out that being explicit does not always equal being degrading. The argument now is to get rid of all sexually explicit lyrics in hip hop, but in doing that society is also taking black womens ability to express their sexual freedom. There are songs that can be sexually empowering such as "Your Revolution" by Sarah Jones. On the contrary artist such as Trina, Lil' Kim, and Foxy Brown use sexually explicit lyrics to exploit themselves.

The last section, "Free the Girls": Hip Hop's Betrayal of Black Women, talks about the movements in place to combate sexism in hip hop such as, Take Back the Music and Black Girls Rock. Rose says, "Too often in our public debates the whole thing turns into a "blame or explain" festival. One side attacks and blames, and the other side explains." When in actuality more young women should be joining these groups to get their voices heard and learn more about what is going on. Furthermore, social critics should hold artist more accountable because speaking out against sexism but showing support for these same artist is self-defeating.

Overall, according to Rose on page 131, the challenge is threefold:
1. To develop and promote a serious, progressive attack on sexism in hip hop without patriarchal, conservative religious, or anti-black youth politics as is guide.
2. To encourage, promote, and support those young black women and men who are embedded and invested in hip hop music but who also want to fundamentally challenge the sexism that defines the music.
3. To educate all youth, both boys and girls - especially those with the least access to ideas about gender equality - about sexism: how it works, why it works, and how to "keep it real" without it.

Georden Burton and Shayna Watts