There’s a great article in the Washington Post on the soon-to-be extinction of female rappers in the music world.
As a native New Yorker and lover of hip-hop from a young age, I was drawn to writer Teresa Wiltz’s nostalgic talk of old school hip-hop, and the female MCs who were a huge influence on hip-hop world and the young generation of that time. But where have they gone? Queen Latifah has moved to movies, Monie Love disappeared, MC Lyte is rarely heard of, and even Lauryn Hill is pretty much out of the scene these days.
What’s left (in mainstream hip-hop, that is) is Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim and Trina -- who although I do enjoy their rhymes and consider them good rappers -- seem to feel that their most interesting topic of their rhymes is about their sexcapades. Now, do I object to that? Not at all. I love talking about sex. Have female rappers of this age possibly become more sexualized as women rappers and less valued as serious rappers? Hell yeah. And that is what Wiltz is trying to get at.
“The day of the tomboy -- think MC Lyte, Bahamadia, Da Brat -- is over. (Even Eve's covered up her TWA -- teeny-weeny Afro -- with a blond weave.) Today, there's just one role that a woman can play in hip-hop, so long as she knows, and keeps, her place: the chanteuse. Of course, this only works if you look like Beyonce or Ashanti or Ciara or the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie -- think long, blonde-streaked hair -- and sing like them, too. "Sing" is the operative word here. You can sing hooks to a rap song; you can even sing your own songs, songs steeped in a rap sensibility. You just can't rap. Understand that your role is to look and sound pretty, sort of like aural wallpaper.”
What has happened to the ladies in hip-hop? But some may correlate this with the question that many also ask, “What has happened to hip-hop”? The language and image of today’s female rappers may just compliment the language and image in general of mainstream rap these days.
Any thoughts?
the only female rapper who comes to mind is lil' kim, who's raps always focus on how great she is at sex. leaves a little left to be desired. the late left eye from tlc was one of the few female rappers left who had control over her lyrics and the music that went with them.
i heard that essence magazine has taken the topic of women in hip-hop and is attempting to look at it from all angles in a number of upcoming issues. i give it about six months until the record labels figure out the public wants female rappers and they throw us some.
This is also being addressed by the CS Monitor.
The link to the CS Monitor article didn't show. It is:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0112/p11s01-almp.html
Ever since I can remember ,writers have been predicting the imminent mass triumph of female rappers. There's always someone who's just about to break out, change the sexpot/flygirl/bitch-ho stereotype and so on. But it never really happens. Maybe now that the dream of gender-equal rap is dead, women can talk openly about how unbelievably sexist it is and stop saying things like "I don't pay attention to the lyrics."
Hey, there's Missy Elliot out there doing her own thing. Granted, that makes her the exception that proves the rule, but she does deserve credit. Lauryn Hill, too, though she's dropped off the face of the planet, it seems.
What about Eve and Missy Elliot? I know there are others but they are slipping my mind right now. Don't get me wrong, I think there should be even more great female rappers but please don't forget about the great ones that are out there!
Women rappers tend to suck. Rap has a raw energy only captured well by men. Women have the beauty and often find themselves more musically productive when singing. And why should women lower themselves to such a shappy music style such as rap? We are better than that!
Shappy?
Women don't have "raw energy"???? Gee, female performers from Aretha Franklin to Joan Jett would be surprised to hear that. That is the same old tired argument used over and over again against women in ANY male-dominated musical genre. Hell, despite the fact that there've been generation after generation of hard-rocking women musicians, you still hear people going on about how rock and roll is "man's" music and women just can't hack its intensity. Pfffffffft.
Anyway, I also wanted to add that I just recently read an article about female rappers in Israel and (I think) Palestine, and I know of women rappers in Britain and Spain--so maybe the lack of women working this genre in the US says more about where Americans are right now than the position of women in the genre as a whole.
Personally, I don't listen to much rap. What I really miss is the female lead-singer rock groups from my favorite music period ever- mid-90's Alternative. Alongside all the "classic" Grunge acts (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, even R.E.M. with "Monster"), Garbage was one of my favorite bands of the 90's. Also Liz Phair with her old band (her new album is WAY underrated due to snotty people's hatred of anything "pop"), 10,000 Maniacs, Republica, The Cardigans, (Lisa Loeb &) Nine Stories, No Doubt, etc. Evanescence's album is awesome, but it is very lonely in that genre.
- OK, kinda lame, but I always thought Blondie's "rap" in Rapture was awesome! Granted, I was like 3 months old in 1980, but I remember it from my childhood as so freakin' cool.
- Speaking of music, look at the 2nd disclaimer at the bottom of the page for apple's ipodshuffle. it's awesome: http://wdb.apple.com/ipodshuffle/
James, there are way more and better female-fronted bands working now than then. Also, they work in a broader variety of genres. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater Kinney, Le Tigre, The Donnas, you name it.
I don't think any of those hold a candle to Garbage, personally. Or Liz Phair. To each his own though...
I just saw a great female hip hop artist last night and not in that "I'm a hot, male rapper side kick" kind of way. Jean Grae is great and independently labeled and apparently ran with guys like Mos Def before they were signed. Check her out
There seem to be some short memories out there on the 'net. Women rappers have given as good as they've gotten, and more, but you'd have to go back way further than Lil Kim to know.
I'd nominate Roxanne Shante as the finest female MC of all time -- her rhymes would cut any male rapper down to size; check out "Year of the Independent Woman" on Bad Sister. But even before her, you had Paulette and Tanya Winley, Sequence, the Mercedes Ladies, and many more. Queen Latifah rocked the mic in her day before she took up acting, and what about May May Ali, daughter of the great boxer, who delivered hard-hitting rhymes without a single cuss word? MC Lyte is also one of the greats, and Yo Yo went toe to toe with Ice Cube. And on the DJ tip, what about Pam the Funkstress of The Coup?
The list could be way longer, but my point is that women rappers, and feminist rappers specifically, have been rockin' the house since Lil Kim was in Pampers.
Professa RAP
Re woman-fronted groups: Antigone Rising is amazing.
And Missy Elliott still rocks.
Cheers,
TH
And Queen Latifah is still in the music game--I saw her on the Daily Show last week, and she mentioned that she's recording a new studio album that'll feature of a mix of rapped and sung tracks.
Cheers,
TH