Monday, June 13th, 2005

J-Shep On Hip-Hop Feminism

How did I miss this brilliant piece? Our girl Julianne on the B-Girl Be Festival, contextualizing the event in the larger picture:

Uniting and empowering women in hip hop, and encouraging them to collaborate, is certainly the shiny, happy side of a coin where the other option is the mainstream’s violence and naked, gyrating women as props. However, if there was ever a ripe time in history for an event like B-Girl Be to occur, it’s now. Over the past year, the hip-hop feminist movement has congealed somewhat magically. About a year ago, Spelman College initiated a boycott of Nelly for his graphic, misogynistic video for the song “Tip Drill”; subsequently, the Ying Yang Twins were barred from performing at Florida Atlantic University for their women-degrading lyrics. Essence magazine launched a “Take Back the Music” campaign, printing a series of articles addressing “hip-hop’s outlook on black women’s sexuality.” And recently, the University of Chicago hosted a Feminism and Hip-Hop Conference, which brought together activists, academics, and critics for three days of panels on the mistreatment and degradation of women in hip hop. To some, these events and activities look like signposts that the ladies are getting organized: It’s too soon to call it, but the signs are there for a critical mass of hip-hop feminism, which could, ideally, change the way women–especially women of color–are viewed in the hip-hop mainstream.

posted by Jeff Chang @ 8:16 am | 4 Comments

4 Responses to “J-Shep On Hip-Hop Feminism”

Daweet says:

June 15, 2005 at 3:28 am

fellin’ your blog, check mine out

http://certifiedlistener.blogspot.com/

comments are welcom
caynd says:

June 15, 2005 at 8:08 am

check these sites on women and hiphop:

http://www.femalehiphop.net

http://www.verbalisms.com
Brother OMi says:

June 16, 2005 at 4:32 am

i think these efforts are wonderful BUT the brothers got to get involved as well..
The Bishop of Hip Hop says:

June 16, 2005 at 6:45 am

i’m interestested to see how many women will put lil kim and the rest of the “sex is power” female rappers on BLAST….

essence and these other mags were LATE in the game when it came to covering hip hop at all, let alone SERIOUSLY…so, i dont take a lot of the feminist “take back hip hop” vibe seriously…

not because it should not be, but because those that are now picking up the torch- NEVER cared when the thang jumped off…

but i have a great deal of respect for women…being the recovering sexist that i am….

-Adisa “I’m workin’ on it” Banjoko

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