Women's Portray from Hip Hop

          As hip hop continues to remain a vital piece in how people’s ideas are shaped and formed, sparking up issues that affect the youth today and in the future, it has influenced the gender norms and assumptions of who men and women in society. Hip Hop has reinforced double standards that have existed for years and it continues to degrade and objectify women, belittling their abilities to be more than just their body but as a catalyst in Hip Hop and society.

         Adrianna E. Frick explains in her article, Life as a Short Shouldn’t Be So Rough, blames the treatment of women on the lack of representation of women in hip hop. She believes that the undiversified roles and figures of women as rap artists has caused encouragement for people to assume that women are “hos” and “groupies” (2016). Unfortunately, we analyze this pattern of downplaying women centuries after it has begun, embracing the lyrics of Ice T and Dr. Dre diminishing women’s value to just being a sex toy. But what strikes me as surprising is why people never objected to the portrayal of women when they were first introduced to it. I believe that people, subconsciously agreed with the views of rap artists when they rashly insinuated ideas about women in their music videos and songs. For example, Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None) expresses, “I know the pussy’s mines, i’ma fuck a couple more times. And then I’m through with it, there’s nothing else to do with it. Pass it to the homie, now you hit it. Cause she ain’t nuthin but a bitch to me. And y’all know, that bitches ain’t shit to me.” His lyrics, as well as many other rap artists’ lyrics, glorify women only to be a source of sexual pleasure. This song was very popular and was a favorite of both men and women without deeply thinking about the message that it instills in society.

          Hip hop is a powerful tool to change and revamp the mindsets of people all over the world. Instead of using it as a platform to downplay the role of women, artists and fans should use it as an outlet to encourage feminism. Julian Sonny explains that the transition from a sexist industry and society is possible if we allow the voices of women in hip hop to be heard and respected. There needs to be a reform of sexual objectification to expressing and embracing ones’ sexuality as a woman (2015). The problem at hand is that female artists aren’t respected unless they dress or speak in a way similar to men’s style which takes away from their identity and supports the idea that patriarchy is strong within this industry. As Julian Sonny says, feminism has to emerge and become a movement in order to diminish the lack of respect and overwrite the ideas of women in Hip Hop and society. Instead of women going against each other and creating issues between one another, they must come together to restructure the mindset of artists and fans to correct the stereotypes and gender roles established since Hip Hop was introduced to people all over the world.

Frick, A. E. (2016). Life as a Shorty Shouldn’t Be So Rough: Economic Influence on Gender Roles in Hip-Hop Music. Retrieved March 23, 2016.

Snoop Dogg. (1993). It Ain't Fun (If the Homies Can't Get None) [MP3]. Issac Hayes. (1993)

Sonny, J. (2015, July 24). How Feminism In Hip-Hop Could Bring Real Changes To A Sexist Industry. Retrieved March 23, 2016.