Black Women and Black Men in Hip Hop Music: Misogyny, Violence, and the Negotiation of (White-Owned) Space

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

For some, the problem is the vulgarity of the language or the crudeness of speech. For others, it is the violence in the lyrical content; the seemingly unavoidable nihilism that envelops many of the genre’s stars. Many of us abhor the misogyny in the music and videos; the unabashed glorification of crime and the unrelenting objectification of black women. Yet a good number of us cannot help but purchase the albums and focus instead on the lyrical dexterity of the artists or on the potential for social and political critique present in the music. All in all, most every outsider to rap or Hip Hop music has an opinion about the seemingly troublesome character of the genre and rightly so. The complex history of the art form and its present international popularity and commercial success demands it of us. Hip Hop as a cultural and economic powerhouse invites a critical eye. It deserves our scrutiny.

Of particular importance are those aspects of the music that frequently appear in the midst of political debates and media hype.

Comments

ISBN 9781544393421 (pbk.); 9781544393438 (ebook)

Full text ebook is available to authorized Sacred Heart University users.

From Rebollo-Gil, G. & Moras, A. (2012). Black women and black men in hip hop music: Misogyny, violence, and the negotiation of (white-owned) space. The Journal of Popular Culture, (45)1. Reprinted with permission of John Wiley & Sons.

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