Hip-hop music includes violent and abusive lyrics that could possibly reflect other illegal activities used for sexual purposes. Music identified as hip-hop verbally violates basic human rights, particularly women’s rights. Excessive and blatant connotations of sexual abuse can be found in almost all musical scores, as women are portrayed as prostitutes and assets are worth no more than existing ones for male sexual pleasures. Much of the lyrics in rap songs are abusive and degrading to all women.
Hip-hop is a manifestation and twist on the exploitation of African American and Latin American youth, and is often seen as having attributes of sexism and misogyny. Black and Latino youth in New York City originally started hip-hop culture, which included rapping, DJing, break dancing, and writing graffiti. But it has become something much more than local expressions.
Hip-hop is a lifestyle for many people between the ages of 13 and 30. It includes music, videos, fashion, club scenes, and the ways that young people interact with each other. The media has embraced and embraced hip-hop culture, as have large corporations, such as Coca-Cola and Burger King. Hip-hop versions can be found in marketing media and corporate advertisements. The Brooklyn Museum of Art even has an exhibit dedicated to hip-hop culture.
The most influential part of hip-hop is known as rap music. Rap music is a form of poetry, recited over musical instrumentation. Many consider rap music to be brutally honest, violent, and misogynistic. But to others, the violence and hatred towards women seem blatant and offensive.
Much of rap music portrays black women in negative images. Hip-hop culture sees all women, but especially black women, as sex objects. Most hip-hop videos show women dancing or in sexually explicit poses, wearing bikinis (or less), with the focus on their body parts. The images go hand in hand with explicit language that suggests that women are nothing more than sexual objects or money-generating commodities. Many rappers describe themselves as ‘pimps’ and women as second class sexual products. Many rap songs not only glorify the pimp lifestyle and refer to women in the same way a pimp would describe her prostitutes, but the lyrics promote violence against women who “disobey”.
Of course, not all rap music is misogynistic, and not all black men think of women this way, but a large percentage of hip-hop culture does. Insults in rap music dishonor, disrespect and dehumanize women. When society accepts labeling women in this way, will physical and psychological abuse be acceptable? Unfortunately, many black men struggle with racism or oppression within hip-hop culture and have been conditioned to distrust intrusive feelings of trust and love.
Many women consent to these collaborations and believe that racism or subjugation are viable excuses or justification for the practice of degrading and exploiting women. The number of women auditioning for unpaid video shoots indicates that a significant number of hip-hop consumers are women. Groups of women can be seen lounging in the backstage areas of concerts, expressing a willingness to perform sexually for money and jewelry, or perhaps having a sense of being desired.
Historically, black women have been used as sexual instruments and continue to fight for power and material wealth. When slavery was legal and rampant, black women were routinely sexually abused by any man who wanted her. They could be used for breeding purposes and create more slave trade for their owners. Black women also used sex to reduce the chances of cruel treatment by slave owners. They were paying with their bodies to survive and get a better deal within the uncontrolled and abusive slave life.
Black women emerged from slavery as oversexual and promiscuous. Some saw themselves as dictated by society and believed they had no control over their bodies. While trying to fit into white societies, some black men wanted women to be employed in subordinate roles in a white household; while some black women wanted men to acquire work and be the sole provider. Hip-hop culture displays similar oppressive obsessions. Some black women prefer to use sexual powers for financial gain. And many black men have learned to manipulate women using money. In order for many black women to get what they want, they accept abuse and allow themselves to be exploited through hip-hop imagery.
Sometimes black women are uneducated and have no job skills. Many believe that their bodies are all they have to offer to gain status. Many dysfunctional relationships can be found within hip-hop culture. Some women believe that men are instruments of use to access money; Some men think that women are only of value when it comes to sexual gratification.
Would censoring hip-hop music and lyrics be an answer? Perhaps the solution would be to change hip-hop’s society and ideology by discontinuing negative and misogynistic lyrical promotion. But, the first step in changing gender relations within the hip-hop community is education. People need to be aware of the negative and derogatory connotations that continue to violate women’s rights in sexist lyrics, physical interactions, and hip-hop gatherings. But, of course, people must be receptive to devastating results that violate the cause of human rights and be willing to change.
Are Human Flesh Traders Alive and Well in the United States? Of course, we all know that the trafficking of women is illegal, but considering the over 45,000,000 dating websites on the Internet, is this a modern legal tool that continues the exploitation of women?
Speaking out against the exploitation of women in hip-hop cultures, and for women everywhere, can help change ideologies. But, if women are not interested or willing to stop the exploitative tactics, they will continue to be used and considered only as sexual instruments.
Although women have come a long way, their work is not done and they have a long way to go before equality is achieved.
