Contributed by Shelby Powell on 2/18/08

OK. So this topic has been visited, revisited, warmed over, chopped, screwed, scattered, smothered and covered. Folks have talked about this until their tongues swell and resolution is still nowhere to be found. General community rationalization has taken over and some members have started to wonder; is it really an issue at all? I was recently reminded of the students of Spelman College declining to host Nelly’s bone marrow drive some years ago due to his rather lascivious music video, Tip Drill, and it got me to thinking. Where is the once open and articulate discourse over misogyny in Hip Hop? Who do we blame for the lack of respect for the fairer sex in this medium? Should we all accept some culpability? Hmmm….

Now, possession of a minimum of three brain cells allows you to understand the Hip Hop Universe did not create the scathing opinions of women we take in from media as a whole. We can find scantily clad, presumed promiscuous women in more places than rap videos. Multitudes of famous men, few of whom are rappers, have been linked to the ‘changing women like I change my underwear’ culture. And the favored terms of endearment used to reference women (bitch, hoe, skank, freak, etc.) by this ever growing culture made their respective ways to our vernacular way before ‘Rapper’s Delight’ did. But you know how it works. The Hip Hop as scapegoat mentality always finds a way to point a finger in the genres general direction. The media blame game teaches there were no social ills until ‘Raising Hell’ went platinum.

Still, you have to admit, there is no shortage of this particular ill in rap. At some times during the constant evolution of the art form, it seemed to be the dominant consensus of our chosen musical sons. Beef can reign supreme and the least hint of perceived disrespect will spark 3 years worth of diss lyrics from crews far and wide, but those same dudes can always agree on one thing. Women are only good for… one thing. Completely discount the fact that their mothers are women. Their sisters and aunts are women. Approximately half of their children are or will one day be… women. The drive to sell, and yes misogyny has a proven sales track record, outweighs them all. After all, love of money is the root of all evil and I’d say calling your baby momma a hoe on wax is a little evil.

So where are the women in all of this mess? When was the last time we saw some platinum selling rappers wife or mother condemning his lyrics? How many times have the ladies cleared the dance floor when some rude, filthy remark blared from the club speakers? Why is there never a sparse turnout to a video casting that will require its participants to don thongs and stilettos? How about the mother who pushes her 15-year-old forward in that casting line, teasing her hair and hiking her skirt as she has her little girl practice saying what year she was born in because girls under 18 supposedly will not be considered? Ladies, in certain veins of thought; some of the responsibility, maybe even much of the responsibility can be placed right at your feet. Why don’t we speak up for ourselves in more impressive numbers, tones or tenors? Why don’t we have a real problem with how we are being portrayed?

Unfortunately, some of us have bought into the hype. We have been brainwashed into believing that it’s not a battle worth picking because truth lies in the statements. Remember, it comes from all angles, not just Hip Hop. How many times do we hear it before we believe it? How many of your girlfriends have adopted some discourteous word or phrase only to tag themselves with the moniker screaming, “Its empowerment!” Using the b-word as an acronym for the thoughts we wish others had for us. Babe.In.Total.Control.of.Herself. … or something just as ambitious. Breathing life into the stereotypes, we strut and preen with those words emblazoned across our chests or butts allowing yet another person to agree. She is. She is.

Those young ladies at Spelman had a point. They were sick and tired of the submissive, ultra-sexual, marginally intelligent presentation of their peers. So they said, “No.” No to referring to them as anything less than what they were; proud young ladies with respect for themselves. Yet, in dismissing Mr. Midwest Swing, they ejected not only the man with the top running homage to strip clubs on late night video shows across the country; they dismissed a worthy cause that is normally ignored by African Americans. And they dismissed the complexity of his layers which made both ventures plausible.

There you have it folks, the anti-lynch pin to it all. Who can we truly blame; everyone and no one. Unraveling this issue would require a consideration of any and all ideology that created it. The intricate web of male/female interaction was here long before hip hop and will be continuously woven through paths that have nothing to do with the music. Art imitates life and the mirror turned on some of societies worst problems is magnified in the world of rap simply because those problems are magnified in the lives of its participants.

By no means do I believe anyone deserves a pardon for disrespecting the mothers of civilization, but understand that assessing blame will solve nothing. You worry about you. Take note of and censor the music your children listen to. Respect yourself and carry yourself accordingly. Remember that woman who just told you yes, or no, for whatever reason she did, reserves that right just as you do and shouldn’t be torn down verbally because of it. Treat others as you wish to be treated. Then you can alleviate your personal culpability and move on to bigger and better things, like donating some bone marrow.

Amen.

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