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partner before engaging in any sexual activity. Consent is a conversation, and dialog about sex is critically important. Exploring what makes one’s partner comfortable and pleased is one of the key components of sexual satisfaction.

Another important aspect of sex is communication.

As the rapper Queen Latifah once said, “Ladies first,” and this applies to sexual communication as well. It’s important to talk openly and honestly with your partner about what you like and don’t like and to listen to their needs and desires.

When one talks about sex as an infectious disease physician, protection is a crucial component. The legendary rapper LL Cool J said, “Don’t be a fool; wrap your tool.”

Using protection like condoms, male or female (yes, there are female condoms) is crucial to protecting yourself and your partner from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancies. Regular STI testing compliments sexual health and comfort, leading to increased pleasure.

The 90s saw a revolution in music, with emerging genres such as hip hop and R&B sparking fruitful debates about sex and sexual health.

In this era, songs from celebrities and groups normalizing conversations around HIV and STIs to deeper discussions about consent, access to contraception, and reproductive rights, challenged societal norms and brought issues of gender identity, privileges, and power to the mainstream. During this era and the conversation about sexual education came HIV.

In the hip hop community, nothing brought that home more than the diagnosis and eventual demise of Eazy E of the legendary group NWA.

Female icons from Missy Elliott, to Lil Kim, normalized female empowerment and selflove and advocated for safe sex, further inspiring a new generation of artists and revolutionizing sex in music; Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. It’s often been said that the current generation never had a marque persona living with HIV, such as Rock Hudson, Magic Johnson, or Arthur Ashe.

But the links between culture, sexuality, and politics are everywhere, and hip hop has often been front and center in this.

The group Digital Underground once said, “Doowutchyalike.” Everyone has different preferences regarding sex, and there’s no one right way to do it. It’s all about finding what works for you and your partner and exploring each other’s desires safely and respectfully.

After all, sex is supposed to be fun.

The hip hop duo Kid ‘n Play once said, “Ain’t gonna hurt nobody.” If you’re not enjoying yourself, taking a break, switching things up, or even stopping altogether is okay.

Remember, sex should be a positive experience that brings you and your partner closer together.

I would be naive to gloss over hip hop’s controversial and misogynistic past and current state. Sexual safety and “rape culture” has sometimes been blamed on rap and hip hop. There is much to be said about how lyrics can affect young minds growing up and make it difficult to understand how consent and conversations are the cornerstones of any relationship, sexual or otherwise.

As in all things in life, there are at least three sides -- one side, the other, and the truth. Everyone’s truth lies in their experience; good or bad. Music can provide many things to many people; the good, the bad, and the ugly. In any discussion about healthy sexuality, it’s fair to point out the role of music in creating those safe and comfortable spaces in which human beings thrive, as well as its role in creating unhealthy stereotypes. In a world where everything is contentious, politics, money, how to raise kids, healthcare, sex is something most people agree is fun, even if they don’t have enough. Some of the most important things to remember when it comes to sex, as told through the iconic hip hop references of the 1990s are to protect yourself and your partner, get explicit consent, communicate openly, and most importantly, have fun!