RAP REFUSES TO SUPPORT WAP: WOMEN AND POWER
Hit song “WAP” opens discussion about the double standard in the rap industry CC PALUMBO Features Editor | GRACE GOULD Online Features Editor
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ven in 2020, the double standard between men and women in the rap industry has yet to be toppled. Unsurprisingly, when Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B released “WAP” in August, a song about women embracing their sexuality and empowering themselves, criticism and controversy quickly followed. When “WAP” dropped, its explicit lyrics drew worldwide attention, especially from the media, which categorized it as crude and inappropriate. Many people, including political commentator Ben Shapiro, even pegged the artists as “bad role models.” Shapiro labeled the song as “vulgar,” but when compared to other popular rap songs sung by men, “WAP” does not stand alone in being explicit. “When women and men sing the same lyrics, we criticize women much more. For example, in ‘WAP,’ the lyric ‘wh**es in this house’ was taken from a rap song in 1993 by Frank Ski. But when Cardi and Meghan used it, it was criticized very harshly,” said junior Rohini Kumaran, co-president of the Girls Leadership Committee. The rap industry is notoriously based around the objectification of women, but the criticism of “WAP” revealed the negativity that is associated with women taking control of their sexuality. While male rappers have been able to profit off of this sexualization for years, female artists have been forced into the shadows, treated as objects within the industry to
be seen and not heard. “In society it is more acceptable for a man to talk about a woman sexually than for a woman to talk about herself sexually,” said senior Tallisen Scott, president of the Feminist Club. The double standard is made obvious when comparing “WAP” to “Kim” by Eminem—while one was widely acclaimed, the other was villainized. “This song that played a role in normalizing abuse and domestic violence was one of Eminem’s hit songs and a highlight in his career. By many, this was seen as artful and praised Eminem for his intelligence in its creation,” Kumaran said. “Frankly, I was disturbed to see the positive reaction it got from the media and audience.” This isn’t the only time women have been harshly critiqued for rapping about the same topics as men. While artists like Kanye West and Eminem have profited off of the exploitation of the female body for years, pioneering female rappers such as Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat have been forced to weather a barrage of criticism over everything from the content of their lyrics to their bodies for decades. “Since many hip-hop and rap songs created by men are very degrading, female rappers equate independence to having control over their financial stability and their sexuality,” Kumaran said. “Songs like this are looked down upon because our society doesn’t support powerful, self-confident and self-assured women like it does men.” The reaction to the song has shown society’s true colors in regards to gender equality. Underlying sexism becomes more evident, especially to the public eye, when these conversations come to the surface. “Women being critiqued more harshly in the music industry is reflective of a larger patriarchal society which holds different standards for men and women in nearly every industry,” said junior Susan Shobeiri, co-president of the Girls Leadership Committee.
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However, not everyone sees this gendered double standard. Some see the criticism of women as reflective of the content of the music they create. “I think that a lot of times, women’s rap can come across as shallow and less about sending a message, which many male artists attempt to do and many female artists don’t even try to do,” junior Paul Kim said. “I think that a lot of the mainstream woman artists in hip-hop aren’t about sending an actual message, so any criticism towards that point can be harsh but valid.” Some see sexualization as the only avenue to success for women in hip-hop, stemming from deep-rooted sexist ideologies. “I think that women need more viable avenues to become mainstream without sexualizing themselves and trying to appeal to that side of the music industry in general,” Kim said. Rather than seeing this kind of expression as women bringing harsh criticism upon themselves, others say it is reflective of the double standard that has persisted in societal expectations for generations. “It really comes back down to what society deems as acceptable for a woman,” Shobeiri said “Men have always been perceived as more dominant and controlling, and I think when women defy this culture, the underlying misogynistic views held in our society present themselves.” OCTOBER | A&E | 31
