Can I Listen To Rap As A Feminist?

Written by Talia Zakalik | Designed by Shelby Mitchell | Graphics by Emily Snisarenko

How to Reconcile the Misogyny in Rap with Modern Ideals

Rap exists today as one of the most popularly consumed music genres, transcending the music industry by mixing fashion and film. What started as a Black-led form of resistance and counterculture has quickly become mainstream. Yet underneath the catchy beats, there lies an underbelly riddled with controversy. When one listens closely to the lyrics of almost any rap song, they are likely to hear “bitch, hoe, slut, etc…”. Not to mention countless other terms that degrade women by oversexualizing them. In rap, it seems women exist merely as objects to suit the male gaze. Concurrent with my own love for rap, I also identify as a feminist. To some, this may sound like an oxymoron, while others simply disregard the degradation of women in rap music as inherent to the genre. Is it possible to subscribe to intersectional feminism while listening to rap?

The mainstream representation of women is essential when considering the advancement of women in society. For centuries women have been viewed as weak, strictly maternal, but hypersexualized. Feminism was born as a response to inequality and gender-based discrimination. When an entire genre of music promotes a one-dimensional narrative of women, the consumers of that music are influenced. Subconsciously, ideas are passed down through music because it is a powerful medium. The opinions of big rappers have an especially large impact, with a huge platform and the power to paint women as submissive and existing for sex.

Eminem is regarded as one of the best-selling rappers of all time. Yet when I think of Eminem a particular lyric from “Kill You” comes to mind, “Sl*t, you think I won't choke no wh*re/Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!" Not only is this misogynistic, but it condones violence against women. West also degraded fellow artist Taylor Swift when he rapped, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why?/I made that b*tch famous (Goddamn)/I made that b*tch famous/For all the girls that got d*ck from Kanye West/If you see 'em in the streets give 'em Kanye's best.” While these lyrics stand out as especially problematic, there are less obvious ones. A 2012 article published in Time magazine found that Jay-Z used the word “bitch” 109 times out of 217 songs. There is about a 50% chance that when you listen to a Jay-Z song you will hear language that disrespects women.

However, as 4th Wave Feminism is reshaping what it means for a woman to reclaim her own sexuality, women within the hip-hop industry are making strides. Cardi B has capitalized on her sexuality with her rap career and has come a long way from her days as a stripper struggling to make ends meet. She uses the same derogatory words in her music as her male counterparts; however, it is done in the name of female empowerment, perhaps a way of reclaiming the words, as is often done with slurs. Cardi B is strong and financially independent. She is a “boss ass bitch” and in this case, bitch has a positive connotation. 4th Wave Feminism has made it possible for words that were once used to shame women to be said with power. However, when a man uses these words, they still carry a different meaning—a connotation of inferiority. Similarly, Megan Thee Stallion has recently made a name for herself within rap, coining the term “hot girl shit” as a means of empowering women. Stallion has the utmost autonomy over her sexuality and is proud of it. Her 2020 hit “Body” opens with the sound of a woman moaning sexually, which then reappears as a the backdrop for the rest of the song. Stallion raps about receiving oral sex and having a body with “big titties and little waist.” Cardi B and Stallion teamed up to create WAP which stands for “Wet Ass Pussy.” The song is about female pleasure and explores sex from a woman’s perspective. It was controversial in conservative settings, but met with a warm welcome from women who find the lyrics empowering. Cardi B and Stallion are proud of being sexual. They are rapping about the same topics their male counterparts do, but it is only made controversial by the media which is inherently misogynistic. These women are pushing rap forward by breaking the boundaries of how female artists can self-express.

Perhaps rap is not the problem when it comes to sexism within the music industry? After all, there are countless other genres with artists who sing about women in a questionable manner. Even The Beatles, widely considered to be one of the most influential bands, infamously sang, “She was only 17 if you know what I mean.” The romanticization of underage girls within music has influenced a culture that hypersexualizes girls before they are even adults. One of America's favorite Christmas anthems “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which has been covered by numerous artists, consists of a back-and-forth between a man who is attempting to convince a woman to stay over while she comes up with reasons as to why she needs to leave. At one point he fixes her drink and she sings, “Say what’s in this drink,” alluding to being dosed with a date rape drug. He continues to pressure her to stay presumably for sex. Rap is mimicking an already established pattern of violation of female sexual autonomy in music.

Yet there still is an undeniable hyperfixation on rap as a sexist music genre. This is a result of rap existing as a historically African American music form. The United States is entrenched with a uniquely systemic structure of racism towards black men in particular. He is portrayed as suspicious, unreliable, and a danger toward women. These notions date back to the Jim Crow era which perpetuated stereotypes that still linger within American society today. Therefore, when rappers, many of whom are black men, use language that degrades women, a pronounced outrage occurs as a result of historic racial biases.

Music is a reflection of our current social, political, and economic climate. We live in a culture that treats women as secondary and that is demonstrated in the music we consume on a daily basis. If you reject rap on the basis of sexism, you must reject every lyrically charged genre of music. You can be feminist and listen to rap, just as you can be a feminist and listen to pop, rock, or even jazz. It is illogical for this debate to only revolve around rap. As feminists, we must unify to alter the perception of women within American society, and in doing so that will reenvision the representation of women in music.