DISCLAIMER *PLEASE READ*: Before you read this blog post, I would like to provide a disclaimer regarding this particular topic, and my beliefs and findings toward it:
1) The issue of sexual assault, not only in popular culture but in politics, is one that currently holds great weight in people's hearts and minds - including mine. We live in a society that believes many topics (sexual assault, LGBTQIA, abortion, etc.) are better left unsaid and unacknowledged. If such acknowledgement is paid to these topics and social justice issues, which are accompanied by embarrassment, shame, and adversity, they're real problems that need to be addressed and advocated against. It's easier to ignore sensitive topics because if we pay no attention to them, they don't "exist" - which is most definitely not the case but is the case that is often made. When we disregard comments such as "grab her by the pussy" or blame a woman for what she wore the night she was raped, we only add to the problem. It is crucial to acknowledge the culture (whether that'd be popular culture, academic culture, your personal culture, etc.) we live in, even if we have a difficult time challenging ourselves to acknowledge issues that are seen as "taboo", or topics that we "do not discuss" in our household, in school, or at all. It is my agenda, without any label or belonging to a particular discourse community, to challenge those reading my posts, my family, and my peers to acknowledge social justice issues that shape our communities and other communities we do not belong to. When we accept the fact these social injustices are occurring around us, we add to the advocacy for these issues and are provided with much more information that deem us credible and activists. I ask that each of you keep an open mind and DEFINITELY educate yourselves on topics that are prevalent but sometimes hard to acknowledge.
"Whatever makes you uncomfortable is your biggest opportunity for growth."
- Bryant McGill
2) This blog post highlights the link between the hypersexualization of women and rape culture in Hip-Hop music. I add this to my disclaimer because I do expect an amount of backlash for associating "rape" with Hip Hop music. This is NOT to say that ALL albums, songs, and artists under the Hip Hop genre add to the sociological concept of rape culture, nor promote it. Although I use "Hip-Hop Music", and will continue to refer to it throughout my post, in no way do I believe that all Hip-Hop music contributes to my argument. For simplicity and without having to get complex, I use "Hip-Hop Music" as a general term in the three songs I break down within this post, and apologize if I offend anyone. The three songs I focus on throughout this post are all Hip-Hop songs and defend my argument that some songs of this genre contribute to the environment of "rape culture". If this bothers you, you are more than welcomed to engage in a respectful and productive conversation with me through stephaniepazspam@gmail.com. I will never make an argument that does not include literature, resources, or other forms of credibility, which defend my argument. Credibility and having forms of it to defend my arguments is something I will always do when having face-to-face conversations and when posting on this website. If credibility does not exist in any of my arguments, there's nothing worth fighting for or arguing about.
3) For those that know me, and if you're new to my blog then you'll begin to know, I am a strong advocate for the protection and acknowledgement of those who have been sexually assaulted and harassed, for sexual liberation without victim blaming or slut-shaming, and for social injustices in popular culture. In my advocacy and agenda, I acknowledge all gender pronouns and never discuss topics that are noninclusive, unless the entire post is about a particular gender pronoun (in this blog post, women are mainly the subject of discussion since these Hip-Hop songs demean women). Sexual assault, sexual liberation, and fair treatment of all those of different sexual identities are areas I am extremely passionate about, and are issues that mean so much to me. As a woman, it is not only my job to advocate for women of all descents, but is my obligation to advocate for all sexes, of all descents, that are embraced by the person themselves (ex. transgender woman preferring the pronoun "she"). When reading my posts, please acknowledge that I not only come from a place of advocacy and as an activist, but from a personal place in which these issues truly mean something to me.
4) To some, my breaking down and analysis of the three songs this post focuses on may seem "overdramatic" and "fabricated". However, I believe analyzing these songs in association with rape culture is necessary due to our popular culture and many artists, producers, and mainstream media creatives that have engaged in sexual assault (such as 6ix9ine, R. Kelly, Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, among many others). I also believe that we live in a time where movements, such as the #MeToo Movement, against sexual assault and rape culture are extremely prevalent.
Now that I've provided a disclaimer that is a 3 minute read, let's get on to "Rape Culture in Hip-Hop Music".
In order to better understand my argument and acknowledgment, let's first define what "rape culture" is.
What is "Rape Culture"?
Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. [1]
According to the Southern Connecticut State University's Sexual Misconduct, the following are forms of rape culture:
Blaming the victim - "She asked for it by what she was wearing."
Excusing sexual assault - "Boys will be boys."
Sexually explicit jokes
Inflating false report statistics
Defining "womanhood" as submissive and sexually passive
Pressure on men to "get it in" or "score"
Pressure on women to not appear "cold"
Assuming only promiscuous women get raped
Assuming men do not get raped or that only "weak" men get raped
Teaching women to avoid getting raped
Hypersexualization
And many others provided on their website
A Quick View on How Hip-Hop Music has impacted the American Culture and Society.
As discussed in Kathleen Odenthal's "How Hip-Hop Music Has Influenced American Culture and Society", Hip Hop has not only influenced the Black community in America, but society as a whole. [2] Hip Hop is culture and has provided a platform for MCs and artists to express their opinions about society and even advocate against them. The genre most definitely influenced and uplifted America by speaking up for generations and providing a voice to a group of people trying to convey a message and made its presence in the late twentieth century in American history and social culture.[3] Hip-Hop music is seen as a technique in promoting social awareness and bringing social justice issues, such as racism and politics, to light. However, there are critics of Hip Hop who address the music as "social subversion, chauvinism, aggression, vulgarity, profanity, and little else." [4] And although this isn't always the case with many songs such as Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)", Public Enemy's "Fight the Power", and Black Sheep's "The Choice is Yours", masculinity and the hypersexualization of women is displayed in some Hip-Hop songs such as the songs I will highlight throughout this post.
The three songs I will break down and analyze are:
1) "We Want Some Pussy" by The 2vLive Crew
2) "X is Coming" by DMX
3) "Stay Wide Awake" by Eminem
To distinguish which parts of each song associate with rape culture, I will bold each line in the lyrics to indicate which lyrics promote rape culture.
1."We Want Some Pussy" by The 2 Live Crew
If you've ever listened to The 2 Live Crew, then you know how raunchy and sexual the Rap/Hip-Hop group is. This year will be 29 years since The 2 Live Crew was arrested for performing obscene songs at a concert. [5] Their sexually explicit music occasionally led to "arrests and fines under some states' obscenity laws." [6]
Portions of "We Want Some Pussy" discusses gangbanging in a way that is raping:
"We all would line up in a single-file line And take our turns at waxing girls' behinds"
Although gangbanging could be consensual, there is a possibility that it may not be consensual in this song with the line that proceeds these lyrics.
"The girls would say 'Stop!' I'd say 'I'm not!'
The women being gangbanged literally say "Stop!" but their requests are denied by the male in this song as he says "I'm not!". Asking your partner or anyone you're engaging in sexual acts with to "stop" cannot get any more literal or verbal when you're not enjoying what's happening. If your partner or sexual interest is not stopping as you commanded, then that is rape and not an act of consensual sex with your demand to physically stop, which is the point and case in this lyric.
I say, girls, don't hide it, just divide it And please don't knock it until you've tried it So to all of you bitches and all you hoes Let's have group sex and do the Rambo!
"Bitches" and "hoes" are two words that are demeaning in themselves when addressing women. However, the main issue in this lyric is The 2 Live Crew is telling women not to "knock it" until they've "tried it", meaning that even if they're not interested in a particular sexual act and although it is their decision whether or not they want to try something they've never done, their decision is not important and is something they cannot deny if they're never done it before.
You know what to do, 'cause I won't say please The problem with this line in the song is that there is no communication between The 2 Live Crew and the women they're sexually engaging with and makes me question "If the woman did not know what to do, would you force her to do it at your own hands?" Many may see sex in hookups as a different type of sex compared to intimacy in solidified relationships. However, whether it's a hookup or serious relationship, communication and respect is always important.
2."X is Coming" by DMX
DMX is a controversial artist and always has been since his come-up in the late 90s until the early 2000s. [7] Through his aggressive tone and music, he's always challenged the hip-hop genre." His role in the 1998 film "Belly", involves and promotes "a sexual relationship with an underage girl." [8] "X is Coming" is about DMX trying to get revenge on a man who is spreading information about him.
“'Cause I ain't knockin' on the door I'm comin in the house and I'm gunnin' for your spouse
Tryin’ to send the b–ch back to her maker And if you got a daughter older then 15, I’mma rape her Take her on the living room floor, right there in front of you Then ask you seriously, whatchu wanna do?”
In these lines, DMX describes how he is trying to get revenge on the man who is spreading information about him by not only breaking into his house with the intentions of killing his wife, but by raping his 15-year old daughter in front of him.
DMX goes onto to rap:
"Now watch me fuck just a lil' while longer, please, will you? This is revenge, no time before you die And despite how much I hate to see a grown man cry I'ma make you suffer, see your ass in Hell, motherfucker"
Although it pains him "to see a grown man cry", he does not feel pain or sympathy for the 15 year old girl he is raping. He wants the man to see his daughter getting raped and suffer from the sight and act.
3. "Stay Wide Awake" by Eminem
Eminem is well known for his bluntness and not being afraid to call people out in his raps. As a White male rapper in a genre that is dominated by Black men, he is very well respected and credited for his lyrical masterpieces. Just like The 2 Live Crew and DMX, Eminem is very raunchy and vulgar. Relapse was seen as "a conceptual album" and was a result of Eminem's "binge-watching horror films and losing himself in their twisted world". [9] As a result of losing himself in the twisted world of horror films, an alter-ego who enjoys demeaning, raping, and terrorizing women was created. This alter-ego is perfectly seen in "Stay Wide Awake":
"So blatantly but silently cuz I know that she's sound asleep Who's wakin' me so violently and why is he on top of me He's rapin' me she try's to scream somebody please get him off me He's tapin' me he's biting me he's laughing likes it's funny She's scrapin' me she's fightin' me she's scratching like some dumb freak Escapin' me no dice ya see I might just be Ted Bundy"
In these lyrics, Eminem is literally describing an event in which the accented alter-ego raped a woman while she was asleep, who woke up in terror and tried fighting him off. The comparison made between the alter-ego and Ted Bundy, a serial killer who killed and raped women in the early 70s and possibly even earlier, just describes his killer-like desires and thriving off terrorizing and raping women.
“Sit down beside her like a spider, hi there girl, you mighta
Heard of me before, see whore, you’re the kind of girl that I’d assault
And rape then figure why not try not to make your p—y wider?
F–k you with an umbrella, then open it up while the sh–s inside ya
I’m the kinda guy that’s mild but I might flip and get a little bit wilder”
In these lyrics, he raps about approaching a woman who is "the kind of girl that" he'd "assault" and explicitly explains how he'd "fuck" her by raping her with an umbrella. This verse, along with many other verses in other songs by Eminem, is extremely disturbing and so disgustingly explained.
Although I did not include this song in the post, I want to take a moment to recognize one of Eminem's verses in Nicki Minaj's "Roman's Revenge":
"So I tied her arms and legs to the bed
Set up the camera and pissed twice on her
Look, two pees and a tripod!"
Although we do not know if he sexually assaulted the woman he's singing about in this song, it is evident that he's demeaned and held her against her will by tying "her arms and legs to the bed", peeing on her, and recording it all.
Although, there are various Hip-Hop songs that highlight social justice and racial inequality issues and serve as the voices for activism, there are Hip-Hop songs, like the one's just stated, that promote rape culture and demean women.
As Katie J of Women's Media Center explores in her online article, popular culture, particularly popular music, "has been perpetrating rape culture for years." [10] Rape culture is executed through the use of misogynistic language, the hypersexualization and sexual objectification of women's bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, which in turn, creates and promotes a society that ignores women's rights and safety.
It's important to recognize the lyrics of not just Hip-Hop songs, but songs of all genres to understand and grasp the messages they are conveying. It's even more important to not promote rape culture glorified in these songs and to inform yourself on rape culture in the popular culture.
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