Positive Role Models
I’m a woman not a flava
Yellow Rage
Being a female can only be seen as a positive thing – it brings a different approach to the styles and work that’s already out there.
Diva – writer/aerosol artist1
There is no doubt that Hip Hop is male dominated. However, within the last ten years there has been a marked increase in women's participation, management and research into all aspects of Hip Hop culture.
This is illustrated in the range of ways women in the Hip Hop world react to the strong anti-women messages common in the commercial scene – from those who appear to buy into the ‘bad girl’ image and adopt the hard-assed attitude of gangstas…
Ain’t a bitch like me / That can spit like me / Who could say they rich like me… / Nobody load a clip like me / Cut coke and flip like me / Wear the title Queen Bitch like me…
Lil’ Kim from ‘Gangsta Shit’ - Puff Daddy feat. Lil’ Kim, Mark Curry
Fresh Perspective
… [T]o those who offer ‘a fresh perspective on female sexuality’.2 Pioneering women crew Salt-n-Pepa’s hit ‘Shoop’ shocked audiences with its openness about female sexual appetite. The lyrics turned ‘normal’ modest female behaviour on its head – and could be viewed as a send-up of an often-repeated male Hip Hop claim that women are only good for sex and looking primarily for a good time.3
Ummm, you’re packed and you’re stacked ‘specially in the back / Brother, wanna thank your mother for a butt like that (thanks Mom)… You’re a shotgun – bang! What’s up with that thang? / I wanna know how does it hang? / Straight up, wait up, hold up, Mr Lover / Like Prince said you’re a sexy mutha…
Salt-n-Pepa - ‘Shoop’
Alternative Female Role Models
And then there are those who offer alternative female role models - of strong women who ‘own’ their own bodies and control their own lives …
They see a woman standing on her own two/ Sloppy and slouching is something I won't do/ Some think that we can't flow/ Stereotypes, they got to go/ I'm a mess round and flip the scene in reverse/ With a little touch of ladies first…
Queen Latifah – 'Ladies First'
Another shift in the historically male Hip Hop scene shows that, as female artists grow more popular, they begin to team up with male artists on a more equal basis (for example, Missy Elliott with Timbaland and Ladisix with Scribe.) With greater exposure, more space is opening up for female artists to have a real say in how they are represented - both in their lyrics and their own music videos. Groups such as De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest help promote women’s rights. For example, De La Soul’s track ‘Baby Phat’ is an attempt to encourage women to love themselves and their bodies, rather than buy into the ‘ideal’ Barbie Doll images most often seen in the media.
African Hip Hop Indaba
This kind of reaction can be seen around the globe. In South Africa, for instance, the annual African Hip Hop Indaba (Zulu for meeting or conference) included an all-female jam session and a series of workshops designed to help raise the awareness of feminist issues – to coincide with National Women’s Day.4
Aotearoa’s female Hip Hop scene has a lot of positive role models ready to be exported around the world! Sheelahroc, the all-female crew from Christchurch (who were inspired by other women such as Moni Love and the all-female crew Anomolies) have produced lyrics about sex and relationships from a woman’s viewpoint in their song 'If I gave u th’ mic,' which explores the issue of abortion in these lyrics. They rap about the tension between wanting to protest against domination and seeing oneself as a victim. They also made Hip Hop history in Aotearoa as the first all-female emcee crew.5
Remember back in the day when you were young fightin’ the system? / Spending your youth, believing yourself to be another victim. / Lost innocence on unworthy men – girl you really picked them. / Fell in love the first few times sixteen years old, now listen: / Your Daddy always taught you to treat all these boys with caution / Yet you took it in, begun the sin, that led you to abortion…
Sheelaroc - ‘If I gave u th’ mic’
Colourful Women Writers
The graffiti scene is also typically male-dominated. In the early '70s and '80s it was not uncommon for women writers to be accused of ‘biting’ (copying) someone else’s work as a way to discredit them. More recently, skillful women writers can even find their creation of a work denied. For instance, Auckland writer Diva gets asked if her husband has painted walls for her - even if she's standing in front of them with a spray can in her hand.
And it is not just women's reputations that can find themselves under attack. While all writers can place themselves in dangerous situations (by the nature of where they write – for example subway stations, in run-down neighbourhoods) female writers are often more physically at risk than their male counterparts.
Subway and wall graffiti art conveys messages about an artist. Political messages are common to New-York-based writer ‘Lady Pink’. She uses graffiti to express the way she sees the world – a world that, ideally, isn’t dominated by men. She believes there are differences in subject and style of male and female writers…6 that they like to use more colour in their pieces and use floral and landscapes scenes not so common amongst male writers.
Diva agrees that female writers bring their own style to this element of Hip Hop culture. She was ‘blown away when a guy came up to her at the all-woman show and told her she was a real inspiration to him. ‘He meant ‘you as an artist’, not ‘you as a female’ – I knew guys take you seriously but I didn’t know it was that seriously.’7 From her point of view being female isn’t linked to one’s ability to write, self confidence is the key.8
This self-confidence has been used to turn the tables at times. Los Angeles writer Tribe uses her femininity to get her out of situations that other male writers would find difficult.
B-Girls
In America B-Girls have existed all along, a fact not respected by many who record the history of this element of Hip Hop culture.9 Despite the belief that this art form relies on athletic build and upper body strength, the techniques needed for styles such as ‘popping, locking, up-rocking and breaking’ really come down to personal ability. 10
We all agree that style, finesse in footwork, original moves and technical agility all make up a B-Girl's repertoire, as well as attitude, self-awareness and revolutionary ideas not fit to print... it's crucial for women in Hip Hop to build a solid foundation for the next generation of females. In order to do this, we must be united, have knowledge of our culture, respect and advocate the four elements that make it up and be teachers and leaders.
Asia One11
Local B-girl ‘Tweek’ of Step Kingz crew, is well known in Hip Hop circles around Aotearoa. She claims there are no downsides to being a B-girl, because they get respect and support from the Hip Hop community here. Tweek is also the founder of Angel Allstars, an all-female crew based in Taita, Wellington. She and V Finesse (whose all-female crew ‘Soulsonic’ was formed back in the ‘80s) share their skills with young people through workshops and events – in an attempt to inspire and encourage other potential B-girls.
‘Lils3000’, another B-girl, hates it when guys go easy on her in battles: ‘It’s not going to make me any better… just going to make me look like an idiot.’ She says that because the Aotearoa breaking scene is so tiny she’s never battled another B-girl, only B-boys. However, 2005 saw the first B-girl summit based in Minneapolis, while the 2005 Bodyrock event in Wellington, Aotearoa, hosted its first B-girl Battle for Supremacy.12
Those interested in a more indepth look at female participation in Hip Hop could watch Rachel Raimist's documentary 'Nobody Knows My Name.'
Right to be Involved
What all these women have in common, and the many others who participate in the Hip Hop scene, is a sense of their own right to be involved. Positive female role models ‘holding their own’ in a male-dominated world can only uplift and encourage more young women to reach as high as they desire – in the belief that anything is possible.
I played on Coast on Māori TV and there were heaps of tamariki behind me, mostly little girls, and they were like ‘Wow. A girl DJ – I never thought!
Phaze13
Test your knowledge
- Name some of the different female role models represented in the Hip Hop scene.
- How does greater media success aid women in the Hip Hop scene?
- What is the message behind De La Soul’s track ‘Baby Phat’?
- What does the Zulu word ‘Inbada’ mean?
- Who were Aotearoa’s first all-female emcee crew?
- What year was Aotearoa’s first B-Girl Battle for Supremacy?
Extend your thinking
What do you think women participants add to the Hip Hop scene? Why do you think women would want to be involved? Who has been the most positive female role model in your life? Why? Who has been the most positive male role model? Why?
1 Spex. June 2002, ‘Diva 1.’ Published in Back2Basics, Issue one. p15.
2 O’Connell, A. ‘A Feminist Approach to Rap Music’. Published online at http//www.csc.vsc.edu2002
3 Best S. & Kellner D. Spring 1999, ‘Rap, Black rage, and Racial difference’: ‘Enculturation, Vol 2, No.2.
4 Pollack, J. 6/09/2004 ‘Hip Hop in South Africa: Getting Political?’ http://www.africana.com
5 Tamati, S. Oct/Nov 2002, ‘Ladies First’ Pulp Magazine.
6 Guevara, N. 1996.
7 McAllister, J. 15/16 Jan 2005 ‘Homegirls’ feature article, Magazine section, Weekend Herald.
8 Spex. June 2002, ‘Diva.’ Back2Basics Aotearoa Hip Hop Magazine, Issue 01.
9 Guevara, N. 1996, p53.
10 Waiti, D. ‘Spotlight On: Angles on Global Hip Hop Culture’, in ‘The Next – an Impression of Hip Hop Expression’. Chap. 2.
11 Asia One, 'B-Girls are ya ready?' p25 Rap Pages, Collectors Edition, September 1996
12 McAllister, J. 15/16 Jan 2005 ‘Homegirls’ feature article, Magazine section, Weekend Herald.
13 Ibid.
