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The Words Have Changed But the Ideology Remains the Same: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap
Music
Author(s): Terri M. Adams and Douglas B. Fuller
Source: Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 36, No. 6 (Jul., 2006), pp. 938-957
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
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THE WORDS HAVE CHANGED
BUT THE IDEOLOGY
REMAINS THE SAME
Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music
TERRIM. ADAMS
DOUGLAS B. FULLER
Howard University
Rap music emergedas an aestheticculturalexpression of the urbanyouth
in the late 1970s. It has been denoted as the poetry of the youth who are
often disregardedas a resultof theirraceandclass status.Since it firstcame
on the music scene, rap has gone througha numberof phases, and it has
been used as a mediumto expressa varietyof ideas, feelings, andemotions.
Hope, love, fear,anger,frustration,pride,violence, andmisogyny have all
been expressedthroughthe mediumof rap.This articleexaminesthe use of
misogynisticideology in gangstarapandtracesthe connectionbetweenits
prevalencein rap and the largerculturalpictureof how AfricanAmerican
women have been characterizedhistorically.
Keywords: misogyny;hip-hop;rap music; women
The misogynistlyrics of gangstaraparehatefulindeed,butthey do
notrepresenta new trendin Blackpopularculture,nordo theydiffer
fundamentallyfrom woman-hatingdiscourses that are common
amongWhitemen. The dangerof this insightis thatit mightbe read
as an apology for Black misogyny.
-Johnson (1996)
Music historicallyhas been a mediumfor humansocial expression. This social expression can take many forms, from triumph
andhope to utterfrustrationanddespair.Regardlessof the catalyst
thatcreatesit, music servesto stimulatethe mind, stirthe soul, and
JOURNALOF BLACKSTUDIES, Vol. 36 No. 6, July 2006 938-957
DOI: 10.1177/0021934704274072
© 2006 Sage Publications
938
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 939
elicit emotions.It has been saidthatmusic is a reflectionof the culturaland political environmentfrom which it is born. Rap music
emergedas anaestheticculturalexpressionof urbanAfricanAmerican youth in Bronx, New York, in the late 1970s. It has been
denotedas the poetry of the youth who are often disregardedas a
resultof theirrace and class. As Rose (1994) states,
tonegotiatetheexperiences
HipHopis a culturalformthatattempts
of marginalization,
truncated
andoppression
brutality,
opportunity,
of AfricanAmericanandCaribbean
withintheculturalimperatives
history,identity,andcommunity,
(p. 21)
Since its emergenceon the music scene, raphas undergonea variety of transformations.It has been used as a mediumfor expressing
a varietyof ideas, feelings, and emotions. Althoughrapmusic has
been on the open commercialmarketsince the late 1970s, overt
misogynyin rapdid not emergein this genreof music untilthe late
1980s. Lyricistssuch as Ice T, N.W.A., and 2 Live Crew weaved
suchlyrics into manyof theirrapsongs. Since its emergencein rap,
misogynyhas become a constantfeaturein the worksof severalartists. This articleexaminesthe use of misogynisticideology in rap
music and traces the connection between its use in rap and the
largerculturalpictureof how AfricanAmericanwomen have been
characterizedhistorically.
WHAT IS MISOGYNY AND
MISOGYNISTIC GANGSTA RAP MUSIC?
Misogyny is the hatredor disdain of women. It is an ideology
thatreduceswomen to objects for men's ownership,use, or abuse.
It diminisheswomen to expendablebeings. This ideology is widespreadandcommonthroughoutsociety. As JoanSmith(1991) has
stated,
Misogynywearsmanyguises,revelsitselfin differentformswhich
aredictatedbyclass,wealth,education,
race,religionandotherfacis its pervasiveness,
tors,butits chiefcharacteristic
(p. xvii)
940 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
Misogyny in gansta rap is the promotion,glamorization,support, humorization,justification, or normalizationof oppressive
ideas aboutwomen.In this genreof rapmusic, women(specifically
AfricanAmericanwomen)1are reducedto mere objects- objects
thatareonly good for sex and abuseand areultimatelya burdento
men. In rap, this ideology reveals itself in many ways, from mild
innuendoesto blatantstereotypicalcharacterizationsand defamations. Whateverform the characterizationstake- whethermild or
extreme- provides the listener with derogatoryviews of women.
These views ultimately support,justify, instill, and perpetuate
ideas, values, beliefs, and stereotypesthatdebase women.
Much of what is consideredto be misogynistic rapusually has
one or moreof the following six themes:(a) derogatorystatements
about women in relationto sex; (b) statementsinvolving violent
actionstowardwomen,particularlyin relationto sex; (c) references
of womencausing"trouble"for men;(d) characterization
of women
as "users"of men;(e) referencesof womenbeing beneathmen;and
(f) referencesof women as usableanddiscardablebeings.Although
this list is not exhaustive,the categoriescapturethe essence of the
generalthemes expressedin this genre of music. The gist of these
themesreflectshow women in misogynisticraparereducedto subhumanbeings, subjectsnot worthyof respect,love, orcompassion.
THEROOTSOF MISOGYNISTICIDEOLOGY
Misogynistic ideas expressedin music are not a unique or new
phenomenon.Themusicworldhasbeen saturatedwithmisogynistic
imagery- fromcountrymusicianslamentingabouthow some "no
good woman kicked him out, sold his truck,took his money, and
slept with his best friend"to rock-n-rollersscreamingabouttheir
latest groupie sexual conquest- misogynistic convictions have
alwayshad a home withinthe music industry.Likethe misogynistic
music before it, misogynisticraphas been acceptedandallowedto
flourish, generatingwealth for some of the artistsand the music
industryas a whole. Lyriciststhatuse misogyny get plenty of airtime on the radio, and their videos are often in heavy rotationon
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 94 1
music video television stations(i.e., MTV andBET). Althoughthe
expletives are often edited, the misogynistic overtonesare overtly
clearto the listener.Manyof these artistsaretoutedas greatcelebrities (i.e., Dr.Dre,Ice T, SnoopDogg, andIce Cube).Thepopularity
of theseindividualshas openedthe doorsfor lucrativecareersin the
film industry,with many rapartistsstarringin films in which they
mirrortheirmusic personas.
Thereseems to be a definitetrendamongsome rapartists(not all
rapartists,of course),wheremisogynisticthemesareused in a variety of forms,frommild innuendoesto extremeandexcessively blatant defamations.In some rap songs whose overall theme is not
misogynistic, artistsoften referto women as bitches or hoes- Jay
Z's "Money,Cash,Hoes" and Kurupt's"WeCan FreakIt"aretwo
of manyexamples.Althoughthe overallthemesof the songs arenot
aboutwomen,these songs use derogatorytermsto referto women.
Although music is powerful, music is only a reflection of social
relations and culture; thus, misogynistic views have a cultural
ratherthana musicalvalue.As RobertaHamilton( 1987) has stated,
Misogynyis not a wordusefulsimplyfor describingparticularly
butratheritdirectsustoa setof relations,attinastybitsof behavior,
tudes,andbehaviorsthatareembeddedwithinallothersocialrelations,(p. 123)
Thus,misogynyin its variedformsdoes not exist in a vacuumbutis
insteada partof a largersocial, cultural,andeconomic system that
sustainsand perpetuatesthe ideology.
To properlyanalyzethe culturalcomponents,one mustnot look
at small subsetsof culturefor answers;rather,one mustlook at the
dominantculturethathas an immeasurableinfluenceon all aspects
of society and subsets of the dominantculture.This leads one to
question,Whatcausedthis developmentof misogynisticlanguage
in gangsta rap, and why is there such intense hatredfor African
Americanwomen in this genre of music? To understandthis, one
mustunderstandthe developmentof misogynistic values in correspondencewith the historyof the Africanin America.
942 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
In discussingmisogynyin gangstarap,we mustnot divorceourselves from the historyof misogynisticideology, for this is an ideology thatreachesfar back into history.However,for the purpose
of this article,therewill be a limiteddiscussionof the historyof this
phenomenonwithin the confines of the United States and its relation to AfricanAmericanwomen.
Misogynistic orientationshave a long history in the United
States- one intricatelytied to racializedthemes.The imageryprojected in misogynistic rap has its roots in the developmentof the
capitalist patriarchalsystem based on the principles of White
supremacy,elitism,racism,andsexism.A systemthatis patriarchal
not in the sense of family lineage being tracedthroughthe father,
but patriarchalin the sense of dominationand rule by men. This
system was the blueprintused for the economic, political, and
social structuringof the United States (hooks, 1981):
- formedthebaseof the
Institutionalized
sexism,thatis, patriarchy
Americansocial structurealongwithracialimperialism.
Sexism
was an integralpartof the socialpoliticalorderwhitecolonizers
homelands,(p. 15)
broughtwiththemfromtheirEuropean
Withinthe confines of capitalism,the doctrineof misogyny has
become a fine-tunedsystematizedideology thathas permeatedall
aspects of society and culture. This philosophy historically has
been legitimatedand perpetuatedby the economic, political, and
social structuralinstitutions, which ultimately is reflected and
supportedin culture.These types of convictions have oppressed
women of color, the poor, and women of all colors alike.
Use of misogynisticideology in rapis a resultof widespreadracist and sexist dogmas (for example, the images of the Sapphire,
Jezebel,etc., which will be discussedlater)colonizingthe mindsof
African Americansand Americansin general. Racializedmisogyny has permeatedandbecome a partof America'sconsciousness,
and it has had a profoundeffect on the inner psyche of African
Americansas the ideology feeds off of not only hatredof women
but also hatredtoward Blackness, which serves as a two-edged
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 943
sword. These beliefs have their roots in the racially and sexually
oppressivecapitalisticpatriarchalsystem (hooks, 1994):
Thesexist,misogynist,patriarchal
waysof thinkingandbehaving
valthatareglorifiedingangstaraparea reflectionof theprevailing
uesin oursociety,valuescreatedandsustainedby whitesupremaAs thecrudestandmostbrutalexpression
cistcapitalistpatriarchy.
of sexism,misogynisticattitudestendto be portrayed
by thedominantcultureas anexpressionof maledeviance.In realitytheyare
of patriarnecessaryforthemaintenance
partof a sexistcontinuum,
chalsocialorder,(p. 2)
Whereasmisogynyis presentin variousformsin culturesaround
the globe, to understandhow it is relatedto the demonizingof African American women in America, one must realize how it was
"raciallyloaded"in Americain orderto obtainmaximumeffectiveness. By raciallyloadingmisogynisticideology,the AfricanAmerican woman has been hated for being both Black and woman
(White, 1985):
Theuniquenessof theAfricanAmericanfemale'ssituationis that
shestandsatthecrossroadsof twoof themostwelldevelopedideologiesin America,thatregardingwomenandthatregardingthe
Negro,(p. 27)
Thisracializedhatredandsexism has its rootsin some of the myths
thatwereused, andcontinueto be used, to stereotypeandsubjugate
AfricanAmericanwomen. Since the beginningof the institutionof
slavery,AfricanAmericanwomenhavebeen majortargetsof racial
and sexual stereotypicaland detrimentalpropaganda.
Since the foundingof the United States, myths and stereotypes
were createdto legitimize the racialand sexualoppressionof African American women. Being both Black and female, African
American women became the ultimate "other,"which allowed
White patriarchyto use this difference as justification for their
oppressivebehaviors.In hercritiqueof earlyAmericanliteraturein
Playing in the Dark, ToniMorrison(1993) explainshow the presence of Africans created for the White American mind a broad
944 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
rangeof contractpossibilitiesto upholdWhitenessin directopposition to Blackness:
Blackslaveryenrichedthe country'screativepossibilities.Forin
couldbe foundnot
theconstruction
of blacknessandenslavement
The
result
wasa playground
the
not
free
the
not-me.
but,
also,
only
fortheimagination.
Whatroseupoutof thecollectiveneedsto ally
wasanAmeriinternalfearsandtorationalize
externalexploitation
- a fabricated
canAfricanism
brewof darkness,otherness,alarm,
anddesirethatis uniquelyAmerican,(p. 38)
Thus, Black women served (andcontinueto serve) as the ultimate
other in the Americanimagination,whereby White women were
exaltedfor theirdifferencein the backdropof theirown oppression
as women.Thispositioningprovidedthe spaceforWhitewomento
feel auspicious in the face of their own oppression, while at the
sametime they felt free to ignorethe oppressionof theirdarkersisters underthe guise of racial supremacy.
It was out of this process thatracializedmythsaboutwho Black
women are were created and accepted by the Americanmasses.
Images such as the Mammy,the Sapphire,the tragicMulatto,the
Matriarch,and the Jezebel were createdto predisposethe general
Americancultureto the acceptanceof the racialandsexualoppression of AfricanAmericanwomen. For the purposeof this article,
we will discuss the Sapphireand the Jezebel stereotypes.These
images are regularlyfound (in theirmodernizedversion)in many
misogynistic rap lyrics.
The image of the Sapphireis analogousto the Mammyimage.
That is, the Sapphiregrew out of the perpetuationof the Mammy
image. The Mammy figure has a long history in the American
mind, as she is perhapsthe most notable stereotype.She is generally depictedas an overweight,dark-skinnedwoman who appears
to be asexual.Her majormission in life is to please the Whitefamily she worksfor, andshe enjoys tendingto Whitechildrenmoreso
thanshe does her own. Morton(1991) refersto the Sapphireas the
"postwarMammy";she was the Black female figurein the popular
radioand latertelevision series, "AmosandAndy."Morton,in her
book DisfiguredImages, states (1991),
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 945
With"coloredfolks"this caricaturedfigurebecame a bossy "black
bitch,"althoughremaininga faithful servantto the white family.
Thus, the Mammy became an explicitly matriarchalfigure who
"wore the pants"in her own home and made a fool of her man.
Althoughlikenedto the Mammyfigure,the sapphireis not asexual,
(p. 7)
According to this stereotypical view, the Sapphire (in rap,
referred to as "the bitch") is an African American woman who
dominates her entire household including her man. The Sapphire
can be described as a socially aggressive woman who tries through
manipulation to control her man. She is filled with attitude, has a
fiery tongue, and she squashes the aspirations of her man or men in
general.
The Jezebel (referred to as the "ho" [whore] in rap) represents a
loose, sexually aggressive woman. The Jezebel wants and accepts
sexual activity in any form from men, and she often uses sex as a
means to get what she wants from men. This image provides a rationale for the history of sexual assaults on African American women.
Lerner (1972) states,
To sustainit (sexual exploitation),in the face of the nominalfreedom of blackmen, a complex systemof supportivemechanismsand
sustainingmythswere created A mythwas createdthatall black
women were eager for sexual exploits, voluntarily"loose"in their
morals and, therefore, deserved none of the consideration and
respectgrantedto white women. Everyblack woman was, by definition,a slutaccordingto thisracistmythology;therefore,to assault
her andexploit her sexually was not reprehensibleand carriedwith
it none of the normalcommunal sanctions against such behavior,
(p. 163)
The Sapphire and the Jezebel images (along with other derogatory images of African American women) have blended together to
create a mythology that has cast African American women as the
enemy of African American men, White women, and the general
American public. These images serve the purpose of not only justifying the actions of the power elite, but they also have the power of
casting blame for economic, political, and social subordination on
946 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
the victim ratherthanthe perpetrator.Thatis, the racist,sexist, and
elitist capitalistsystem is not viewed as the core perpetratorof the
living conditionsof many AfricanAmericans,but insteadAfrican
Americansthemselves are blamed for not fitting into the proper
structuresof society (Collins, 1990):
By meshingsmoothlywith systemsof race, class, and gender
oppression,they[negativeimagesandstereotypes]
provideeffective ideologicaljustificationsfor racialoppression,thepoliticsof
andthe economicexploitationinherentin
gendersubordination,
capitalisteconomies,(p. 78)
The Sapphireandthe Jezebel images, along with otherdepictions,
haveseepedinto the consciousnessof America(in boththepastand
the present)andareacceptedas truthsby many.Althoughindividuals may say, "I don't buy into stereotypical ideologies," some
aspect of theirconsciousness taps into this mythology.
The acceptance of these myths and stereotypes is evident
throughoutdominantAmericancultureand literature.For example, drawingon the stereotypeof the matriarch,E. FranklinFrazier
( 1948) andPatrickMoynihan( 1965), in theirfamousstudieson the
Black family,suggestthatthe deteriorationof the Black familywas
due in partto the Black woman'sdominancein the family andher
failure to fulfill her traditionalwomanly duties, thus placing the
blamefor certainproblemsin the AfricanAmericancommunityon
the shouldersof AfricanAmericanwomen.Anotherexampleof the
acceptanceandusage of stereotypicalcharacterizationsof African
Americanwomen is witnessed in William Julius Wilson's book,
The TrulyDisadvantaged(1987), which was touted as a seminal
work in urbansociology among many scholarsand the American
press. In this examinationof the AfricanAmericanurbanpoor in
Chicago,theportrayalsof poorinner-cityAfricanAmericanwomen
and their"ghettospecific"behaviorsrely heavily on stereotypical
depictionsof AfricanAmericanwomen as welfare queens.
Evidenceof the continuedperpetuationof the stereotypicalpropagandaaboutAfricanAmericanwomen can be found when one
dissects the political attackon the welfaresystem in the late 1990s.
This attacklargelyrestedon the myths of both the welfaremother
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 947
and the Jezebel- the face placed on thatissue was thatof a single
unemployedAfricanAmericanwoman who has had a numberof
childrenbornout of wedlock. Variousmediumsdepicteda preponderanceof African American welfare recipients despite the fact
thatWhites accountedfor the majorityof individualson welfareat
the time of the attackon the system.The depictionsmentionedhere
areonly a few of the manypossible examplesof how stereotypical
characterizationsof African American women have tapped into
America's predisposition to accept racist and sexist ideologies
aboutwho AfricanAmericanwomen areas a group.Thus,the negativeandstereotypicalimagesof AfricanAmericanwomenarestill
pervasive- and they continue to carry a great deal of social and
political power.
RAPPIN' TO OPPRESS:
MISOGYNY IN RAP MUSIC
Currentillustrationsof racistandsexist mythscanbe seen in various forms of literature,music, television programming,and general social interaction.Althoughthe terminologyandpresentation
have changed, the content of the original idea has remainedthe
same.These mythscame from outsidethe AfricanAmericancommunity and serve the purpose of empoweringthose who created
them. As a result of the great shapingeffect the dominantculture
has on all componentsof society, many in the African American
communityhaveinternalizedthesemythsandstereotypes.RodgersRose (1980) states,
anduse suchfalsedefiniIt is easyforBlackpeopleto internalize
hasinternalized
tionsof themselves.Totheextentthatanindividual
withtheoppositesex
thesedefinitions,his/hermodeof interaction
will be affected,(p. 253)
Thus, we see these internalizedmyths and stereotypesin gangsta
rap.
Myth versus reality has been a battle that African American
womenhavehadto contendwith for ages. Steadily,the Jezebeland
948 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
the Sapphireimages have been replacedby the termsbitch andho
in the use of languageand imageryas a means of oppressingAfrican Americanwomen in misogynistic rap.These termshave been
aroundfor ages, but theiruse has increasinglybecome a means of
defining women.
Today, the Sapphire concept, represented as the bitch in
misogynistic rap, takes the form of a money-hungry,scandalous,
manipulating,and demandingwoman. The bitch is a woman who
thinksof no one but herself and is willing to do anythingto obtain
materialpossessions. Currently,the Jezebelconceptis represented
as the ho. In rap,the ho is very much like the bitch. These images
areoften synonymous.The ho is illustratedas a sex objectthatcan
be used and abusedin any form to satisfy the sexual desires of a
man. The ho's entire self-image is wrappedup in doing anything
for a man, often for the attainmentof materialpossessions. She is
generallydepicted as a person with no conscious, no self-esteem,
and no values.
Rap artistswho use misogynistic imageryin theirmusic probably do so for a varietyof reasons.First,misogynisticlyricists,like
other Americans,have been influencedby the dominantculture's
views aboutwho AfricanAmericanwomen areas a groupand,particularly,aboutwho they are sexually.As statedearlier,manyhave
internalizednegativestereotypesand images of AfricanAmerican
women. Using such lyrics allows the male artiststo boost themselves while degradingtheirfemale counterparts.The subjugation
of African American women allows these artists to exalt themselves in a world thatconstantlyoppressesthem. Thus, the degradationof AfricanAmericanwomen lyricallyprovidesthese artists
a means for assertingtheir masculinity.As stated by Zora Neal
Hurston(1995), "[Blackwomen] arethe mules of the world."African Americanwomen have been and continueto be the means by
which others assert their sense of importance.As hooks (1981)
states,
In patriarchal
societymen are conditionedto channelfrustrated
aggressionin the directionof thosewithoutpower- womenand
children,(p. 15)
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 949
It is also evident from the sales records of such artistsas Jay-Z,
SnoopDoggy Dog, andKurupt(who use suchlyrics in theirmusic)
that this ideology is lucrativein the music industry.Some artists
may use such lyrics to gain status,recognition, and high volume
sales- whentheymaynotpersonallybelieve in whatthey espouse.
CAN YOU FEEL THE PAIN?
EXAMPLES OF MISOGYNISTIC RAP LYRICS
The following are excerptsfrom misogynistic rap songs. These
lyrics provide examples of how misogynistic ideology manifests
itself in rap.Whereasthe lyrics arehighly controversialand offensive, they displaythe type of materialthathas been andis currently
being produced by major recording studios. It should be mentioned thatoften in rapmusic, as with the historicalusage of these
characterizations,the terms are sometimes used interchangeably,
suchthatthe Jezebel/hoandthe Sapphire/bitchhave sharedcharacteristics.So what is importantis not how well these characterizations fit a particulardefinitionbut ratherhow they reflect misogynistic ideology as a whole.
Althoughthe termsbitch and ho and theirdefinitionsare being
used to describe a certaintype of woman (as some artistsclaim),
their use and the images they create oppress women as a group.
This is because the blurringof the lines between bitch and ho can
also lead to the blurringof the lines of varyingfemalepersonalities.
Thereis a doublestandardfor men andwomen, andwhatis acceptable for a man might label a woman in derogatoryterms.
The first excerpts come from N.W.A.'s last and final release,
Niggaz 4 Life.N.W.A. was one of the firstcelebratedgroupsto use
misogynyin theirlyrics, andthey becamesynonymouswith "hardcore"lyrics. Althoughwe will only deal with one of N.W.A's creationsin this article,the CD in its entiretyis a dedicationto murder,
rebellion, and misogynistic ideology. The first example is an
excerptfrom a song entitled,"She SwallowedIt"(N.W.A., 1991).
The entiretyof this song discusses women in termsof humiliating,
degrading,and violent sexual acts:
950 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
Thisis a bitchwhodidthewholecrew. . .
Andshe'lllet youvideotapeher
Andif yougot a gangof niggaz
Thebitch'11let yourapeher
The woman depictedin this song is characterizedas a Jezebel/
ho, as the lyrics describe a nymphomaniacwho can be used and
abusedsexually.Furthermore,it suggests the idea thatwomen (or
arguably,some women) are subhumans,who willingly perform
degradingacts. Last, the lyrics suggest that rape is an activity in
which women voluntarilyparticipate.
The next excerptfrom a more recentlyproducedsong entitled,
"Headin Advance,"from the CD Juve the Great, performedby
Juvenile(2003), is anotherexampleof the celebrationof misogyny,
as the lyricist boasts about using violence against women. This
exampleillustratesthe use of violence againstwomenas a meansto
confrontwhatis deemedimproperbehavior.It shouldbe notedthat
the lyrics of this song also have sexual overtones,anotherexample
of the fusion of sex and violence.
I likehavingrelations
I puncha bitchin theheadforplayingwithmy patience
I makea localhoe turnhashinhadme atthe station
TheyhatingsayingthatI violatedmy probation
The third example is from a song entitled, "Bitches From
Eastwick,"from the CD Money,Power,& Respect, performedby
the groupknown as The Lox:
FromtheJacuzzito thebed
Wefuckeduntilbe bothgot woozy. . .
I smeltbreakfastin thekitchenbutwherewazthebitch
I walkedin thereit wascheeseeggs andgritson thetable. . .
Witha notesayinsorryI hadto robyoubabybut
I needcashlikeyouI ain'tno ordinaryslut. . .
The woman describedin this song is depictedas both a Jezebel/ho
anda Sapphire/bitch.She is a Jezebel/hobecauseher sexualvalues
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 95 1
areplacedinto questionas she is depictedas havingsex with a man
she hardlyknows; at the same time, she is also a Sapphire/bitch
because she uses this encounterto steal money.
The last example,"Busta Nut,"fromthe CD UncleLuke,is performedby the lateNotoriousB .I.G.andLukeCampbell( 1996, also
knownas Uncle Luke)- who was atthe forefrontof the debateover
the right to freedomof expressionin musical content in the early
1990s (as his lewd and misogynistic lyrics came underattackby
political activistsand politicians):
I got a bitchthatsuckmy dick 'tillI nut
Spitit on my gutandslurpthatshitup
Ain'tthata slut,(hellyeah)sheeventakeit in thebutt
Fuckforaboutanhour,nowshewanta goldenshower
Youdon'tknowthatwe be pissingon hos,bitch. . .
In this example, the African Americanwoman is not only somethingto be used sexually,but she is also the recipientof degrading
acts, disrespect,and violent behavior.The woman in this song is
characterizedas a Jezebel/howho is an objectto be passedalong to
other men, to be used and abused, as the lyrics describe using
women sexually until they are physically injured.
The aforementionedlyrics arebuta few examplesof the manyin
the music world. Although it is necessary to show the offensive
natureof the misogyny expressedin rap,it is importantto note that
the hatredand disrespectdirectedtowardwomen in rap music is
only an outgrowthof the culturalacceptanceof misogyny at-large,
particularlywhenit is directedtowardAfricanAmericanwomen.It
is therefore imperative to differentiate between the source of
misogynistic ideas and the manifestation of such ideology in
gangstarap.Althoughthis genre of music has been embracedby a
wide varietyof consumers,it is importantto emphasizethatit can
havenegativeeffects on young people who in generaltendto be the
primaryconsumersof rapmusic.
952 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
THE POWER IN THE MUSIC:
POSSIBLE EFFECTS
Although the possible effects misogynistic music can have are
numerousand questionable,music is a powerfulartform thathas
the potentialto be influential,particularlywhen it is supportedby a
structuralsystem and culturalideologies. In this article, we will
deal with three effects that misogynistic rap can have in conjunction with a system that makes such an ideology viable. These
effects are the devaluation effect, the defining gender relation
effect, and the desensitizationeffect.
The contemporaryuse of derogatoryimages of AfricanAmerican women in rapmusic serves to perpetuatehistoricalmyths and
stereotypesaboutAfricanAmericanwomen.The usage of the negativeimageryandcharacterizationsof AfricanAmericanwomenin
gangstarapcuts AfricanAmericanwomendeeply,as the craftersof
this attackaretheirmale counterparts,who shouldbe cognizantof
the detrimentof negativeimagesbecausetheyhavealso beenunder
a similarideological attack.Misogyny in rapmusic serves to supportthe ideological andsocial systemsthathavehistoricallyplaced
AfricanAmericanwomen at the bottomof the social strata.
It has been said that "raphas become a forumfor debatingthe
natureof genderrelationsamongAfrican-Americanyouth"(Lusane,
1993). However, what also needs to be added is that rap has the
potentialof becominga meansfor defininggenderrelationsamong
the youth. That is, one must consider the potential shapingforce
that misogyny in rap may have on how young people may view
themselves and the relationsbetween the sexes. For many young
people who do not have what some may call "positivesocializing
agents,"outsideinfluences(such as "thestreets,"otherpeerforces,
or the mass media) sometimesbecome the replacementagents of
socialization. If what an impressionableyouth sees and hears is
negative, society should not be surprisedto see the youth act
accordingly.Young women can internalizethese views, incorporate them into their consciousness, and act out in self-destructive
ways. Youngmen may also internalizethese characterizationsand
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 953
incorporatesexist and misogynistic ways of being into their own
way of life.
As Alix Dobkin (1987) stated,
Even though large numbersof women are victims of violence by
husbandsandlovers,the culture,especiallythis music [misogynistic
pop music], encouragesmen to beat up women, to controlwomen,
to dominatewomen. People are taughtthat dominanceis a man's
right.Some boys may not wantto dominate,but feel they oughtto,
in orderto measureup to the culture.And they've got the music to
back them up.
WadeandThomas-Gunnar(1993) reportthatmorethanhalf of a
sampleof young educatedadultmales "agreedthatrapaccurately
reflects at least some of the reality of gender relations between
blackmales andfemales"(p. 58). Thus,the influenceof music, and
particularlythis genre of rap music, must be taken seriously as it
continuesto dominatethe music scene. The embracingand use of
such myths and stereotypesby AfricanAmericansandthe American public,in general,createfalse definitionsof who women areas
a group, ultimately operating as a divisional force between the
sexes (Rodgers-Rose,1980):
Suchmyths,then,havefunctionedto divideBlackmen andwomen,
and they have served as rationalizationsfor the statusquo. Myths
keep the individualfocused on criticismratherthanon the interplay
between the critical and the creative aspects of any male-female
relationship,(p. 253)
Last, misogynistic music also serves as a means to desensitize
individualsto sexualharassment,exploitation,abuse,andviolence
toward women. In addition, it serves as an ideological support
mechanismthat legitimizes the mistreatmentand degradationof
women.Althoughthe termsbitchandho speakto a specific type of
woman(so some rappersclaim), theiruse andthe images they create oppresswomen as a group.
954 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
Every time an artistwho uses misogynistic overtonesis given a
platform(e.g., T.V.awardshows) to spoutmisogynisticideas, this
ideology is furtheredlegitimated- andthe listeneror vieweris furtherdesensitized.Furthermore,each time music critics or the like
referto misogynisticrappers(e.g., Dr. Dre) as "aninnovatorin the
music industry,"furtherlegitimizationanddesensitizationis given
to this ideology.Althoughthe verdictis still out on the directeffects
of lewd raplyrics, some social scientistscontendthatthis medium
of music can have a negativeeffect on individualattitudes.Wester,
Crown,Quatman,and Heesacker(1997) reportthat afterrespondents with little priorexposureto gangstarapmusic were exposed
to the music, they exhibited greater"adversarialsexual beliefs"
thanthose who were not exposed to such lyrics.
Because of the aforementioned,it is easy to concludethattherap
artistsand recordproducersmust assume complete responsibility
for the lyrics they produce.Althoughthis is true,it only holds up to
a point. As Reebee Garofalo(1993) has stated,
Whilerapshouldnotbe let off thehookforits sexism,it shouldbe
notedthatsexismhasneverbeena stranger
to anygenreof popular
musicor,forthatmatter,anyaspectof life in America,(p. 115)
The ultimateburdenof responsibilitymust be placed on the social
structuresof society andthe dominantculture,which created,supports, and makes this ideology viable. Only throughchallenging
andchangingthese aspectsof social life will misogynisticideology
be able to be dealtwith in a realisticandtruthfulmanner.If misogyny continuesto be ignored,it will only continueto manifestitself
in all arenasof social life. Rape, spousal abuse, and otherviolent
actsagainstwomenareall manifestationsof misogynisticideology.
CONCLUSION
Misogyny has been and continues to be a constant force in
Americanculture.The misogynisticideology directedtowardAfrican Americanwomen has been particularlyinsidious, as a whole
Adams, Fuller/ MISOGYNISTICRAP LYRICS 955
system of myths and stereotypes was developed to justify the
exploitationof AfricanAmericanwomen. These stereotypeshave
seeped into the consciousness of the generalAmericanpublic and
the AfricanAmericancommunityitself.
The wordshavechangedbutthe meaningsstaythe same,as negativeimages aboutAfricanAmericanwomen have materializedin
theirmodernizedversions in rapmusic. Whereasthe myths of the
Jezebel and Sapphirearecommonlyfound in gangstarap,these as
well as otherscan be found in variousaspects of Americansocial
life. Artistswho incorporatemisogynyin theirmusic act as individual agents,but the lyrics they createare a reflectionof the unconscious acceptanceof negative categorizationsof women and, in
particular,African American women by the general American
public.
It is imperativethat we as a society move beyond the beat and
seriously consider the effect that negative imagery produced in
misogynistic rap can have on the African American community
and society at large. Scholarsand activists alike must continue to
confrontthe issue, and expose and critically analyze the vehicles
thatare used to express this ideology. Continuedscrutinyof these
mediumsas well as continueddialogueon the relevanceandprevalence of negativeand detrimentalcharacterizationsis importantto
dismantlethe hold these myths, and the practicesthey engender,
have on Americansociety.
NOTE
1. Althoughthe misogynyin gangstarapis degradingto all women,the characterizations
of womenin this genreof music specificallytargetAfricanAmericanwomen, as the images
of women portrayedin the songs, on the CD covers, and in the music videos are most often
thatof an AfricanAmericanwoman.
956 JOURNALOF BLACK STUDIES/ JULY 2006
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TerriM.Adams-FullerPhD, is an assistantprofessor of administrationof justice in
the Departmentof Sociology and Anthropologyat Howard University.Her areas of
expertiseincludeviolentcrime,womenand crime,misogynyin popular culture,and
GeographicInformationSystems(GIS) technology.Her researchprimarilyfocuses
on the examinationof the effects of violent crime on womenand the intersectionof
social and economicfactors and violent crime.
Douglas B. Fuller,Ph.D., is a graduateof HowardUniversity'sDepartmentof Sociology and Anthropologyand an associate scientist at Abt Associates, Inc., in
Bethesda,Maryland.Whileat Howard,he specialized in urbansociology and race
and ethnic relations,focusing his dissertationworkon the mediadepictionsof African Americansinfour majornewspapersources.At Abt, he has been involvedin a
numberof healthserviceprovisionprogramstargetinghistoricallyunderservedpopulations as well as substanceabuse research,includingThe Centerfor Integrating
and Developing TraumaServicesfor Women(SAMHSA),TheMental Health HIV/
AIDSServicesCollaborativeProgram(CMHS),TheW K.KelloggMen'sHealthInitiative,and TheArresteeDrug AbuseMonitoringProgram(NIJ).