Class Year
2020
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Spring 2020
Department 1
Africana Studies
Abstract
The emergence of hip hop in the 1980s and 90s is representative of the struggle that Black men and women face in modern society. As a result of a New York City housing crisis, crime, and poverty, hip hop arose as a coping mechanism, as many art forms do; hip hop provided a way for Black men to express their experiences and struggles. Hip hop has been used as a vehicle for self- expression, social views and political views among disadvantaged urban groups (White, 2013). However, it was and still is common for male hip hop artists to sexualize and demean women, specifically Black women, in their lyrics and portray them as sexual objects in their music videos. These concepts come from deeply rooted, Anglo patriarchal sentiments towards Black women, which has transformed into the treatment of Black women by Black men. The emergence of female hip hop artists has come with critique, as Black female artists work to portray themselves as agents of their own sexuality.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Heller, Nicole E., "Black Female Artists Reclaiming Their Sexual Power" (2020). Student Publications. 850.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/850
Comments
Written for AFS 250: Black Feminism in Film & Hip Hop