Portrayal of Women in Rap and Music Videos

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Misogyny and degradation of women is present in almost every genre of music, yet the one genre that completely revolves around demeaning women is rap. Over the years rap and rap music videos have continually become more sexual and degrading towards women. Rap has been criticized numerous times for this reason, and that is because rap is one of the most popular genres of music for the younger generations. It is more than a genre of music, it is a complete industry filled with clothing and other merchandise. The reason this constant demeaning of women exists is because rap as a genre that rewards the objectification of women. The excuses used to justify the misogyny in rap are incomplete and lack accurate support. The most effective way for this continuous cycle ends, is if the fight and protest comes from the women themselves. Men are the problem in the objectification of women but in order for it to stop, women need to step up and take control of the situation. Women need to act sooner rather than later because in recent years the rap industry has become more and more sexual. Rap is critiqued so harshly because many rap artists take the exploitation of women to the next level. In his music video for “Tip Drill” Nelly swiped a credit card down a woman’s backside. Rap crosses the line more so than any other genre. Not only are women portrayed sexually in the music videos, but also in the rap songs themselves. The lyrics are explicit and usually go into great detail when they describe sexual acts. During an interview Nelly was asked why rap gets such hard criticism he replied with: “Part of the reason rap artists come under fire more than any other group is because people don’t respect what we do as art. When actress Halle Berry... ... middle of paper ... ... educating at home, workshops, protest, and support of positive artists women can make larger steps to changing the portrayal of women in the rap music industry. Works Cited Keyes, Cheryl L. "Empowering Self, Making Choices, Creating Spaces: Black Female I Indentity via Rap Music Performance." American Folklore Society 113 (2000): 255-69. JSTOR. 29 November 2009 . McLune, Jennifer. "Hip-Hop's Betrayal of Black Women." Perspective on Contemporary Issues. 5th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengag Learning, 2009. 247-51. Print. Thrash, Rodney. "Women Say Rap Videos Demean, Not Define." St. Petersburg Times 14 June 2005. 29 November 2009 . Williams, Dana. "Beyond Rap: Musical Misogyny." Teaching Tolerance (2003): 213-15. Tolerance in the News. 12 Aug. 2003. 29 November 2009 .

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