The Whisper Song Analysis

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In 2005, the Ying Yang Twins released ‘one of the greatest rap songs about sex’, titled “Wait (The Whisper Song)”. This song hit “No. 3 on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop singles chart and was nominated for best rap performance by a duo or a group” despite the fact that it is unabashedly misogynistic (Ollison 2006). This song receives incredible praise for its brilliant use of sexy whispering and apparently needs special recognition for being “simultaneously ratchet and romantic” (Gonzales 2013). The video and audio simultaneously work together to actively reinforce gendered oppression/violence and perpetuate the preconceived stereotypes of black identity in the media. “Wait” re-secures hegemonic masculinity in hip-hop, viewing black males as having …show more content…

The next scene I choose to highlight includes the Ying Yang Twins sitting in the front seats of an expensive car. Here we see one of them stick their key into the ignition, we hear the engine rev, and then we see a young black woman standing in the headlights beginning to twerk… yet another symbol of sex. It could be argued that the two males are participating in “girl watching”(Gendered/Sexed Communication). These two men are sitting in the car looking at each other and then nodding; they are clearly evaluating and examining this young black woman who is dancing sexually in the headlights of the car. The expensive car and beautiful woman symbolizes the essence of manhood and materialistic power within the black community. After watching this music video and listening to the lyrics, a variety of different responses surfaced. Some laud “The Whisper Song”, while others criticize it. One scholar reacts to a critic’s explanation of the “Wait”:
In the supposedly feminist New York Times, critic Kelefa Sanneh called the song ‘one of the year's best and weirdest hits in which the rappers were hissing sexual promises so explicit they almost sounded like threats’. Almost? But it gets worse… Sanneh praised the song in advance as ‘crude, gimmicky, unnerving and strange - which is to say, perfect’(Bozell

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