Megan Thee Stallion challenges the notion that womxn who rap can only express themselves in one way, be one thing, and that must be approved of by men.
Multi-hyphenate rapper Jermaine Dupri recently expressed disillusion with the current state of Hip Hop, particularly with womxn in the genre, in an interview with PeopleTV. Some major take-a-ways from his remarks were that their music sounds like “strippers rapping” and that all they talk about is their pussy and club hopping; an interesting account from the former rapper who has produced and written music with similar content with both men and womxn rappers; most notably what he considers to be his best work “Money Aint a Thing” featuring Jay-Z, but I digress.
Dupri’s comments set the internet ablaze with rappers Cardi B., Doja Cat, Trina and many others defending the new class of rappers by offering up examples of rappers who have diverse musical content including the likes of Rhapsody, Tierra Whack, and Rico Nasty. The So So Def owner attempted to remedy the negative press in response to his comments by announcing a cypher contest for “female” rappers, encouraging womxn who challenge his statements to submit freestyles for his consideration the goal of which is still unclear.
Dupri’s judgmental sentiments were an attempt to pit womxn rappers against each other and establish a hierarchy of musical content based on the male gaze and male approval. His comments reflect a larger societal problem that rejects and regards womxn who express sexual agency as “hoes” because of a fear of this inspiring other women to take ownership of their sexuality. Notwithstanding this ambition, it served as a moment for womxn who rap to band together and publicly promote and support each other’s music. For example, rapper Cardi B took to Instagram to address the music mogul’s comments by proclaiming that she has heard comments like Dupri’s that claim that “female rappers only talk about their pussy” and affirms that she prefers that content for two reasons: her pussy is her best friend and attempts to broaden her content have proven less successful. In a second Instagram post, she called for the support of womxn rappers Kamayiyah, Rhapsody, Tierra Whack and, Chika, who she believes are “dope rappers” who don’t talk about their pussy or “sucking dick”. This moment of support highlighted a wide array of lyrical content that boasted womxn empowerment AND celebrated the expression of womxn’s sexuality.
This idea that womxn talking about their pussy proves a lack of lyrical ability speaks to another heteronormative falsehood that cis womxn are passive participants in sex with cis men. According to this misrepresentation, sex is something that happens to womxn and not with womxn, and this sentiment makes it socially acceptable for men to talk about a womxn’s bodies and how they can provide pleasure for men, but does not welcome a similar expression from womxn. Lust is reserved for men. It asserts that the allure heterosexual men feel for womxn is steeped in conquering and pursuing a humbled woman, and womxn who rap about sex pose a challenge to that accepted norm because they defy being accessible to their misogynistic lens and rules for sexual expression. For many cis men that support the genre, it is unfathomable that the womxn they want to have sex with actually enjoy sex as well and aren’t afraid to publicly express that. Womxn are sexual beings, and exploring our sexuality through song or otherwise is our definitive birthright.
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