Hip-Hop’s Effect on African-American Feminists

Davis points out that not all feminists are taking the concept of sexism so casually and also believes that rap lyrics are not the only cause for the degradation of black women. Black men have given black women a place where they can gain public acceptance in popular culture. Salt-N-Pepa is introduced and this tells how they make a statement in hip-hop music through their lyrics. DiPrima talks about the group’s female empowerment that became present in their songs.  Emerson, Rana. “African-American Teenage Girls and the Construction of Black Womanhood in Mass Media and Popular Culture. ” 88. Emerson says the lyrics make racism seem normal and acceptable. In contrast, black girls remain confident in themselves. They use popular culture to make their lives more meaningful and express themselves. Niesel, Jeff. “Hip-Hop Matters: Rewriting the Sexual Politics of Rap Music”.

Niesel states rap music is exploitative, but it also plays a significant role in enforcing feminists’ principles. He says there are rappers out there who use their rap to advocate treating women fairly and bring awareness of social problems. These views still carry on in pop culture today. He also talks about how black women were viewed in the times of Foxy Brown and Lil Kim. Pough, Gwendolyn D. “Love Feminism but Where’s My Hip-Hop? ”. Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism. Pough talks about the need for African-American men to exploit women in music due to women gave her courage as a young woman to use confrontations in her own life. Also, she talks about good versus bad work ethic among black women in music videos. Rose, Tricia. “Tricia Rose on Hip-Hop. ” Interview with Princeton University. Rose talks about the bad effect of young women listening to degrading lyrics and believing them. Additionally, she says that when a woman makes a justifiable critique, men make it seem like some sort of PMS attack. Valenti talks about the third wave feminist movement and how it uses personal narratives, unlike prior waves of feminism.