Extra Credit: Female Portrayal in Hip-Hop Music -Logan Walker

My group did our in-class presentation on Athletes and Hip Hop. Some different aspects of the topic we wanted to look at were how athletes were related to hip hop artists and vice versa, similarities of the two, and how athletes and hip hop artists portray one another. We included video clips of athletes rapping and hip hop artists playing sport. One aspect that we did not talk much about was how female athletes are portrayed and related to hip-hop. I would just like to elaborate some on this thought since the question has been brought up.

I would like to start off by saying that we do not see women portrayed as much in this light because more times than not it is male hip hop artists who are intrigued by male sports. For example, we talked about in our presentation how Jay-Z took over the Brooklyn Nets and then decided to let someone else take over because he wanted to become an agent. Jay-Z founded Roc Nation Sports. The reason he had to hand some responsibility of the Nets to someone else is because he could not be an owner and an agent. We really do not see any female hip-hop artists making these types of moves. We are more aware male hip-hop artists athletic backgrounds than female hip-hop artists. As we have touched on in some class discussion this year, there is not as much popularity when it comes to female sports as there is in male sports. When it comes to male hip artists they seem to have more fascination in the female athlete’s physical attraction more so than the actual sport they play. I would also like to add that Skylar Diggins who just signed with the WNBA also signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports. This was big news for female athletes. This was a great decision on her part and I am intrigued to see the endorsements she will have coming her way.

I would like to compare male athletes portrayal in hip-hop artist music compared to females. I would like to look at how the two parties are represented. The first song I wanted to look at is entitled “Kobe Bryant” and it is by hip-hop artist Lil Wayne. The song is based on the greatness of Kobe Bryant and has excerpts in it from ESPN analysts talking about Kobe’s greatness. When hip hop talks about males athletes it is usually strictly about their athletic ability. I looked at an article entitled, “Black Womanhood, Misogyny, and Hip Hop Culture: A Feminist Intervention,” by Anita Simmons. The article talks a lot about how black females are mistreated when it comes to hip hop music. It talks about how in white and black hip hop artist’s music there seems to be a hatred or mistrust related to black women. It is stated in the article, “I feel personally targeted by the sexist rage in hip hop that reinforces the patriarchal, dominant stereotypical views of black women and their sexuality that have been promoted by American men, both white and black” (Simmons 27). This is Simmons kind of touching on the previous point that I made that females, athlete or not, are strictly spoken about more so as an object than being appreciated for their qualities, such as success in sports or overall accomplishments. Also stated in the article, “I argue that the systemic hatred of black women did not start with Hip-Hop, but has deep historical continuities that precede the latter” (Simmons 28). Simmons is saying right here that the negative portrayal of black women did not start with hip-hop but it has always been a problem in the world and hip-hop is just a continuation.

Finally, I do not think that this is how black females would like to be represented, but they do not have much of a choice when this is how hip hop artists want to portray them. Looking back at Don Imus and his comments about the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball team he called them “nappy headed hoes” and also made comments about their tattoos. After he made these comments he tried to defend himself by blaming it on hip hop music. I personally think that it was a poor excuse by Don Imus to blame his actions on hip hop, but in reality, hip-hop artists do portray the black females in this light. Some final comments I’d like to make are that it is hard to relate female athletes to hip hop in a positive way especially when they are victims of hatred and sexism in hip hop music. Male athletes are spoken about strictly in regards to their athletic ability but unfortunately female athletes do not get this luxury. 

References:

Simmons, Anita. "BLACK WOMANHOOD, MISOGYNY, AND HIP-HOP CULTURE: A FEMINIST INTERVENTION." 1.2 (2008): 27-28. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.colum.edu/Academics/Humanities_History_and_Social_Sciences/Cultural_Studies/Cultural_Landscapes/Volume_I_Issue_2/Cultural_Landscapes_Journal_1_2_2008_C_Anita_Simmons.pdf>.

Slam. N.p., 25 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.slamonline.com/online/other-ballers/womens/2013/04/skylar-diggins-signs-with-roc-nation-sports/>.