A recent hip-hop single blowing up all over the charts called “Independent” by southern rapper Webbie has caught my interest. As an avid listener to popular, mainstream hip-hop I am often confronted with tired and overused go-to terminology when describing drugs, women, guns or cars. The popular terminology to describe these themes that are regularly covered in most mainstream hip-hop singles seem to change by the month. However, many still remain.
One instance of terminology that has not evolved much in the last 20 years of hip hop is the terms used to describe women. Or rather not just all women, but a described lower-type of particular woman who is usually attributed to being untrustworthy, unfaithful and dishonest. We all know the terms and I don’t need to mention them. The terms are definitely derogatory, sexist and over-used. It is also these terms that mainstream hip-hop is most often criticized about. In the early 90’s it was violence, now it is the inherent sexism and objectification of woman that seems to be the focus of those critical of hip-hop.
Mind you, one will usually find me in defense of this terminology to a certain extent. I don’t support the misogyny but from a standpoint of art and self-expression I think it should be tolerated. In addition it is important to take into consideration the various iconography and terminology that hip-hop and black American urban youth culture is rooted in.
Finally, to single out hip-hop is ultimately unfair. Sexism and misogyny permeates throughout all aspects of pop culture. And if we are going to talk about such issues we need to take into consideration not just hip-hop culture but the greater context in which it exists in: pop culture. As I have previously quoted, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson points out that objectifying women is not solely rooted in just hip-hop:
"it ain’t hip-hop that’s teaching the broader culture how to dog a woman; it’s the broader culture’s ways and rules that are keyed in by hop-hop lyricists.”
Whether Dyson is correct is debatable. I think there is more of a fluidity to the relationship and that both sides perpetuate the problem at hand. Nevertheless, hip-hop cannot be completely singled out.
That being said, misogyny and sexism is still probably hip-hop’s biggest problem to a certain extent. The issue is complex and it is representing something about not only American black culture, but American society in itself as well. Unfortunately, these complexities are rarely examined or talked about in depth by either the artist performing the song or the overly, feminist close-minded liberal (or super conservative) who is criticizing the lyrics. (see my blog post Its Bigger Than Hip-Hop for more)
Enter Webbie’s “Independent”. In my last blog I mentioned that pop culture seemed to often act as an arena where taboos and issues such as race and sexism could move beyond the borders which are often towed in most social settings. Webbie’s “Independent” does just that. Here is song that is in support of a woman who is independent, motivated and who doesn’t rely on a man. She rejects traditional ideas of a woman’ role. And from the standpoint of Webbie that is the most attractive woman that a man can find. He encourages the listener to find a girl like that. However, the complexity doesn’t really stop there.
Where things get interesting is when Webbie and the other rappers allude to the fact that all she needs a man for is a “good drill”. Here we see the independent female taking on almost the role of the male “pimp” or “ player”. The attitude often permeating hip-hop that a “true” male only utilizes a female for sex and maybe a good back rub is now taken on by the female character described in Webbie’s song. It’s almost an attitude of “hey she is like us…and that is hot!!”
However, to counterpoint, none of the rappers in the song utilize the tired, old, go-to terms that are used to describe a woman in hip-hop songs. To his credit, this is impressive. Webbie has essentially created a single that appeals to the lowest-common denominator, made it popular, and never has to use any of the terms or lyrics that seemed to have become almost a necessity to make a song popular on mainstream hip-hop charts.
It certainly isn’t going to get ultra-feminist to go run out and buy his record. Nor even please them to any degree. Nevertheless, in a genre of music that regardless of the reasons and complexities is overrun with overt sexism; I find Webbie’s contribution to be highly fascinating and worth a listen.
Finally, to add to the complexity of the song, “Independent” is actually a bit of a lyrical re-working of one of his older songs called, “Bad Bitch”. So its almost as if by taking out the go-to term he was able to make a song that was much more popular than his previous single.
strange…
Here’s the video. P.S. I love this song and sing it on the regular:
1 comment:
The thing that bothers me about this is that it involves the classic trope of women demonstrating their equality with men by acting like men. Who says a woman is any more empowered for fucking around like a man? Moreover, who says all men fuck around? The idea that heartless promiscuity = liberation is pretty tired in my view. (See "Female Chauvinist Pigs" for this one.)
That said, I'm pretty much a prostitute.
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