Women and Their Influence in the Hip Hop Culture

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Women and Their Influence in the Hip Hop Culture

• Presented By
• Christy Botts
• Erin Keto
• Amy Moeller
• Vernon M. Myers II

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Quote

• If we do not tell the story then what needs to
  be said fails to get out from the mouths that
  need to preach We have to go back
  and tell the story.
• Andy Williams
• Youth Worker in North Minneapolis

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Outline

• History of Women in Hip Hop
• Women in Videos
• Barriers for Women in Hip Hop
• Women in Hip Hop from the Twin Cities
• Our Project
• Our Findings
• Upcoming Events
• Conclusion
• Q/A

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History of Women in Hip Hop
Hip Hop is not music, it is not dance, it is not
art its culture. Hip Hop is a culture based on
music. Not that the music is the nucleus, but it
is the pulse. You take the music out of Hip Hop
and you lose such an importance piece, the
driving force. Mysnikol, Comedian
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History of Women in Hip Hop

• Little Woman was a prominent female
  rapper who rhymed with Kool DJ AJ and Sweet
  Sour.
• Lady was the first recorded female emcee with
  "To the Beat Y'All" and serve some time as
  editor-in-chief for Word Up.
• Roxanne Shante was known as "Mistress of the
  Dis."
• Open door ways for other female artists
  (Salt-N-Peppa, Queen Latifah, Da Brat,
  Missy Elliot, Eve, etc.).

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History of Women in Hip Hop

• Dynamic Dolls was an all-female troupe of
  break-dancers.
• B-Girl Daisy Castro was part of the mostly
  male Rock Steady crew.
• Pink Lady and Lady Heart were doing graffiti art
  and they became well known for their
  illicit public art.
• Sylvia Robinson (Suguar Hill Records), Monica
  Lynch (Tommy Boy), and Carmen Ashurst-Watson (Def
  Jam) were critical women in the entrepreneurship
  of hip hop music.
• Jazzy Joyce and Spinderella are the two most
  widely known women DJs.

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Women in Videos
"Mainstream likes it better to have a thong than
a fully clothed woman doing rap." - Sara White
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Women in Videos

• Women are called out of their names (e.g., hoe,
  chickenheads, etc.) or are observed in videos
  from the area of their torso.
• bell hooks argues that the images of women in
  videos are directly related to the general
  climate in today's society.
• Many women have turn the tables on men by using
  explicit sexual speeches.

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The Barriers for Women in Hip Hop
"There are links that can be made, for example,
between the Black women thinkers and activists of
the past and Black women participating in Hip Hop
culture today. Both groups have struggled with
some of the same issues, such as sexuality,
identity, and dedication to uplifting Black
communities. They have met with the same
obstacles, namely, resistance from some members
of their own communities and repression from the
controlling public sphere" (Pough, 2004, p. 42).
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The Barriers for Women in Hip Hop

• Being a woman who is respected for WHO she
  isnot WHAT she is.
• Im not doing anything foul to get where Im
  going Ive just been thru a gang of shit, being
  a female. T-Love
• Feeling lonely.
• Im tired of rolling with all guys. Asia One

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Lyrics about the Struggle Jean Grae
NOT LIKE ME Cmon they are not like me. And
anyway, you know, its not easy to come across a
girl like JeanI need some good conversation,
love, these hood-rats be making up the game, plus
they aint even fully developed, insaneYou see I
walk up different on them, talk slang often,
bought dinner at dutch while most women do the
wallet clutch. Never ask stupid questions, make
jokes interesting, wear more clothes and let
their eyes do the undressing. Face it, Im not
your average girl, or just close to it even, most
original, entranced by your physical but I just
want to chill, are you down? -Jean Grae from
This Week
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Lyrics India Arie
VIDEO Keep your fancy drinks and your expensive
minks. I dont need that to have a good time.
Keep your expensive car and your caviar All I
need is my guitarDont need your silicon I
prefer my own. What God gave me is just fine Im
not the average girl from your video. And I
aint built like a supermodel. But, I learned to
love myself unconditionally. Because I am a
queen. Im not the average girl from your video.
My worth is not determined by the price of my
clothes. No matter what Im wearing I will
always be India Arie
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Lyrics Lauryn Hill
Doo Wop (That Thing) Who you gon tell when
the repercussions spin/ Showing off your ass
cause youre thinking its a trend/ dont be a
hardrock when youre really a gem/ Babygirl,
respect is just a minimum/ Niggas fucked up and
you still defending them/ Now Lauryn is only
human/ Dont think I havent been through the
same predicament/ Let it sit inside your head
like a million women in Phillly, Penn./ Its
silly when women sell their souls because its
in/ Look at where you be in hair weaves like
Europeans/Fake nails done by Korenans/ Come
again, come again, come again
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Lyrics Queen Latifah
Ladies First I break into a lyrical
freestyle Grab the mic, look into the crowd and
see smiles Cause they see a woman standing up on
her own two Sloppy slouching is something I won't
do Some think that we can't flow (can't
flow) Stereotypes, they got to go (got to go) I'm
a mess around and flip the scene into
reverse(With what?) With a little touch of
"Ladies First"
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Hip Hop Artists from the Twin Cities

• Desdemona
• Akira Johnson
• Sara White
• B-Girl Seoul
• Dancin Dave
• Gwendolyn Pough
• Mysnikol (Miss Nicole)
• Rachel Raimist
• Madeline Howie

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Our Project

• Two members attended a fundraising event for the
  upcoming B-Girl Be Summit in Minneapolis.
• Met with Desdamona and received over fifteen
  female artists to contact.
• Each member contacted potential
  interviewees and conducted the
  interview either by e-mail, telephone, or in
  person.
• Search for main themes that came out of our
  interviews.

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Desdamona Spoken Word Warrior

• First took the stage in 1997.
• Awards for her performance at the
  legendary Green Mill in Chicago,
  the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York, and
  the National Poetry Slam Competition.
• Share, discover and cultivate that love
  of poetry in young artists though
  her workshops in schools and at Stillwater
  Prison's.

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Akira Johnson

• Lyricist since the age of three.
• Born in Chicago and became involve in Hip
  Hop when her family moved to Bay City,
  Michigan.
• Performed at Blue Nile, Intermedia, Twin Cities
  Underground Street.

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Sara White

• Started writing poetry since age thirteen.
• Started dancing since she was five.
• Broadway opened her passion to perform
  through singing.
• Interlock helped her and her partner to
  produce their own CD.

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B-Girl Seoul Dancin Dave

• B-Girl Seoul came to the Twin Cities at age
  sixteen with her friends to witness break dancing
  at First Avenue.
• B-Girl Seoul went to college for a while
  and applied her knowledge in choreography to
  not only become a better dancer but also
  teach her skills with youth.
• Dancin Dave learned to move from his counsin.

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Gwendolyn Pough

• Syracuse University associate professor of
  writing, rhetoric and womens studies
• Former faculty member in the Women's Studies at
  the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
• Inspired by Rapper's Delight at age nine.
• Did some DJing and rap between eleven and
  sixteen.
• Wrote a book to provide an in depth look into
  the world of Hip Hop and how black women play a
  crucial role in the success of the culture.

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Mysnikol (Miss Nicole)

• Grew up in Frogtown.
• Degree in Psychology from Metropolitan State
  University.
• Began doing stand up comedy on a whim.
• Big break in February 2004 when she did comedy
  for the first time.
• Favorite comedians are Jamie Foxx and Tyler
  Perry.

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Rachel Raimist

• Inspired in late 80s thanks to Yo MTV Raps.
• Primarily Filmmaker.
• Done some work with the Source and Ecko.
• Created a documentary about the experiences of
  females of Hip Hop in California entitled Nobody
  Knows My Name.

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Madeline Howie

• Been dancing for about an year.
• Inspired through hearing KRS-1 at fifteen years
  old.
• Founded the undergrounded Hip Hop in 1995.
• Uses her skills in choreography to teach break
  dancing to youth.

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Themes from the Interviews

• 1. Hip Hop is my life.
• Hip Hop helps to promote youth voice.
• Hip Hop helps bring together people from
  different backgrounds.
• Hip Hop helps to empower people who usually
  does not have the spotlight on them.
• There is an opportunity in Hip Hop to challenge
  the
• stereotype.

Asking me how I became enwrapped in Hip Hop is
like asking me when did you know you like oxygen.
I was born in Hip Hop. - Mysnikol
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Themes from the Interviews

• 2. Commercialism has a major impact in their
  lives.
• - Too focus on artist rather than the culture
• - Soft pornography sex sells
• - Make money off of people
• If businesses and organizations are using
  lyrics from artists does it mean they respect
  Hip Hop?
• - Promotes the atmosphere where lyrics sung by
  rappers are one dimensional.
• narrow representation of women
• women as tokens
• same theme either entertainment or sex
• - Armour of Protection
• some of the women were tomboys - helped them to
  handle the pressure of the hyper-
  masculine environment

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Themes from the Interviews

• 3. Minneapolis has its strengths and criticisms.
• - Hip Hop Culture is coming up
• between the third trimester and infancy.
• receives information later than other cities.
• many more white youth are willing to study the
  culture.
• - Hard to make a living when not in the
  spotlight.
• "Keep my ears to the street for events that are
  happening in the area." Akria Johnson
• - Hip Hop is not fully accepting the culture.
• Restriction to what they can wear, perform and
  say by businesses.

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Themes from the Interviews

• 4. Hip Hop strengthens me.
• - There are more opportunities for women to
  gain access into the business area.
• - All of the interviewees recognizes that Hip Hop
  Culture help enhance their maturity level.
• - Most of the time plays a role teacher and
  student.
• Willing to humble themselves to go back and
  relearn things.
• Willing to educate others about their gift.
• 5. Hip Hop needs to go back to the
  foundation of Hip Hop (activism).

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Upcoming Events

• Intermedia Arts
• http//www.intermediaarts.org/index2.htm
• B-Girl Summit
• June 1 5, 2005 at Intermedia Arts
• Visual and Multimedia Exhibit
• April 21 June 12, 2005
• Women in the Movement
• April 7 May 26, 2005
• Open Mic Night with Desdamona at the Blue Nile on
  Tuesdays (10 p.m.)

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Conclusion
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Questions ?