![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() She continues to expound on the resulting atmosphere: ![]() “On one hand, to prove you were ‘real’, you had to keep up with the guys and that meant everything from battling them in rap ciphers to outselling them in records or outranking them on the record charts,” writes Jones. Jones argues, “Like several cultural movements before it, Hip-Hop found itself engorged with rampant misogyny as the socioeconomically disenfranchised young men fought for some semblance of power.”Īnd so, as Hip-Hop matured beyond its nascency, many women began to feel inherently uninvited into a participatory role in the creation of the music. Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, and Queen Latifah were among those who showed and proved that the women of Hip-Hop were more than just sidekicks for men.” And, yet, the early progenitors of a female voice in Hip-Hop music were swiftly faced with a conundrum – how to embrace the culture that both begat them but also disrespected their very essence. “Our representation essentially fortified in the ultra cool style of MC Sha Rock, the beautification of Lady Pink, and the head-spinning clap-backs of Roxanne Shante. “Of course we were there since the beginning,” Jones writes. In order for such a powerhouse woman to make her way in the male-dominated arena that was “Street Rap,” Lil’ Kim first witnessed, as did Heads around the world, some of the first women to contribute to Hip-Hop music with their male counterparts. And, while Lil’ Kim has often been criticized for having had her lyrics penned by Biggie, her place in feminist history is often overlooked. Jones illustrates Lil’ Kim’s importance to Hip-Hop culture, not only as a woman, but as a lyricist, and one whose body of work is often overlooked for the more “conscious” and “empowering” content of her foremothers and contemporaries. In “All Hail Lil’ Kim, The Original Queen of Hip-Hop,” Ms. In describing the Lauryn Hills, Rah Diggas, Bahamadias, and Lil’ Kims of the world, more often than not, the qualifying description of “female MC” is used (as in “she’s so dope for a female MC”), and for many, such a term is more harmful than may be acknowledged through a surface interpretation. Feminista Jones – a prominent author, activist, and social media presence – has penned an article celebrating the contributions and legacy of Lil’ Kim, an MC whose talent is doubted by few, but who suffers from the same condition as most women who pick up a mic. ![]()
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