As of recent, there have been more occurrences of crimes against women, from the over 300 kidnapped Nigerian girls (which is allegedly still ongoing) to the reoccurring domestic violence allegations against Black men in entertainment. Hip Hop, being the most influential sociopolitical movement, does not shy away from these controversies, with some rappers using them as inspirations for their lyrics… but not in positive ways.
It’s no secret that Black men in entertainment stick together. When one Black male entertainer gets in a legal jam, they all seem to rally around each other in support using “Free [insert name of incarcerated entertainer]” hashtags to garner more support from fans. But is it the PERSON they’re supporting or the CRIME?
Floyd Mayweather, Ray Rice, Chris Brown and many other male athletes and entertainers were all arrested for crimes against women and received the biggest support from sports and music fans alike, with many fans bashing and blaming the victims. While it’s obvious rap music is not a fan of women with its overwhelmingly misogynistic content, Black women seem to make up a large portion of its fan base, beating out their male counterparts as consumers of the genre as of recent years. However, with the majority of rap music’s content aiming to depreciate the value of women, one has to ask when will Black women stand up to Hip Hop?
How long will Black women rap along to songs that refer to them as bitches, hoes, and thots? How long will Black women bob their heads and shake their bodies along to songs that explicitly state the most valuable asset a woman has to offer is between her legs? How long will Black women swoon over the next big rapper who raps about assaulting women? How long will women support rappers who not only promote this, but actually live by this lifestyle of trivializing and abusing women?
Given these times where crimes against women are at an all time high and Hip Hop seems to be soaking it up for inspiration to new songs as well as promoting this misogynistic culture, isn’t it time that Black women STOOD UP to Hip Hop?