Female Domination in Rap
How women continue to amaze us with their girlpower and dominate against all odds in the music industry.
Men have showed time and time again how their success in the music industry has put them at the top tier of awards and charts. The focus now, is women. Women are starting to inch their way further and further into music genres, especially rap and hip-hop, all while topping charts, getting hits and facing backlash for being an expressive woman.
Men have made up the majority in the music industry, regardless of the genre, yet the very few female artists making hits still face backlash and criticism for their creations. Especially in rap and hip-hop, which has become one of the most popular music genres in 2020, female artists and women who perform in music videos are critiqued in every aspect.
In 2020 one song that made popular views was Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s hit collab WAP. Which according to Billboard, WAP charted at №1 for Billboard Hot 100 songs. The female empowerment song also drew 93 million streams in the first week — which is the most ever charted and continues to be one of the most weekly streamed songs in 2020.
The Criticism
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, being two of the most influential female rappers in the game, received much criticism and backlash for their hit collab WAP which was focused around embracing female sexuality and being a fearless and dominating woman. Their lyrics were very unique and explicit which to many viewers was “disturbing” and “uncalled for” coming from female* rappers. Women taking control of their sexuality and their female anatomy was “too much” for a society built around gendered norms and sexist stereotypes.
In 2005 the Ying Yang Twins dropped their song Wait (Whisper Song) which according the Billboard hit 16 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts. This song became very popular in the clubs and being played at any functions or parties, yet the lyrics clearly degrade women and depict females as only sexual objects and “bowing down to men.” The song also reveals the empowerment of the man’s sexual anatomy in a positive way. So, here is a song from men where no criticism is given.
Its uncomforting that men can sexualize women and degrade them throughout music and many other aspects in life but the moment women take control of their bodies and embrace their female sexuality in a positive way that doesn’t degrade themselves, people all over are discouraged and baffled by the thought of women powerfully embracing their needs. Yet the song made hits and clearly spits strong lyrics of female sexuality to EMPOWER other women. Shouldn’t we be proud?
Overall, women are still dominating music genres and making hits. I’m sure many women are proud to listen to many female rappers throughout the years and will continously support female rappers and their creative content.
