The Lyrical Impact of Music
A Study in Misogyny and Violence
Music thumped out of my headphones as I raised and lowered a set of weights. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I silently rapped along to the music.
“When a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face you get sprung, wanna pull up tough…” (Sir Mix-a-Lot)
Suddenly, I paused… what did he just say?! The reality of the lyrics finally hit their mark.
As a self-proclaimed feminist, I shuddered as I realized what I was actually saying. My stomach rolled. I no longer wanted to listen. I no longer wanted to condone such lyrics that objectified women.
Sadly, however, this lyric is not a one-off. It’s not an obscure reference. It’s one of countless lyrics found in the R&B, hip-hop, and rap genres.
And in the light of #MeToo, it’s time that we acknowledge the misogyny, violence, and objectivism they encourage and the way these lyrics impact our communities.
Name, Shame, and Degrade
According to a study done in 2009 on rap music and negative themes, misogyny, violence toward women, degradation and objectivism were present in over half of the songs considered in the study.
Shaming and degrading vocabulary surrounding women are two of the most common themes. According to the study done in 2009, sexual objectification was the leading type of degrading language, while shaming and naming was secondary following the objectification.
The other key thing that surfaces in a study of negative, misogynistic lyrics is the praise of men who use and abuse women. Men often find that they earn respect when they are viewed as “pimps” and “players” that lord over their “hoes” and “bitches.” Notably, some rappers even discuss this in their songs. In his song “Thangs Change,” the rapper Too $hort states,
Rappers like me always disrespectin’ ladies,
Wonder why it’s like that, well so do I.
But I just turn my back and then I go get high,
’Cause I get paid real good to talk bad about a bitch.
And you bought it, so don’t be mad I got rich.
Clearly conflicted, but viewing life through the perspective of wealth and fame, these rappers continue to produce lyrics that are demeaning and misogynistic because it earns them money and respect.
A Study in Kanye
One of the most well known rappers in the industry is Kanye West, who is also known as Kim Kardashian’s husband. In 2015, he was interviewed by SHOWstudio in an hour-long session that covered a variety of topics, but also engaged with some of his fans and listeners. The interview itself was quite eye opening, but there were moments when it was apparent that West was uncomfortable with the trajectory of the questions.
“… a fan-submitted question about the portrayal of black women in rap lyrics saw West offer one of his more hesitant and convoluted responses. ‘I definitely think generally rap is misogynistic,’ he said, after a pause. ‘Not that that’s justifying the culture.’” (Tshepo Mokoena)
It’s rather telling that he was so candid yet, unapologetic about the culture around rap.
He described misogynistic lyrics as an outlet for men who’ve found themselves belittled, turning towards the women in their lives and lashing out at them in order to feel validated. (Mokoena)
So other people are to blame for the misogyny you express in your lyrics, Kanye?
While there is much to be said around how African Americans, especially African American men, are treated in the United States today, it really is no excuse for women to bear the brunt of your anger and frustration.
This is how rape culture and abuse culture starts.
West would later make headlines a little over a year later, when he visited with President Trump in the White House and their exchange ended with an overly friendly bear hug and a grin from West. It was clear that the admiration was shared on both sides.
It’s ironic that on September 7, 2018, three years after West’s interview with SHOWstudio, he would write lyrics that deeply contradict his comments in the interview.
I’m a sick f — -, I like a quick f — — (whoop)
[repeated four times]
I like my d — — sucked, I’ll buy you a sick truck
I’ll buy you some new [breasts], I’ll get you that nip-tuck
How you start a family? The condom slipped up
I’m a sick f — -, I’m inappropriate
I like hearing stories, I like that ho s — -
I wanna hear more s — -, I like the ho s — -
Send me some more s — -, you triflin’ ho bitch (bitch, bitch, bitch)
- Kanye West (“I Love It”)
And this is the kind of guy that our President finds to be “a genius” and is his “friend.” And this is the kind of guy that honestly stated that rap was misogynistic and that there wasn’t any excuse for it.
(If that doesn’t say anything about the state of our Union, I don’t know what does. But that’s beside the point and I digress.)
Sadly, rap hasn’t changed, much less the music industry in general. Look no further than an article published by AJ+ about misogyny in the folk and pop-punk genres.
Misogyny takes no prisoners.
Unfortunately, much of the attention lands on rap and R&B because of the impact the music has on not only individuals but on communities as well.
The Cultural Impact
One of the best places to see the cultural impact of violence, misogyny and gang affiliation is in Chicago, a city that has been wracked with gun violence over the past few years.
“Four decades ago, Liebow’s (1967, 140–144) ethnographic study of a low-income, Black neighborhood described how important it was for men to be seen as ‘exploiters of women,’ even if they did not always treat women in this way. Recent research indicates that exploitation and degradation of young women is still a feature of some inner-city communities today and continues to shape gender relations.” (Weitzer and Kubrin)
Former gang member Derek Brown points to rap and movies that glorified violence, drug use, and gang affiliation as the reason he got sucked into a negative lifestyle. He noted that music took the place of the role models he was lacking, which in the end, is what dragged him into a gang. He saw violence as a way out and the gang offered family he so desperately needed and wanted.
Known as “Shotgun” to his fellow gang members, Derek Brown was thirteen when he joined the gang and often bounced between the streets and jail. By the time he was in his mid-twenties, Derek had been shot and his best friend murdered.
‘It’s not normal for a kid to want Hennessy, or to smoke a blunt with a combination of marijuana and tobacco, which is what Tupac rapped about,’ he [Derek Brown] said. ‘No African-American male from an urban community knew about Versace until Tupac started rapping about it. Now, (rapper) Future is telling our kids it’s cool to pop a molly,’ or Ecstasy.” (Dawn Turner)
The Violent Standard
Sadly, in the rap genre, particularly gangsta rap, violence against women and violence against others is common and nothing is off limits.
Even female rappers spend very little time challenging the misogynistic views and violence that often occurs to women in the black and Latino communities. Eve, a female rapper, unfortunately plays both sides of the violent coin. In one song (Love Is Blind) she argues against the violence she sees against women, but in another song, advocates for the competition and fights that occur over other men.
Get your own stacks [money]
Why you think these n***** p**** hungry?
Cause you actin’ triflin’
Layin’ up, takin’ his money.
(Eve, Let’s Talk About)
Eminem tells listeners to ‘‘rape sluts’’ (Who Knew), prostitutes, and other women:
Slut, you think I won’t choke no whore
’Til the vocal cords don’t work in her throat no more?!
Shut up slut, you’re causin’ too much chaos
Just bend over and take it like a slut, okay Ma? (Eminem, Kill You)
Clearly, there is a precedent to legitimizing violence toward women that has been set and we continue to push the envelope on what is acceptable. Often those who support the rap/R&B industry argue that while the artists rap about violence, they would never actually do it.
Need I remind those who state this that there are a number of rap stars who have been accused and many charged for a variety of crimes, not just against women.
Rapper Cassidy, who was accused of murder, was later convicted of manslaughter and only served eight months.
Tupac Shakur, one of the most notable rappers of the 1990s, was convicted of the sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman.
Gucci Mane, one of the most convicted rappers in the industry, managed to get out of a murder charge, but not much else. There wasn’t sufficient evidence to make the charges stick, but most think that Mane was guilty. He may not have pulled the trigger, but it’s likely he was the one who ordered the hit. Ironically, at the time the charges were dropped, Mane was actually in prison on a different conviction: assault against a bouncer with a pool cue.
T.I. was found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm. Some would say, a gun? Big deal. In reality though, he was charged for the possession of not just one machine gun, nothing anyone should really have anyway, but several machine guns that he was planning on bringing with him to an awards show. He would later break his probation and be found guilty of the possession of ecstasy. The man apparently doesn’t learn.
Even our friend Marshall Mathers, aka: Eminem, the one who talks about raping sluts and violence against women, was charged with assault in 2000.
In February 2019, Brooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine plead guilty on nine counts of criminal charges with one of them being a charge of helping his gang in their attempt to kill another gang member. Despite this, his fans support him.
These men and women, ladies and gentlemen, are the ones who have the ears of countless listeners.
The question remains, is the violence and misogyny they condone something we should support or is it time to hold these artists responsible and draw the line in the sand?
The Ultimate Problem?
While many point to the rappers themselves as the problem behind the genre, there is something to be said about the industry and the producers and their drive for money and what sells. Beyond sex, violence is what sells now.
According to Ronald Weitzer and Charis Kubrin, “artists in search of securing record deals are often told their message is not hard enough, they are too clean cut, that ‘hardcore’ is what is selling now, and that they should no longer engage in social commentary.”
The bias fostered by record companies is recapitulated in the kind of rap music that gets the greatest airplay on radio stations. Hip-hop historian Kevin Powell points out that ‘‘in every city you go to in America. .. [rap stations are] playing the same 10–12 songs over and over again. So what it does is perpetuate the mindset that the only way you can be a man — a black man, a Latino man — is if you hard. To denigrate women. To denigrate homosexuals. To denigrate each other. To kill each other’’ (Ronald Weitzer and Charis Kubrin).
Kanye West, in his interview, also noted that American culture and the way black men are treated is often the reason behind the violent and angry tone found in much of the rap genre, particular the gangsta rap.
“So let’s take that to the idea of a black male in America, not getting a job, or getting f***ed with at his job, or getting f***ed with by the cops or being looked down upon by this lady at Starbucks. And he goes home to his girl … and this guy is like … you just scream at the person that’s the closest to you.” West linked the use of misogynistic and violent language in rap to a “lack of opportunities” before switching tack and discussing hatred and racism.
However, does that really excuse the angry, violent, and misogynistic lyrics? Most would argue not.
Taking a Stand
For Derek Brown, the former Vice Lord gang member in Chicago, he eventually found his way out of the gang scene through an unlikely outlet: boxing. Starting a community center out of his home, he currently engages with youth in his neighborhood through teaching boxing. His boxing program, Boxing Out Negativity, sees dozens of boys and girls every week spending time sparring, outletting stress and anxiety, and finding rest and refuge with positive role models in their community.
The violence and misogyny found in rap music may have negative results, but there are definitely those who are fighting against the stigma around the rap life and about the violence it condones.
