Hip Hop's Betrayal of Black Women by Jennifer McLune - Essay Example

The author explains on the discrimination of women in favour of men in hip-hop success. The author describes to the readers that male hip-hop singers prejudice women for their benefit by making them even invisible and unrecognized. Therefore, Mclune is advocating for the stop of sexism. She goes on and responds to Powell's ideology of basing sexism on socio-economic explanation in favor of male hip-hop singers. The whole of this article rotates around the issue of feminism supported by culture and socio-economic ideologies.

McLune explains her title excellently and factually since she is very direct to the point of misogyny in music. She is just revealing the truth for the benefit of women and hip-hop music which she says it may fail if gaps are not filled appropriately. She is strong in criticizing the issue of money and socioeconomic justification as the basis of women bias.

According to her, hip-hop is a betrayal of black women in the following ways;

Firstly, if you don't sing about the ideology of women it becomes difficult to be noticed, and your song may end up being irrelevant. This means that every hip-hop singer tries the best way possible to use women to be meaningful in the market. In this dimension, therefore, women end up being misused and seen as instruments of sex. Just imagine how they expose their nakedness in the public domain throughout the production of the song! This is what McLune calls betrayal of women since they are kind of deprived their rights and have been misused for many years. The women on the other side have not come out to defend themselves and say enough is enough on the oppression. This is caused by stereotypes based on cultural beliefs that women are inferior to men.

Secondly, hip-hop singers are materialistic and sexist. If you keenly listen to most of their songs, not many advocate for equality and respect of gender. The superiority complex in men suppressed all good things women can be proud of including their capabilities. Materialistically, women, have been blackmailed by money and properties by the hip-hop singers. This has dramatically changed their perceptions hence cannot solely work for themselves without dependence. The dependency syndrome makes them lazier hence becoming powerless in the society. It is unfortunate that even women singers have turned to these styles of singing to avoid criticism on their songs. They have to adopt this system for them to excel despite it being bad.

Thirdly, the success of hip-hop is owed to woman-hating ideology. The hip-hop industry and culture have allowed men singers to do anything they want with women especially those in the production. For instance, hip-hop artist Talib Kweli and Common express themselves publicly as conscious alternatives, but they are passive in unrelenting woman-hating bravado. This contradicts the whole matter and makes women misused unknowingly. Women have been suppressed to the extent that even those who are singers don't speak with one voice. They become enemies instead of joining hands to fight chauvinism. It is surprising that we have women singers who do woman-hating lyrics because men singers are not talking bad about them. Here they are just like pretenders to protect their names and ruins other women identity. The intention of doing this is to avoid called names like bitches and hoe which irritates most women.

Lastly, McLune also feels that there is a betrayal of black women by the hip-hop white men. Due to racial discrimination, the white hip-hop men tend to be in grudge with black hip-hop artists who directly also affects the black woman. This may happen especially if the women have been diminished in response to the war that has been declared hence fighting back for protection. The author also feels that since black women have not been involved in gender mainstreaming, men will continue to make dehumanizing decisions hence rendering women inferior and losers in the society.

The message of McLune to hip-hop apologists is so convincing and realistic. She is just reminding the black artists that they are lucky they were given the world to benefit them and do justice. Any individual attacking their misogynistic is a hater. The author urges them to change perception and attitude to think positively on all sexes. No person is superior to the other regarding gender and other attributes. She advocates for a total refusal of being bewitched or blackmailed by the hip-hop artist both men and women from all over the world not only in Africa.

To my opinion, it is the right step taken by Jennifer McLune towards the apologists. An affirmative action is required to do away with sexism. Women need to be given opportunity and power in the society to express their rights to avoid all these violations as witnessed in the hip-hop industry. Men artists should protect the world by doing righteous. They are not denied a chance to use women in their music endeavor, but it should be done with limits which denote morality and not decay of the society.