Recently, I was asked how I can openly identify myself as a feminist but still love hip-hop and rap music and it really made me question if I was contradicting myself. After all, it's no secret that the majority of hip-hop and rap song lyrics degrade women and make light of horrific acts like rape and murder. And while I am completely against over-sexualizing women and depicting them as "sluts" and "whores," I am still strongly attracted to today's rap music. If you look through my current Spotify playlist you'll find a plethora of Drake, Kanye, Future, MadeinTYO, Fetty Wap, and YG, just to name a few. And while some of the lyrics suggest women are only good for a good time, I still feel like I can justify being a feminist and downloading degrading rap music.
The biggest misconception is that rap music starts and promotes the degradation of women. Misogyny is an issue deeply rooted in society, and rap music, like any other creative medium, is only a reaction to society's social norms. So, if culture and society spread misogynistic messages, than naturally they are going to appear in music that depicts the hard truths of reality. Therefore, it is wrong to blame rap and hip/hop culture for violence and harassment toward women because that hatred already existed beforehand. Women have always been viewed as the "lesser" sex in society, long before the controversial rap lyrics illustrated it.
Another reason I believe I can be a feminist and love rap is because the artists behind the lyrics are not violent rapists. People tend to forget that hip-hop and rap artists are still talented performers and like any other artists have a persona when they perform on stage. No celebrity is who you see in social media, in movies, or on stage, so why should rap artists be viewed any differently? Jay Z and Kanye are now both family men devoted to their wives and children. We need to remember that music is an outlet to express emotions and feelings but the finished product of those thoughts is not the person performing them.
Overall, I completely understand why people don't get how a feminist can also love rap and hip-hip music. No, I am not a feminist to be "trendy," I am a feminist because I truly believe men and women should be treated as equals in all aspects of society. However, I still love rap music because I'm drawn to the catchy beat and I believe that music is only a reaction to issues that already exist within a society. I know it's extremely offensive to openly degrade women but I also wouldn't want music that is not 100 percent authentic or real, even if it is a screwed up reality. Perhaps it shows we have a lot of progress to make for equality between women and men. While I don't support the degradation of women, I proudly support freedom of speech and authentic art, even when it depicts the ugly aspects of today's society.
