Patriarchy and misogyny is the one of the major issues within the Black community that is most popularized through popular rap music and this issue is thoroughly explained in Christelyn Karazin's recent post titled, "Why No Self-Respecting Black Woman Should Pay to See “Straight Outta Compton."




Karazin's video addresses many important and too often ignored issues and truths about the misogyny against women of color especially that which continually exists within and because of the black community (that allows for this to happen).

Hip hop and rap culture (which follows an extreme patriarchal basis) allow and continue the mistreatment and marginalization of women of color in the black community as well as LGBQT identities. The devaluation of women of color while elevating women of whiteness, the promotion of violence against women especially women of color, and the glamorization of all forms of criminality are the messages that are conveyed through too many popular rap songs. I'm not saying all rap/hip hop does this, but most of the popular rap songs out today do. This isn't to say that rap/hip hop are the only music types that do this as there is a lot of sexism in the country music industry and few rock songs. However, neither of those two are really as popular--reaching huge, youth audiences--as hit rap songs that do not help the black community. These are the issues that are too often ignored, continuing the marginalization and mistreatment towards women of color as well as Black individuals whose identity also intersects with the LGBQT identity/community.

I always thought that it was popular hip hop/rap music that perpetuates and contributes to the stereotypes, misogyny, and violence against women of color. I don't listen to hip hop/rap so I don't know many names nor the history until watching this video. However, I am aware there are very few hip hop/rap music artists who do not contribute to the degradation and marginalization of women of color and those artists either don't make music anymore (e.g. Queen Latifah) or aren't very popular (e.g. Common).


A recent post from Madam Noire titled, "Another Black Man Bashes Black Women." Women at Madam Noire talk about a recent instance exemplifying the disrespect towards black women by black men in the hip hop industry. The women talk about how these attacks of disrespect, sexism, stereotypes against black women happens way too often on account of black men. They also talk how these men fail to stand up for and defend black women, let alone rectify the false stereotypes they constructed while they are constantly defended and supported by black women. Just watch the video below or click here to see the discussion.

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In the Gender/Women's Studies courses I have taken, there was always a discussion on the oppression, violence, degradation, and overall misogyny inflicted upon women of color, and the sources from which it all occurs as well as the cycle that perpetuates it (which I have addressed earlier in this post). Topics discussed in class included an evaulation of the music and culture that manages to perpetuate the toxic cycle against women of color.  I based a section of my essay for my Feminist Theory course on the concept of intersectionality, which you can read below from page 2 to 5. The part of this essay that really relates to this topic is on pages 3 to 5, where I mention and discuss feminist scholar Kimberle Crenshaw, who coined the term intersectionality. It is within those pages that the importance of intersectionality is emphasized. This whole post relates to the concept of intersectionality, the intersection of ethnicity/"race" and gender. There is only one race as in the human race/species so...