Welcome to Gaia! ::

I'm a white girl, and considering the words I've read from some amazing women of colour, I feel it's not my place to criticize rap and hip hop, especially because music from my own culture, by people of my own skin colour is _also_ extremely sexist.

How can I say that rape/hiphop is sexist specifically, when pop and rock music are sexist as well? I mean, is pop really music, or just s**t that opresses women? Is rock music, or s**t?

I'm not defending misogyny in 'black' music, but I have no reason to specifically target it, when other music is just as bad.

Kids could have better role models then the guys in nickelback, the red hot chili peppers and other musicians in music that typically comes from white cultures.
That's not counting metal. I love metal, but ******** that s**t is sexist. I've been listening to it less and less because of that very reason truth be told.

You're saying that it's al about sex, drugs and violence. One of my favourite songs at the moment has the lyrics "and the sex, and the drugs, and the complications" that's a song from placebo (white rock band.)

Again: Not saying that the sexism in hiphop that exists is acceptable, I'm just questioning why people are targeting hiphop and rap, rather then other kinds of sexist music. The main answers that the feminist women of colour are coming up with is racism, and I think that's fair enough.

*pulls up some articles about the issue*

http://leftistlooneylunch.blogspot.com/2007/04/universal-white-male-culture-reminder.html
http://www.tolerance.org/news/article_tol.jsp?id=831
http://www.kaichang.net/2007/04/a_quick_note_to.html

Here's some articles on the sexism in rock music <3

http://lonergrrrl.blogspot.com/2006/06/sound-of-misogyny.html
http://twistyfaster.typepad.com/i_blame_the_patriarchy/2005/04/rocknrolls_bogu.html

And here's an article on progressive hiphop. <3

http://www.kaichang.net/2007/04/underground_rai.html

You're talking mainstream hip-hop. And ******** yes, that stuff is drenched in misogyny. However, a lot of underground rap and hip-hop is progressive and not sexist or violent or filled with drugs. For some reason all the sexist s**t is popular and all the stuff with real messages is ignored. I think that says more about the consumers than the music genre.

Personally, I don't like rap all that much, but I won't go so far as to stereotype the whole genre based on the most popular artists. You wouldn't label all alternative bands based on My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco, would you?

I don't think an entire genre of music should be labeled as sexist or not. There are sexist songs, albums, artists, etc. in EVERY genre.

Lauryn Hill was a hiphop artist, does that mean she's sexist?

I was watching some special on VH1 and it was on the exploitation of hip-hop back-up . . . dancers (?). The special was pretty crappy, but it mentioned an interesting book.

http://www.alternet.org/story/29173/

What are your thoughts?

I don't know about rock not being cool anymore, most people 'round these parts love rock. I don't know too many people around me who like rap. <3

I guess that bit would depend on where you live?

Rap isn't music. It is just the record company making money off of people who think they are poets. But I listen to music that demoralizes women, but I like the music because of the talent.

So what's this Chicken book about? I know it'll deal with feminism and hip-hop, but what is the message of it?