Throughout almost all of the readings we have done, I have become more aware of how suppression is observed within music. It has been prevalent through race, gender, and sex in all types of music, including hip hop. When reflecting on the history of hip hop, people trace the sound back to the South Bronx with DJ Kool Herc around the 1970s playing at house parties. I found this outlet of music to be very intriguing and unique. I found that parties are a great way to release new types of music to identify which beats are the most popular amongst the crowd. One thing that stood out to me when learning about these house parties was that the idea was created by his sister, Cindy Campbell. Hip Hop historian, Jeff Chang describes Cindy as “motivated by a desire to earn money for a new back-to-school wardrobe, obtained the space, purchased the refreshments and advertised the party” (LaBennet). Even though DJ Kool Herc actually played at these house parties, the mind behind the curtain was his sister. Unfortunately, hardly any credit is awarded to her, and she is not usually discussed with the origin of hip hop. Stemming from this initial misinterpretation, female impacts on hip hop is also constantly overlooked and contains hidden narratives. There are various artists, who including the Funky Four, have impacted early development of hip hop, but have parts of their contributions ignored.
In the article, The Rise of Seattle Hiphop, only men are mentioned in originating hip hop in Seattle. The article speaks about how in 1985, “the release of Mix-A-Lot's "Square Dance Rap" as the debut record from Nastymix Records, which paved the way for his future success and marked the first stab at national recognition for the fledgling Northwest hiphop scene” (Fleck). When women are introduced into the article, Fleck writes about how THEESatisfaction, a female duo, releasing a song that came out almost three decades later. This article does not mention any early female impacts on hip hop music up until then.
The first song that I chose for this post is Ex-Factor by Ms. Lauryn Hill. This song came out in 1998, and it won the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B / Soul Single. This song represents a woman whose work has been recognized and the power of her voice in this song.
The second song I chose is Pretty Girl Rock by Keri Hilson. Keri Hilson was a background singer for various R&B and hip-hop artists, who was able to persevere and make a name for herself. This song portrays her to be very empowering and confident. She knows that her voice is going to be heard, which is something that I appreciate.
Both of these songs are ones that show female empowerment in the hip hop / R&B genre. The lyrics are inspiring and prove that women deserve a role in this genre without a male.
LaBennet Oneka, “Histories and ‘Her Stories’ from the Bronx: Excavating Hidden Hip Hop Narratives” Afro-Americans in New York Life and History. July 2009, Vol. 33, issue 2, p109
Kyle Fleck, “The Rise of Seattle Hip Hop: An Incomplete Timeline of How Rap Replaced Rock as Seattle's Dominant Musical Force.” The Stranger, January 26, 2016
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