Views of Women in Hip Hop: A Rebuttle

I've debated with myself for several months now (an activity one does frequently when they have no friends) about starting this series. My buddy Bill O'Reilly... who really is my buddy! He was invited to our Seder, but didn't come due to "splotchiness" on his face. Whatever, I wasn't that upset about it. The phone call he made to tell us about the splotchiness was a bit weird and inappropriate, but my family is moving on from that unpleasantness.

Anyway, the idea I have is to provide an alternative interpretation of Hip Hop through the lyrics of its artists. These comments will be taken out of context, and censored in a way to fit my argument. This is dishonest to the artist, but it is no different than what my buddy Bill O'Reilly and those of his ilk do when they denigrate Hip Hop for being sexist, homophobic, anti-white, etc. This post is not meant to imply anything more than Hip Hop is a diverse culture and must be regarded as such.

"I was rolling around, in my mind it occurred, what if God was a her? Would I treat her the same? Would I still be running game on her? In what type of ways would I want her? Would I want her for her mind or her heavenly body?" Common - Faithful

"Hey young man, why degrade your only sister and call them bitches and whores? What if one day someone feels the same way about that daughter of yours? Oh, if you had one inkling of an idea of what they had to go through. Of course she's strong, but she's still depending on you." Cee-Lo - Young Man (read mutual dependence)

"Build a conversation, probe your intellect, put your manhood to the test, but not just your physical, your individual is what I'm after." Bahamadia - I Confess

"I give a holla to my sisters on welfare. Tupac cares, if don't nobody else cares. I know they like to beat you down a lot, when you come around the block, brothers like to clown a lot. But please, don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up. Forgive but don't forget, keep your head up." Tupac - Keep Ya Head Up

"The name Com' has never been involved with run, unless its DMC, or running these broads to being free." Common - Chi-City

"The pain of not reflecting the range of our complexions." Jean Grae - Black Girl Pain

"When he tells you, you ain't nothing, don't believe him. And if he can't learn to love you, you should leave him. 'Cuz sister, you don't need him. I ain't trying to gas up, but I just call 'em how I see 'em. You know what makes me unhappy? When brothers make babies and leave a young mother to be a pappy." Tupac - Keep Ya Head Up

"To me the word 'emcee' doesn't know no fucking genders." Apani B Fly Emcee - Estrogen Lyrics

“I’d never call you my bitch or even my beau, there’s so much in a name and so much more in you.” Common - The Light

"The world is yours and I swear I will stand focused. Black girls, raise up your hands; the world should clap for us." Jean Grae - Black Girl Pain

"No more shows calling women bitches and hoes." Chuck D - No

"30 years past Aretha and still screaming for my freakin' respect." Apani B Fly Emcee - The Woman In Me

"Removed from earth, only to return through birth. Knew this girl selling her body, wish she knew what it was worth." Common - It's Your World

"And since we all came from a woman, got our name from a woman, and our game from a woman: I wonder why we take from - women? Why we rape - women? Do we hate - women? I think it's time to kill for - women, time to heal - women, be real to - women. And if we don't, we'll have a race of babies that hate the ladies that make the babies. And since a man can't make one, he has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one. So will the real men get up, I know your fed up ladies, but keep ya head up." Tupac - Keep Ya Head Up

"Waiting for the Lord to rise, I look into my daughter's eyes. And realize that I'm-a learn through her. The Messiah, might even return through her. If I'm-a do it, I gotta change the world through her." Common - Be

"A father only shows a boy how to become a man. Not true, single parent showed a mother can." Wordsworth – Be A Man

“Baby leave on your clothes, much more to living life than emulating them hoes.” Zion I – Temperature

“All I ever wanted was a real nice lady.” Da Bush Babees & Mos Def – S.O.S.