Introduction
Hip-hop culture has proliferated to the extent that today, one may speak of it as a modern-day cultural phenomenon. Hip-hop emerged from the Bronx ghetto and found its way up to white suburbia in the United States as well as Europe over a period of the last thirty years. Hip-hop has had a socio-cultural impact that is so intense that it has affected youth culture all over the world, especially in the manner of speaking, values, dress codes, etc. Since it was birthed in 1974, it has evolved tremendously. Sociologically, the expressive ways of African Americans, Latinos and Caribbean-Americans has spread to other parts of the society. One of the most controversial elements of the Hip-hop culture, and the subject of this research, however, is the handling of the female character in Hip-hop. There has been an extensive application of sexism against women, and misogyny by a huge majority of Hip-hop artists, such as Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, Missy Elliot, Notorious B.I.G, etc. On the other hand, some artists such as Talib Kweli, Common, LL Cool J and Nelly, have praised women for their attributes such as mental strength, dedication, beauty, hard work, and their ability to change people for the better. This paper provides a look into the different representation of women in Hip-hop videos by Snoop Dogg and Talib Kweli.
Portrayal of women in Snoop Dogg’s music videos.
Another song by Snoop Dogg that portrays women as sexual objects is his collaboration with music producer and fellow Hip-hop artist, Dr. Dre Titled Bitches Ain’t S–t. This song essentially revolves around how women serve their purpose as pleasure items for men. The lyrics imply that any form of emotional intimacy with women would result in her running away with a man’s money and pride.
The implications of Snoop Dogg’s music
These lyrics and music video have four main effects. First, they are sexist in nature. This is because they degrade the women and represent them as being inferior to their male counterparts. For example, in the video of the song Sweat, the kneeling women look like they are begging to have some private time with the male patrons. This video reinforces the sexist belief that the place of a woman in society is in a position of servitude to the man. Secondly, the video portrays women as sex objects. Snoop, and the other men in the videos are portrayed as seeking sexual pleasures from the obscenely-dressed women. Thirdly, Snoop Dogg depicts women as filthy and indecent beings who are willing to expose their bodies just for the fun of it or as part of their job. Snoop Dogg uses women to advance themes of raunchiness and hyper-sexuality in his Hip-hop videos. Fourthly, Snoop depicts women as cunning creatures who are only after money. He uses derogatory terms which point to the word “prostitutes” to refer to women, highlighting their ability to deceive men and ran away with their wealth. Undoubtedly, the age-old adage that “sex sells” rings true for most of his work. There seems to be a call for female bodies to display themselves provocatively to heighten record sales, as well as other revenue streams. Women remain objects of sexual desire and the selling point in Snoop Dogg’s music. 70% of people under the age of thirteen years and older listening actively to music at least once every day, and more than 90% listening severally in a week, the role of music cannot be underestimated.
Characteristics of sexual objectification in Snoop Dogg’s music include close-up images and videos of individual body parts. Others include excessive skin exposure on parts considered private such as a woman’s breasts and thighs, sexualized dancing, self-touching of body parts considered sexual, etc. This illustrates that some of the women featured in Snoop Dogg’s videos engage in sexual objectification of themselves by touching their own bodies and dancing seductively.
Portrayal of women in Talib Kweli’s music lyrics and videos
Talib Kweli is one of the few Hip-hop artists whose music and videos have positive messages about women. He is regarded as the last “romantic” Hip-hop artist because of his positive messages regarding love, women and their attributes in general. Talib Kweli heaps praise on women, especially black women. In his lyrics, he talks of how women love unconditionally, as well as their resilience and mental strength in the face of challenges. Notable in his list of songs is Never been in love, featuring Just Blaze. In the video for this song, Talib features decently dressed girls in the choir of which he is the lead singer. The idea with Talib Kweli’s lyrics and videos is that while some of them refer to sexual acts, they do not portray women as an item of pleasure, but as an equal participant. For example, the words “Your own space and the beautiful struggleNow baby tell what's it going to take to prove that I love you” illustrate the beauty of love and elevate the value of women by reinforcing them as precious beings who are desirable to men for love rather than just for their bodies. His lyrics in the song Never been in love, also refer to the act of marriage and the need to make women happy. For example, the song State of Grace speaks of the purity of a young girl as she grows up. He speaks of the innocence and potential of a young girl which may be compared to “flag when it’s unfurled.” He refers to the admiration that this girl has of Beyonce Knowles, a female artist who is so powerful “she runs the world.” These lyrics are an inspiration to young girls to use the talents that God provided them with and rise. To underline his loathing for artists who are sexist, Talib Kweli uses lines such as “nowadays Niggas turn up for the sex” He emphasizes the fact that women are not just about the sex, but have more to offer.
Implications of Talib Kweli’s lyrics and videos
Talib Kweli gives positive messages on women and their potential which may be examined in three main ways. First, he emphasizes the fact that women have more to offer than just their bodies. His lyrics indicate that girls and women are precious and should be treated with respect. For example, in State of Grace, Talib discourages the objectification of women by highlighting the wrongs in lyrics of other Hip-hop artists such as the Notorious B.I.G. He highlights lusting and misogyny as a form of suffering present in those who practice it. He also states that men should treat women like their sisters because they are worth more than gyrating their bodies on the wall half-naked. He makes a call to women not to support music that constantly disrespects them. Secondly, he underlines the potential that women have from a young age. By using their God-given talents, women can surpass challenges and become great. For example, his song, State of Grace, speaks of intelligent young girl who wants to be “the first in her family with a higher education” Thirdly, women should be highly valued. In Never been in love, Talib states that he should give a try to “the best.” This is his way of implying that the woman the song is about is worth his time and effort and that he is willing to invest them. This song speaks of love as a beautiful thing.
Talib’s music videos mirror the positivity relayed through his lyrics. For example, in the video for the song State of Grace, women are not objectified in any way. The video is an abstract creation of reality. He shows a beautiful silhouette of a black woman. The voice of Abby Dobson, another singer, is part of the song, helping to emphasize the message. In Never been in love, the women are decently dressed. They do not expose too much skin, as is the case in Snoop Dogg videos.
Comparison between Snoop Dogg and Talib Kweli in their portrayal of women
Snoop Dogg’s music is highly sexism and misogynistic, during Talib Kweli’s praises women and elevates their self-worth. First, Snoop Dogg’s music degrades women and depicts them as being inferior to men. On the other hand, Talib Kweli portrays women as equal participants in the act of love or any form of union. Secondly, Snoop depicts women as cunning individuals whose sole purpose is to defraud the men of their money and possessions once they become emotionally attached. Talib depicts women as trustworthy beings who can be trusted. His allusion to marriage in the song Never been in love illustrates this point. Thirdly, Snoop portrays women indecently. In most of his videos, the women are scantily-dressed, and they gyrate their bodies sexually. On the other hand, Talib’s music videos cast well-dressed women and girls, whose bodies are not exposed indecently. Fourthly, Snoop lowers the worth of women in his music by using derogatory terms to describe them while Talib refers to women using praise words such as “queen” and “princess.” The differences are also evident in the music videos, with Snoop’s being indecent in most cases while Talib’s are decent.
Conclusion
Hip-hop emerged in 1974 in the Bronx ghetto of the United States, before spreading to other parts of the world. The music has affected culture extensively all over the world by influencing language, dressing and behavior. One controversial component of Hip-hop is the portrayal of women. Most Hip-hop artists have portrayed women in sexist and misogynistic ways. However, others have had positive messages on women. Snoop Dogg’s music sharply contrasts with that of Talib Kweli in this regard. While Snoop’s music has been largely misogynistic and sexist, Talib’s has praised women and become an inspiration. Overall, the lyrics of these two artists provide good subjects for content analysis.
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