Event Title
'You Could Be The King, but Watch the Queen Conquer': Hip-Hop, Race, and Female Performativity in the 21st Century
Location
Diamond 123
Start Date
30-4-2015 9:00 AM
End Date
30-4-2015 11:55 AM
Project Type
Presentation
Description
After the Year of the Booty (as 2014 was dubbed by several media outlets) took the hip-hop world by storm, this research takes a timely look at the sexual and racial connotations of the female hip-hop performance. Females have continuously struggled to establish a place of legitimacy and empowerment in rap culture, and despite their increasing presence in the hip-hop world, the overwhelming sexualization of the Black female, or the highly stereotyped Black female persona, has continued and perhaps even grown. Using evidence from the extensive scholarly work that has been conducted in the intersection between feminism and hip-hop culture, as well as from the lyrics, music videos, and images from Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea, I examine the state of women in hip-hop today in terms of their authenticity and agency. I argue that while race plays a large part in establishing the legitimacy and acceptance of the female rapper, ultimately Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea are using similar and carefully crafted performative identities to appeal to a consumer audience.
Faculty Sponsor
Sonja Thomas
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program
CLAS Field of Study
Interdisciplinary Studies
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
974
'You Could Be The King, but Watch the Queen Conquer': Hip-Hop, Race, and Female Performativity in the 21st Century
Diamond 123
After the Year of the Booty (as 2014 was dubbed by several media outlets) took the hip-hop world by storm, this research takes a timely look at the sexual and racial connotations of the female hip-hop performance. Females have continuously struggled to establish a place of legitimacy and empowerment in rap culture, and despite their increasing presence in the hip-hop world, the overwhelming sexualization of the Black female, or the highly stereotyped Black female persona, has continued and perhaps even grown. Using evidence from the extensive scholarly work that has been conducted in the intersection between feminism and hip-hop culture, as well as from the lyrics, music videos, and images from Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea, I examine the state of women in hip-hop today in terms of their authenticity and agency. I argue that while race plays a large part in establishing the legitimacy and acceptance of the female rapper, ultimately Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea are using similar and carefully crafted performative identities to appeal to a consumer audience.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/391