“People often ask me, ‘How can you be involved with hip-hop music and still call yourself a feminist?’” said panelist Joan Morgan at “Making it in Media: Hip-Hop Feminism & the Workplace.” That was the million dollar question being addressed by the panel at the New York University event held on Feb. 22 at Kimmel Center.
A room full of about 40 female African American and Latino American students eagerly awaited the answer. Of course, there is no simple answer. Hip-hop music, with its disparaging lyrics toward women is typically seen as the anti-Christ of feminism. That’s why the event, which ran from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., failed to reveal one unassailable solution to the ethical dilemma of being a feminist in an often misogynistic industry.
Despite a general sense of inconclusiveness as to whether or not it is possible to strike a balance between the two apparently diametrically opposed passions, the four panelists—all women and media professionals in their own right—offered their audience personal anecdotes and sound advice on how to deal with the gender injustices of the hip-hop industry. Asia Dorsey, the moderator, posed thought-provoking questions throughout, and kept the audience involved by allowing questions frequently.
Morgan, an award-winning journalist and 22 year veteran of the hip-hop music industry, said she battled for a long time with the notion that she was promoting and immersing herself in an industry that degrades women left and right.
Yet, at the same time, she felt a strong sense of belonging, having been brought up in the Bronx in the 1970s when hip-hop was being born. “Asking myself to choose between feminism and hip-hop is like asking myself to choose between being black and being a woman,” said Morgan. That’s why Morgan coined the term “hip-hop feminism” to define the middle ground she and her colleagues constantly find themselves straddling.
Fellow award-winning journalist and panelist, Elizabeth Mendez Berry, also struggles to reconcile her feminism with her career. However, she has found a way to combine her two passions in writing feminist critiques of hip-hop artists—most notably Jay-Z and the late Big Pun.
But even after finding her niche, Berry recalled the difficulty and frustration of trying to get an article published in popular hip-hop magazine “Vibe” that attacked Big Pun for physical abuse against his wife. She finally had to secede, turning to the “The Village Voice” for publication.
Genesis Be, a 21-year-old hip-hop artist, N.Y.U. senior, and the youngest member of the panel, recounted personal experiences with men on her side of the industry. Most shocking were the misogynistic comments made by a famous male rapper to a then 14-year-old Be.
She was the opening act for the rap duo, the Ying Yang Twins, and one of the “twins” approached Be before the show. The rapper said he didn’t like performing with girls, and asked her if she had “gotten pregnant and dropped out of school yet.” Despite having had mostly positive male relationships in the industry throughout her life, this event left a scar.
Though the panelists acknowledged the conflicts of interest being a feminist in the hip-hop world, they noted that many of the issues in hip-hop are found in other industries as well. “It’s easy to demonize hip-hop,” said Berry, “but misogyny is everywhere.”
Much work still needs to be done to raise awareness and fight misogyny in hip-hop music, but the panel reached a couple working resolutions. Morgan stressed the importance of forming bonds with men in the industry—a sort of “sleeping with the enemy” concept. “You have to have many male alliances,” said Morgan. “This is still the boy’s club.”
The panel also emphasized the idea that, in order to attain equality and respect, women must unite and form an unbreakable alliance. “We can’t put each other down anymore,” said Berry. “We need to find the love.”
A room full of about 40 female African American and Latino American students eagerly awaited the answer. Of course, there is no simple answer. Hip-hop music, with its disparaging lyrics toward women is typically seen as the anti-Christ of feminism. That’s why the event, which ran from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., failed to reveal one unassailable solution to the ethical dilemma of being a feminist in an often misogynistic industry.
Despite a general sense of inconclusiveness as to whether or not it is possible to strike a balance between the two apparently diametrically opposed passions, the four panelists—all women and media professionals in their own right—offered their audience personal anecdotes and sound advice on how to deal with the gender injustices of the hip-hop industry. Asia Dorsey, the moderator, posed thought-provoking questions throughout, and kept the audience involved by allowing questions frequently.
Morgan, an award-winning journalist and 22 year veteran of the hip-hop music industry, said she battled for a long time with the notion that she was promoting and immersing herself in an industry that degrades women left and right.
Yet, at the same time, she felt a strong sense of belonging, having been brought up in the Bronx in the 1970s when hip-hop was being born. “Asking myself to choose between feminism and hip-hop is like asking myself to choose between being black and being a woman,” said Morgan. That’s why Morgan coined the term “hip-hop feminism” to define the middle ground she and her colleagues constantly find themselves straddling.
Fellow award-winning journalist and panelist, Elizabeth Mendez Berry, also struggles to reconcile her feminism with her career. However, she has found a way to combine her two passions in writing feminist critiques of hip-hop artists—most notably Jay-Z and the late Big Pun.
But even after finding her niche, Berry recalled the difficulty and frustration of trying to get an article published in popular hip-hop magazine “Vibe” that attacked Big Pun for physical abuse against his wife. She finally had to secede, turning to the “The Village Voice” for publication.
Genesis Be, a 21-year-old hip-hop artist, N.Y.U. senior, and the youngest member of the panel, recounted personal experiences with men on her side of the industry. Most shocking were the misogynistic comments made by a famous male rapper to a then 14-year-old Be.
She was the opening act for the rap duo, the Ying Yang Twins, and one of the “twins” approached Be before the show. The rapper said he didn’t like performing with girls, and asked her if she had “gotten pregnant and dropped out of school yet.” Despite having had mostly positive male relationships in the industry throughout her life, this event left a scar.
Though the panelists acknowledged the conflicts of interest being a feminist in the hip-hop world, they noted that many of the issues in hip-hop are found in other industries as well. “It’s easy to demonize hip-hop,” said Berry, “but misogyny is everywhere.”
Much work still needs to be done to raise awareness and fight misogyny in hip-hop music, but the panel reached a couple working resolutions. Morgan stressed the importance of forming bonds with men in the industry—a sort of “sleeping with the enemy” concept. “You have to have many male alliances,” said Morgan. “This is still the boy’s club.”
The panel also emphasized the idea that, in order to attain equality and respect, women must unite and form an unbreakable alliance. “We can’t put each other down anymore,” said Berry. “We need to find the love.”
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