by Mia John
Mia John, a Psychology major, wrote this essay in Tim Bradford’s “From Spirituals to Hip-Hop” course.
“Sex is not just one-sided, men should not be the only people who are allowed to speak on sex. Women should be able to control the narrative of how they want to be treated… I’m confident in myself and I try to set an example for all my ladies to embrace their confidence and sexuality.” – Megan Thee Stallion
When telling my friend I wanted to write a paper about the connection between hip-hop and feminism, I was surprised by his reaction. “How do those two things have anything to do with each other?!” he exclaimed. Personally, I think the better question is, “What do these two things not have to do with each other?” Hip Hop, and music in general, has always reflected the human condition.
Hip Hop began in The Bronx, New York as a socio-political genre. Since its origins, hip hop has evolved with the socio-political attitudes of the times, including the discussion around feminism and the patriarchy that has taken the forefront in the 21st century. Despite the fact that the feminist movement has been relevant for centuries, many male artists continue to sexualize and degrade women in hip-hop through music videos and explicit lyrics. Past and current female hip-hop artists, like Megan Thee Stallion, have adopted principles of liberal feminism, but by appealing to the male gaze they have further enabled the patriarchy.
In her honors theses, “When Feminism Meets Hip-Hop,” Kylie Thompson lays out the two dominant modes of feminist thought that inspired and can be applied to 21st-century hip-hop: liberal feminism and radical feminism. Liberal feminism is characterized by the attainment of equal opportunity through access to wealth. This can be obtained with individual education and persuasion. Thompson claims that liberal feminism is incomplete because it does not acknowledge the systematic patriarchy that pervades society. It ignores the fact that women in power can also oppress other women. Liberal feminism is currently the most popular feminist ideology in the U.S. In contrast, radical feminism places emphasis on the patriarchal systems that harm both men and women, which can only be taken down through collective action. Patriarchy is a society that men control. An example of a consequence of patriarchy is the male gaze trope. According to Thompson, the male gaze is the “specific invocation and manipulation of gender expectations … [People] ultimately revert to seeing the female subject through a masculine lens, which allows dominance to silently continue via compliance and complicity” (14). In the simpler, famous words of author and activist Margaret Atwood, “You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman.” Radical feminists argue that the male gaze is completely inescapable, because of the way that young men and women have been socialized in society.
Both the liberal feminist emphasis on capital gain and radical feminist ideas like the male gaze can be applied to various aspects of 21st-century hip hop. A significant factor that contributes to 21st-century hip-hop culture is the sexualization and commodification of black women’s bodies, both by male and female rappers. Rap music’s association with sexualization has expanded over the years. Ronald Weitzer and Charis E. Kubrin found that 22% of rap music from the 1990s contained misogynistic themes. It is safe to assume that percentage has increased in the last 2 decades, based on the music heard on the radio and in day-to-day life. According to The Harvard Crimson, in February of 2018, 18 out of 25 of Billboard’s top rap songs had lyrics referring to women as “bitches,” “hoes,” or “whores” (Nwoko). The increased “pornification” of rap music correlates with the increased representation of women as sex workers, strippers, and porn stars in the 21st century (Hunter 179). According to Thompson, many of these careers are encouraged by liberal feminism because they include capitalistic gain. While radical feminists respect sex work, they believe that any work that appeals to the male gaze perpetuates the patriarchy. There is a pattern that occurs, especially in 2000’s club music, where stripping and prostitution are used as both an insult and a compliment. For example, in his hit 2002 song, “Hot in Herre,” popular artist Nelly encourages women in the club to strip for him solely because he is famous and wealthy. Sex workers are looked down upon due to their socioeconomic status, but “good” girls are encouraged to strip, either for male pleasure or for financial gain. This is a dilemma that makes the sexualization of women in these songs inescapable. The inescapable sexualization of women in hip-hop by men is harmful because it objectifies and degrades women. It cheapens their worth to nothing more than a body for a man.
It is also becoming more dangerous given that rap music has become pop music. According to USA Today, rap overtook rock as the most consumed genre of music in the U.S. A large reason for rap’s dominance may be the increasing popularity of streaming platforms as a primary vessel for listeners (Ryan). Impressionable audiences now have access to lyrics that display women as objects, more now than ever before. This idea is backed by a psychological concept called the “mere exposure effect.” People will develop a preference for things or ideas that are presented to them repeatedly (Nickerson). This means that repeated words have the power to change behavior. It is because of the “mere exposure effect” that words in rap songs that sexualize women are not just words. In response to their inescapable sexualization, many female rappers have taken their sexuality “into their own hands,” and used it as a means of empowerment. Chorouk Akik from KultureHub believes that “In aligning (themselves) with the culture of gratuitous sex and a hustler’s mindset (they have) created a path of displaying female sexuality without centering men.” Others believe that it is impossible for female sexuality to be displayed without centering men, due to the male gaze. Thompson argues that this appeal to the male gaze, even by an individual, undermines the fight against female oppression. In response to Tricia Rose’s description of hip hop as “a contemporary stage for the theatre of the powerless,” sociologist Margaret Hunter and Ph.D. student Kathleen Soto believe that the commodification of women in rap music has muted its potential as a platform for liberation. Hunter and Soto go so far as to call the sexualization of women in hip-hop a form of minstrelsy. They believe that rap music has taken the place of minstrel shows in popular culture, characterized by its reliance on stereotypes and caricatures.
This trend of using feminine sexuality as a means of empowerment is not a new one. Female rappers have proved since the formation of hip-hop that they deserve a spot at the table, despite how their counterparts portrayed them; a prime example is Lil’ Kim. A lot of rap music is catered to male audiences, making it hard for women to feel respected in the hip-hop world. Many female rappers masculinized themselves to fit into the mold of a hip-hop artist, but Lil’ Kim was one of the first female rappers to embrace her femininity in order to appeal to all audiences (Jones). She became the second biggest star in the rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A, behind the household name Notorious B.I.G. In the group’s hit, “Get Money,” Lil’ Kim proclaims, “Rather count a million while you eat my pussy” (The Notorious B.I.G. 2:25). This blunt lyric perfectly portrays the juxtaposition between liberal and radical feminist ideologies. Lil’ Kim’s unfiltered expression of what she wants is in accordance with liberal feminist modes of thought. She promotes equality in the bedroom, as well as capitalistic gain. Liberal feminists believe true liberation can be acquired from monetary equality. In contrast, a radical feminist might believe that Lil’ Kim’s self-sexualization inherently cannot be feminist, because she portrays herself through the masculine lens, or in other words, in a way that is pleasurable to men. Despite these possible interpretations, Lil’ Kim makes her intentions clear in an interview for Paper Magazine. When asked if she represents a liberated woman or a male fantasy, Lil’ Kim responded, “Both. The reason why I say both is that we have been set back years — everybody says that” (Hooks). She elaborates that men have been displaying their sexuality in the same way as her for decades but never face the same backlash (Hooks). Her response raises the question, does it matter if empowered sexual expression plays into the male fantasy?
The same dialogue generated around Lil’ Kim’s suggestive lyrics in the 1990s is often regenerated around current rappers like Megan Thee Stallion. Megan Thee Stallion’s “Thot Shit” music video breaks boundaries in terms of the explicit expression of sexuality as a means of empowerment. It is a cunning response to Republican Senate Candidate James P. Bradley’s harsh criticism of Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s hit song “WAP.” He claimed to have mistakenly come across the song and went on to say both Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B lacked strong father figures in their lives (Spiegelman). The idea that a woman does not have a strong father figure and therefore acts promiscuously is a notion that is used to shame women for situations they cannot control.
In her “Thot Shit” music video, Megan pokes fun at hypocritical politicians, like James P. Bradley, that feel as though they have a right to regulate and criticize women’s bodies. The video begins with an older, white, male politician finishing a business deal and his attractive, young, black, female secretary in the foreground. She rolls her eyes in disgust as he aggressively closes the blinds to his office, shielding himself from the rest of the world. He sits down at an outdated computer, possibly representing his out-of-touch worldview. He noisily eats chips and comments, “Stupid, regressive, whores should have their mouths washed out with holy water” in one of Megan Thee Stallion’s previously released music videos. Immediately after criticizing Megan, the politician unzips his pants. The juxtaposition in the politician’s behavior emphasizes the hypocrisy that some male politicians hold by sexualizing the same women that they shame for being sexual. He is interrupted by a call from Megan Thee Stallion herself. She scolds him, “The women that you accidentally tried to step on, are everybody that you depend on. They treat your diseases, they cook your meals, they haul your trash… They control every part of your life.” Megan insinuates that women are equally deserving of respect as men because they hold careers that are necessary for society to function.
Shockingly, the politician protagonist in the “Thot Shit” music video is hit by a garbage truck on his way out of work as the beat drops, leading to a comical montage that satirizes the inescapable sexualization of black women. “Hands on my knees shaking ass on my thot shit, post me a pic finna make me a profit,” Megan sings while dressed as a risque garbage collector, hanging out of the truck. As the video is moved along by Megan’s rhymes, the politician is continually haunted by black women’s bodies at every turn. He sees them dancing at the grocery store, his office, and at a diner. Megan Thee Stallion eats his food and disturbs his work. She even shows up in his bathtub. Throughout the montage, Megan and her posse are dressed as racier versions of various working-class women from police officers to waitresses. As they twerk and dance to tease the politician, their attempt to seize back their autonomy may not be taken seriously because of their self-sexualization.
The final scene of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Thot Shit” music video is shocking and symbolic. The terrorized politician runs into an operating room where Megan Thee Stallion, dressed as a doctor, and other black women, dressed as nurses, are waiting for him. They perform surgery on him but it is not revealed until the end of the video what they have done to the politician. As the song concludes, the video cuts to the politician in his office. He wakes up startled and the camera pans to his mouth, which has been replaced with women’s genitals. Megan quite literally seals his lips. In the words of the “Thot Shit” music video director, Aube Perrie, Megan Thee Stallion was able to “literally put on their faces the very absolute object of all their anxiety” (Gonzales). The bold music video for “Thot Shit” confirms Megan Thee Stallion’s agreement with sex positivity as women’s empowerment but does not necessarily accomplish her goal of seizing back autonomy.
Many of Megan Thee Stallion’s creative choices in the “Thot Shit” music video have elements that sustain principles of liberal feminism. The title of the video and song in itself reclaim the derogatory word “thot” and give it new meaning as a woman who is confident in herself and her sexuality (Gonzales). The women dressed as essential workers represent the equality of women through capitalistic gain. She puts black women in a position of power by emphasizing the intrinsic need communities have for people in these positions. Megan displays their value in society as sexual figures, while also displaying them as essential workers to society. She emphasizes the nuance of femininity. The lyric, “Hands on my knees shaking ass on my thot shit, post me a pic finna make me a profit” also promotes liberal feminism. Megan insinuates that she will indirectly use her body as a means of capitalistic gain, by posting a picture on social media. By doing this, Megan Thee Stallion is leveling herself on the playing field with her male counterparts, but capitalistic gain will not free women from discrimination.
From a radical feminist’s perspective Megan’s emphasis on capitalistic gain and sex positivity is not empowering, but an obstruction of progress. Megan Thee Stallion’s provocative dancing and outfits are seen as pleasurable by men. By catering herself to the male gaze, Megan Thee Stallion still operates within patriarchal standards of beauty. These patriarchal standards are the same ones that continually villainize black women. According to radical feminism, sexualization cannot be a means of empowerment. Radical feminism also rejects the notion that capitalistic gain and women in power are the keys to freedom from misogyny (Thompson). A more radical feminist version of the “Thot Shit” music video would have completely challenged and disregarded gender roles altogether.
While the critiques of the radical feminist are valid, most can accept that women’s self-sexualization is not as detrimental to the feminist movement as constant public criticism of women and unwarranted sexualization. As displayed by most male hip-hop songs like “Hot in Herre” by Nelly, women will be sexualized regardless of how they dress or act. What women do with their bodies in the music video, and in reality, should not be regulated by men. Ultimately, Megan Thee Stallion’s self-sexualization inhibits the feminist movement by appealing to the male gaze, but she cannot be blamed for wanting to take her sexualization into her own hands because she will be sexualized regardless of what she does or does not do.
Although whether or not rappers like Megan Thee Stallion’s sexual empowerment is truly feminist may seem trivial, it is crucial given the current concern over women’s bodily autonomy. Unless you’ve been hidden under a rock, it is hard to have missed the news that the Supreme Court has recently overturned Roe v. Wade. This decision limits women’s constitutional right to have an abortion. The theme of men regulating women’s bodies is incredibly prevalent. The conversation around the male gaze and women’s autonomy has never been more important. It is crucial now more than ever that women are taken seriously and allowed to do with their bodies as they wish.
Works Cited
Akik, Chorouk. “Megan Thee Stallion Embodies the Feminism We Need Today.” Kulture Hub, Kulture Hub, 24 May 2019, https://kulturehub.com/megan-thee-stallion-embodies-feminism/
Armstead, Ronni. “‘Growing the Size of the Black Woman’: Feminist Activism in Havana Hip Hop.” NWSA Journal, vol. 19, no. 1, 2007, pp. 106–17, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4317233.
Gonzales, Erica. “How Megan Thee Stallion’s Extremely Daring ‘Thot Sh*t’ Video Came to Be.” Harper’s BAZAAR, Harper’s BAZAAR, 2 Nov. 2021, https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a36699658/megan-thee-stallion-t hot-shit-video/.
Hooks, Bell. “Hardcore Honey: Bell Hooks Goes on the Down Low with Lil’ Kim.” Paper, May 1997.
Hunter, Margaret, and Kathleen Soto. “Women of Color in Hip Hop: The Pornographic Gaze.” Race, Gender & Class, vol. 16, no. 1/2, 2009, pp. 170–91, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41658866.
Jones, Feminista. “All Hail Lil’ Kim, the Original Queen of Hip-Hop.” Medium, Medium, 14 Mar. 2016, https://medium.com/@FeministaJones/all-hail-lil-kim-the-original-queen-of-hip-hop-620 c0983b6a2.
Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. University Press of New England, 1994.
Ryan, Patrick. “Rap Overtakes Rock as the Most Popular Genre among Music Fans. Here’s Why.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 4 Jan. 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/01/03/rap-overtakes-rock-most-popular-genre-among-music-fans-heres-why/990873001/.
“Megan Thee Stallion-Thot Shit (Official Video).” YouTube, uploaded by Megan Thee Stallion, 10 June 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KynkMn5Hv3Q.
Nelly. “Hot in Herre.” Spotify.https://open.spotify.com/track/04KTF78FFg8sOHC1BADqbY?si=02b94cf7372a48ba
Nickerson, Charlotte. “What Is the Mere Exposure Effect?” Mere Exposure Effect – Biases & Heuristics | Simply Psychology, Simply Scholar Ltd., 8 Mar. 2022, https://www.simplypsychology.org/mere-exposure-effect.html.
Nwoko, Uzochi P. “Alleviating the Effects of Misogyny in Rap and Hip Hop Music.” The Harvard Crimson, The Harvard Crimson, 27 Feb. 2018, https://www.thecrimson.com/column/where-rap-meets-race/article/2018/2/27/whererapm eetsrace-installment2/.
Spiegelman, Ian, and Gwynedd Stuart. “A Local Congressional Candidate Is Frothing over Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’.” Los Angeles Magazine, 7 Aug. 2020, https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/wap-cardi-b-megan-thee-stallion/.
The Notorious B.I.G, Junior M.A.F.I.A. “Get Money.” Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/3PA9dH8cT0wR5UW4XkC44Y?si=e0d93115fbe745d9.
Weitzer, Ronald, and Charis E. Kubrin. “Misogyny in Rap Music.” Men and Masculinities, vol. 12, no. 1, 2009, pp. 3–29., https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184×08327696.