WAP - Women are Powerful

I would like to start off by saying that “hip-hop feminism” has been created, defined, and nurtured by Black women. This piece is about my own personal experiences, I do not speak for the hip-hop community and I do not know the challenges that women of color face. I highly recommend looking to Black women like Dr. Joan Morgan, Tarana Burke, Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah, or Brittney Cooper for more information on the topic.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s recent song, “WAP,” has received a sea of backlash in the past month. Critics of the song, mostly men, insisted that it was “too vulgar” in its portrayal of female sexuality. However, similar songs (Three Six Mafia’s “Slob On My Knob” or Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun” come to mind) depicting male sexuality didn’t draw the same kind of negative response.

Even songs like Maroon 5’s “Animals” (about stalking), or Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” (about rape) that glamorize violence against women didn’t get as much backlash as “WAP.”

So what’s the difference? Why is it that “WAP” was shamed when songs about male sexuality are often celebrated?

The difference is that “WAP” identifies something that our culture has tried to suppress for ages: female power.

Whether it’s about our bodies, jobs, clothing, or aspirations, we’ve had to shout from the rooftops to make our own decisions. So, when two women rap about taking control of their sexuality, it can be shocking. Today’s women have been raised to see every “imperfection,” to look at the women around them as competition (usually for the attention of men). Besides the hetero-normative nature of these expectations, they create a narrative that women shouldn’t be proud of who they are and how they look.

I was on the chubbier side growing up and finding celebrities that weren’t sized 0 was nearly impossible. When I finally found people like Rebel Wilson, their size was at the forefront of their personality. It was always, “Adele’s a good singer for a fat lady.” I’d never seen a fat celebrity that actually liked the way they looked. That’s when I came across rap. Not only were rappers comfortable in their own skin, but they bragged about the things that I was taught were imperfections. The first two times I’d ever heard stretch marks referred to in a positive (or at least not-negative) way was in Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” and City Girls’ “Act Up.” I was amazed, never in my wildest dreams did I think a mainstream artist would mention (let alone praise) something that magazines and movie posters wouldn’t dare show. I started to recognize how unique the hip-hop/rap industry is. I don’t know of any other industry that showcases women of so many different backgrounds and body types, from Jhené Aiko to CupcakKe and Lil Kim to Queen Latifah.

Seeing such powerful women of all sizes embracing their bodies helped me to feel confident in my own.

Dr. Joan Morgan coined the term “hip-hop feminism” and quite literally wrote the book on it. Dr. Morgan categorizes hip-hop feminism as existing in "the greys," meaning feminism that recognizes and accepts its own inconsistencies. In her book, When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down, Morgan, Dr. Morgan discusses how she found it difficult to love hip-hop because of its often misogynistic and homophobic themes. Roxane Gay also writes about her struggle with hip-hop in her novel Bad Feminist. Both come to the conclusion that feminism is full of contradictions, and that’s okay as long as we recognize those contradictions. As Dr. Morgan says, “The culture only gets better if there are people who are willing to hold it accountable and talk about the problems.”

Hip-hop, like any genre, is far from perfect. Rap is still heavily steeped in a degrading objectification of women. However, we’re starting to see that change. Artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj put themselves on the same plane as male artists, as equals as opposed to inferiors. They talk about money, sex, and power the same way male rappers do. They’re confident, fearless, and independent. Most female rappers challenge society’s expectations of women (to be quiet, fragile, subservient) and are able to do so while embracing femininity. “WAP” is a perfect example. Besides describing female sexuality in a positive way, the music video features multiple women owning their sexuality rather than putting each other down or competing. Hip-hop and rap are challenging and changing traditional gender roles and in doing so are empowering women to love themselves. Regardless of your music tastes, that’s pretty amazing.

Empowered