Feature Women in rap

Amplify Dot appearing at Wireless Festival

In the male dominated world of rap music female performers are often presumed to have feminist intentions. Kate Moore’s analysis of 10 contemporary male and female British artists aims to determine whether this was the case. Women in rap music Stylistic choices as acts of defiance or compliance? Baby Blue

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“They say that he real cos he say what he feels” Blade Brown, In your dreams

ap is one of the most popular yet controversial genres of music to emerge in the 20th century. In Rthe 1970s a youth movement which became known as hip-hop developed in the Bronx region of New York City, comprising many different art forms, one being rap music. Stereotypically rap has been seen as the music of black, inner city male youth. The controversy surrounding rap comes from the fact it is seen to promote a way of life in which crime and extreme violence is normalised. Adding to the sea of controversy was the emergence of a sub genre in the 1990s known as ‘gangsta rap’ which, along with tales of violence and crime is also overtly misogynistic and homophobic. However the popularity has continued to rise in the 21st century, receiving huge amounts of airplay on both Ms Dynamite mainstream radio stations and often used in the performances Style and identity television music channels across of black male rap artists. Style is a key concept in the world. However my analysis also sociolinguistics and early It is a genre that is looks at a number of different definitions suggested that style frequently associated with linguistic resources and how they was influenced by contextual hyper-masculinity, with lyrics are combined in order to create factors, such as the formality promoting sexist attitudes and a unique identity for female of setting. For example, a job even violence towards women. rappers. interview setting might invite I am interested in how female the interlocutors to use a more artists use linguistic resources, Jamaican Creole Patois standard accent and formal such as lyrics and pronunciation, A Creole is a language style. Other work suggests that in order to forge a female identity originally derived from two style (in the form of accent or amid misogynistic rap culture. or more already existing dialect) is used by speakers in I am particularly interested languages. Jamaican Creole order to associate themselves in features of the female has its origins in slavery, with a group of people they performers’ language that could which resulted in many wish to identify with. These be classified as variants of the languages coming into definitions initially appear Jamaican Creole Patois; previous contact. It was brought to relevant when analysing the research has found it to be an the UK mainly in the 1950s pronunciation of artists during accent and dialect frequently due to mass migration. their performances. We could associated with masculinity and suggest that female rappers

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Variant found six female artists and four dentals with either /t/ or /d/ as male artists whose work was opposed to Standard English If there is more than one appropriate for this analysis. The /ð/ or /θ/. This means that possible pronunciation of female artists I analysed in this words such as ‘thing’ would be a sound we say there is a study are Lady Leshurr, RoxXxan, pronounced ‘ting’ and ‘that’ linguistic variable. Each Amplify Dot, Baby Blue, Lioness would be pronounced ‘dat. possible pronunciation is called a variant. and Mz Bratt. The male artists Another two variants of word included in the study are initial dentals are also possible Variationist Research Sneakbo, Blade Brown, Skepta in the performance of all but Research which looks into and Youngs Teflon. Despite one of the artists; these are /f/ the differences which the focus of the study being on or the deletion of the dental occur in the speech of female artists, it was important altogether. This means ‘three’ people who speak the same to analyse the work of their could be pronounced ‘free’ and languages. For example male contemporaries in order ‘them’ could be pronounced differences between to see how a male identity was ‘em’. The pronunciation of word genders, geographical projected, and how this differed initial /f/ as opposed to /θ/ has locations, ethnicities. (if at all) from the projection of been documented in another a female identity. Among the study regarding pronunciation in popular music, with the indie rock band from Sheffield, Arctic Monkeys, using the pronunciation in their song ‘Mardy Bum’. It is not surprising that both urban rap artists from London are using this variant along with northern indie artists, as the variant has frequently been documented as a ‘youth’ feature which is spreading across the country. This means that for the rappers analysed it is possible to use variants which can be classified as Standard English, Patois and ‘youth’. Stylistically Lady Leshurr – Female rappers may not rap about being the boss, but they wear it on their T-shirt this is interesting as it suggests that variants are used creatively use Patois variants in their many strategies used by female by performers, and are not just performances because Patois is artists during their performance a result of appropriateness to appropriate within the rap genre, to participate in rap culture their the genre or an attempt to align and they are trying to identify use of Patois, dialogism and themselves with a certain group; themselves with male rappers, as naming terms stood out. this is clear from the wide range rap and masculinity seem to be of variables used by each artist. intrinsically linked. “We run tings” The highest users of Patois The majority of previous I analysed each artist’s variants are two female artists. research into linguistic variation performance in order to This goes against much previous in popular music performances identify variants that could be work in sociolinguistics which has focussed on all-white, classed as the Jamaican Creole suggests that women use more all-male samples and research Patois. Despite there being standard forms than men in into rap music has focussed on many possible Patois variants the case of variables which are American artists. Therefore I available to each artist, only few not undergoing change. One analyse the lyrics of female, black variants actually appear in the explanation for this finding may British rap artists. Using the performances. By far the most be that because rap is heavily video sharing website YouTube commonly used variable by both marked as a male genre, female along with a popular website male and female performers is artists use Patois variants as a for urban culture ‘grmdaily’, I the production of word initial way to appear more masculine

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is not simply borrowing the original meaning of the words, but recontextualising the lyric in order to create new meaning whilst simultaneously working within the larger discourse of rap music as a genre. One song I analysed was Rock the Mic performed by a group of six female artists, the main refrain being “la di da di, we likes to party, we don’t cause no trouble we don’t bother no body”. These lyrics were taken from the song Lodi Dodi by the famous American rap artist Snoop Dog. The male rapper Blade Brown aligns himself with a significant hip-hop artist, Alpo in his song In your Dreams: “Throwing money, popping bottles, feeling like Alpo”. Here we can see dialogism is being used by male and female artists in order to associate themselves with prominent artists in the hip-hop genre, “I’m badder than a boy named Diddy, run the city either by mentioning them by like a unit led by Fi’ty” name or by reusing their lyrics. RoxXxan as part of the Female All Stars, Roc the mic In the song Rock the Mic the female artists celebrate their skill and power as rappers with lines in in an attempt to define each performer, whether they are such as “I’m astounding the flows themselves as credible and male or female. cold” or “Females in the thing got authentic rap artists. I found to accept it”. The use of the lyric that male and female artists History repeating itself from Lodi Dodi highlights the only used Patois on a partial Another recurrent feature I inherent problem for female hip- basis, and stuck to features found in the songs analysed, hop artists attempting to project which were easily usable and including those by male artists, is a strong female image. Lodi Dodi recognisable as Patois. For the use of dialogism. Dialogism is was produced by the prominent example artists occasionally used a concept first introduced by the American producer and rap artist copula deletion, which means Russian philosopher and literary Dr Dre, who publically assaulted the verb “to be” is missing from critique Michael Bakhtin, and female rapper Dee Barnes, not a sentence, therefore instead essentially means that everything to mention his reputation for of “we have been running this is understood in the context domestic violence. thing so long” we get “we [ ] of a greater whole, which leads running this thing so long”, to ‘meaning’ being constantly “I spit bars like a beast, which is a feature of Patois often renegotiated. Dialogism occurs that’s my mojo” stereotyped and commented on in rap when an artist references by prescriptivists. The partial another artist by name or by Baby Blue as part of the UK Female Allstars use of Patois suggests that it is a reusing their lyrics. When conscious stylistic choice which is referencing other artists, the combined with other linguistic performer is interacting with Therefore by using and non-linguistic choices to a larger discourse of rap, citing dialogism to mark themselves as create a unique rap identity for that which has gone before them. authentic, the female performers By re-uttering lyrics the artist in ‘Rock the Mic’ are paying

32 Babel The Language Magazine | February 2014 Feature Women in Rap homage to one of the most convention in rap to name the type of animal they are, famous rappers in the industry women as animals is clearly they are still reinforcing and who makes no apologies for recognised by the female artists strengthening the powerlessness his violence towards women. in the descriptions they give of they are trying to escape. In this sense, the female artists themselves, for example the artist The inequality in power are attempting to gain power RoxXxan states “I’m an animal, between male and female rappers and project their own female walk in my safari” whilst one is even more striking when identity, but are confined by female artist has chosen ‘Lioness’ considering how men are named the patriarchal nature of rap as her performance name. In in rap songs particularly by one culture itself and could be seen as both these cases, it would seem another. The following terms reproducing the power relations the women are attempting are used in the songs I analysed that already exist. to gain power by projecting for this study: ‘nigga’, ‘little man’, So rhymin’ has never been a themselves as powerful wild ‘boss’. In no instances are the chore try a ting and you find out animals (as opposed to the more men referred to as animals, they how a lion makes a roar. vulnerable animal metaphors are a ‘boss’, obviously implying available), rather than allowing power and control. Also they “So rhymin’ has never men to define them as such. are not ‘boys’; they are ‘men’ been a chore try a ting This attempt to project a strong as opposed to women who are image using animal metaphors referred to as ‘girls’, which is and you find out how a is problematic because again it is an example of infantilization, lion makes a roar” reaffirming negative stereotypes a process by which – in this Lioness as part of the Female All which suggest women are instance – women are reduced Stars, Rock the mic subhuman. Stereotypes often to the status of young children, have a negative impact as they showcasing another stylistic serve to reduce people to a choice which reduces the power What’s in a name? certain set of characteristics, of women. Despite ‘nigga’ being Another important stylistic emphasise them and highlight a racial label, reclaimed by black device used by the female and differences between groups. speakers from its use as an “I’m a boss male artists analysed was their Normally stereotypes are used insult used by white speakers, it you da fake choice of naming terms, how by those in power against groups is not a term used by the black type” they refer to themselves and with less power such as women, female performers, suggesting Sneakbo, I’m A others. The names given to and we can see this happening it has masculine connotations, Boss women by the male performers with women in rap and popular excluding females from using it. were: ‘chick’, ‘bitch’, ‘wifey(s)’, music in general. Metaphors are ‘girl’ and ‘bugatti’. The use of interesting because they only ‘bitch’ and ‘chick’ reduce women work if they can be understood, to the status of animals, with so the fact the woman as animal ‘bitch’ having more negative metaphor is so commonly used connotations than ‘chick’. The means that the belief women are use of ‘chick’ suggests that the in some way subhuman to men woman in question is soft, has been so well-perpetuated vulnerable and has little power it is easy for most people to of her own so is therefore no understand. So in the case of the threat to the male. The word female rappers that I analysed, ‘bitch’ implies the woman is rather than challenging negative dangerous, and a potential images about women, by naming threat to the males trying to themselves as animals they are control her, perhaps a formally aiding the hegemonic ideal, domesticated animal that has and are consenting to their Another metaphor for Rapper Sneakbo turned on its owner. The female control, without males having to women found in rap songs is artists analysed also name other enforce it. In this sense female women as food, with female women as animals by using the rappers are trapped by negative performers referring to other word ‘chick’, however ‘bitch’ stereotypes and even when women as ‘honey’. The male is not used between females trying to challenge them by artist Sneakbo states he will in this study. Nonetheless, the taking ownership and choosing “doggy that spice until the sheets

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turn red”, ‘spice’ in this instance clear to see that stylistic choices, with rap music as much of the meaning an attractive woman. including the use of Patois, representational practices are ‘Spice’ and ‘honey’ are types of dialogism and naming terms, built around misogyny. The end food stuff which are added to are important in creating an result is that although female meals to give additional flavour, authentic rap identity for both artists defiantly use stylistic they are not main ingredients male and female performers. choices, they are often compliant and could easily be left out of any The patriarchal and often in the hegemonic powers at play, meal. Therefore this metaphor misogynistic nature of the rap reproducing negative stereotypes implies that the role of women in culture means that women and patriarchal power relations. the world, especially in relation rappers are left in a difficult However it is important to to men is unimportant, they position, as they want to seek out those voices in rap are optional are there to give appear as both female and as which stand against misogyny added pleasure, nothing more. authentic rappers. In order to and violence, offering positive Along with the food metaphor achieve a unique rap identity messages of resistance. Ms the violent imagery evoked by for themselves they use similar Dynamite is a celebrated female the lyrics of Sneakbo illustrate stylistic techniques to males, UK rap artists who frequently a highly misogynistic attitude with the use of Patois, dialogism questions rap culture with towards women, suggesting that and naming terms. However lyrics such as “you talking so ‘successful’ sex involves inflicting it appears to be that women much sex, but you not tell the violence on the female body. often struggle to project an youth ‘bout AIDS, you not tell empowered female image using them ‘bout consequence”, taken Defiance or Compliance? stylistic choices associated from her song ‘It Takes More’. Through analysing the Here we have an example of work of a group rap being used to promote of UK positive attitudes towards sex, rappers illustrating that rap is capable of it is being empowering, even if the songs that receive the majority of mainstream airplay may not be.¶

Kate Moore is a 3rd year undergraduate studying Language and Linguistics BA at the University of Sheffield

Find out more Books Keyes, C.L. (2002). Rap Music and Street Consciousness, University of Illinois Press: Chicago. Rose, T. (1994). Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America, University Press of New England: London. Sebba, M. (1993). London Jamaican, Longman: : Essex. Online http://grmdaily.com/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdpHkTBDZwo

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