In chapter twenty of Humez’s “Gender, Race, and Class In The Media”, the article “More Than Baby Mama: Black Mothers and Hip-Hop Feminism” by Marlo David discusses how hip-hop feminism illuminates issues such as black motherhood that have been often overlooked by mainstream and black feminism. David explains that within the realm of music entertainment, “black women [have created] a progressive, feminist space within hip-hop’s hyper-masculine universe” [187].However, black female artists have failed to illustrate their procreative power within the hip-hop dynamic.
The author analysis how hip-hop feminists have targeted many more issues about black women that black feminists have. However, few female artists and hip-hop feminists speak of black …show more content…
David explains that black women of the 21st century that are situated within the hip-hop culture walk a thin line between raising black children up to be the “diamonds and pearls Lauryn Hill sings about” or “contributing to the cadre of workers/neo-slave for a burgeoning U.S. prison and low-wage welfare economy” (191-192). This is the struggle many black mothers within and outside the realm of hip-hop deal with. However, David emphasizes that hip-hop feminist, black feminists, and womanists need to approach and address this subject cautiously but also head on. The stereotypes surrounding black motherhood sets black children in households where they are raised by one parent, on welfare, in an impoverished community, enduring whooping and spankings for poor behavior. This type of upbringing births gangsters and thugs is what the perceived notion is. However, Lauryn Hill’s expressions of black children as diamonds and pearls, in combination with the positivity artists such as Ciara and Beyonce illustrate debunk such notions and instead explore the positive side of black motherhood. I hope to see more female rap and hip-hop artists follow the examples R&B/Pop singers like Ciara and Beyonce have set by visually and lyrically illustrating the experiences of black procreative power in a variety of
The author analysis how hip-hop feminists have targeted many more issues about black women that black feminists have. However, few female artists and hip-hop feminists speak of black …show more content…
David explains that black women of the 21st century that are situated within the hip-hop culture walk a thin line between raising black children up to be the “diamonds and pearls Lauryn Hill sings about” or “contributing to the cadre of workers/neo-slave for a burgeoning U.S. prison and low-wage welfare economy” (191-192). This is the struggle many black mothers within and outside the realm of hip-hop deal with. However, David emphasizes that hip-hop feminist, black feminists, and womanists need to approach and address this subject cautiously but also head on. The stereotypes surrounding black motherhood sets black children in households where they are raised by one parent, on welfare, in an impoverished community, enduring whooping and spankings for poor behavior. This type of upbringing births gangsters and thugs is what the perceived notion is. However, Lauryn Hill’s expressions of black children as diamonds and pearls, in combination with the positivity artists such as Ciara and Beyonce illustrate debunk such notions and instead explore the positive side of black motherhood. I hope to see more female rap and hip-hop artists follow the examples R&B/Pop singers like Ciara and Beyonce have set by visually and lyrically illustrating the experiences of black procreative power in a variety of