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Dialogues@RU is published
annually
by the
Writing Program at
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey
Volume 4
Fall 2005
By Melissa Connerly
Fiske's idea about gender roles in regard to relationships can be applied to rap music and the concept of the "Jezebel," in that the male is granted more power than the female and that power includes having the freedom of sexuality. Men are more likely to be promiscuous, and in our society that is accepted. Lil' Kim destroys these ideologies because her prominent position in the rap industry allows her to do so. People such as McCullough would argue that by taking on the role of the "Jezebel" she has done nothing but conform to the negative depictions of African American women that have been passed down by a white patriarchal society and given new life through rap music. On the other hand, Hebdige would agree that her "style" is significant in that she does embrace these roles. In doing so, she is "interrupting the process of 'normalization'" and reshaping the identity of the female rap artist as well as the African American female outside the rap industry. She takes what the male rap artist uses to degrade women and makes it part of her image, leaving male rap artists such as Nelly in a situation where the lyrics of songs such as "Tip Drill" are not as strong as they once were because Lil' Kim makes them acceptable. She makes her lifestyle and her sexuality something that all women should try to obtain. Her "I don't care" demeanor and the happiness her lifestyle seems to bring her make it a lifestyle that many other women would not mind enjoying for themselves. Lil' Kim's actions take on a form of female liberation, where being open sexually is not only reserved for the men in our society.
Queen Latifah is also a female artist who re-conceptualizes the negative image of African American women, but in a very different way. She establishes that there is pride and dignity in being an African American woman, and that these women should be treated with respect. Fiske states that "The people, then are better recognized by what they do than by who they are, and popular culture, by analogy is better recognized by what it does than by what it is. Popular culture is more a culture of process than of products" (323). Fiske expresses the idea that the products of popular culture are not as nearly important as the process by which popular culture is chosen and put to use. The way in which popular culture is used can be applied to the lyrics of Queen Latifah's "U.N.I.T.Y."
Instinct leads me to another flow
Everytime I hear a brother call a girl a bitch or a ho
Trying to make a sister feel low
You know all of that gots to go
Queen Latifah expresses the unpleasant feeling that she gets when she hears a man calling a woman by a derogatory name. She demands for the behavior to stop, and continues to talk about how females get called out of their name, referring to her own experience.
I had my cutoff shorts on right cause it was crazy hot
I walked past these dudes when they passed me
One of 'em felt my booty, he was nasty
I turned around red, somebody was catching the wrath
Then the little one said (yeah me bitch) and laughed
Since he was wit his boys he tried to break fly
Huh, I punched him dead in his eye and said "who you calling a bitch?"