In the class lecture and readings posted for this week such as “Blame It on Hip-Hop: Anti-Rap Attitudes as a Proxy for Prejudice” by Brandt and Viki, it is clear that rap and hip-hop music is most strongly associated with Black culture. However, in recent years there has been a rise in rappers from different racial backgrounds, for example, Eminem and The Beastie Boys (White artists) and Far East Movement (Asian American artists). Thus, it seems that the racial associations with rap/hip-hop music are being challenged.
In contrast, the gender associations with rap/hip-hop do not seem to be changing. Apart from Nikki Minaj, no other female artists (from any racial background) seem to have achieved the same levels of success on the rap/hip-hop charts or in popular culture.
For example, if one were to ask a random group of rap/hip-hop listeners for their list of top 5, dead or alive – it is likely that a white rapper (Eminem) would appear on that list, but it’s highly unlikely for them to name a female rapper.
So my question for this week is whether you believe the gender associations with rap/hip-hop culture still exist – and if so, why you believe it has been easier to break the racial representations compared to gender representations.
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