Hip Hop, Gender and Pseudo Feminism

Most people are familiar with the patriarchy and exploitation of females in hip hop culture, especially in the music industry. From the days of 2 Live Crew to Snoop Dogg’s appearance at the awards show with women who had dog collars and leashes around their necks to Nelly’s “Tip Drill” video showing him swiping a credit card between a woman’s butt cheeks, and don’t forget his marketing of the energy drink “Pimp Juice.”

All the above is abhorrent and should be criticized but no one really talks about the pseudo-feminists in the music industry. For example, Debra Antey, the CEO of Mizey Ent. and former CEO of So Icey Ent. and manager of Nicki Minaj, the latest hot female rapperstar and piece of porn for me to jerk off on.

A brotha also studying MT2/3 sent me an article from the Dec/Jan 2010 magazine XXL. We think this article points out the contradictions and bullshit these pseudo-feminists espouse. Antey was asked in this article “How to take Nicki Minaj to new heights?” Antey’s answer: “with Nicki you have to know the role that you’re about to step into. You’re about to open the door for a lot of women, and you can’t open it through the sexual stuff. She had to make a more conscious effort about what she was saying, and it’s starting from the babies… I’m about empowering women, and Nicki is a product of that.”

Anyone who’s listened to Nicki’s lyrics or seen any photos (promotional) of Nicki can only conclude that she’s just the latest in a long line of females being objectified to make money. What’s so empowering about Nicki calling herself a “5 star bitch,” dressing sexually provocative and talking about men paying her for sex (taking her shopping). How is that empowering women?

“Pornography has no value if it shows women doing empowering, important, and meaningful things. Its value is tied to portraying a bitch ready to be raped.” (MT2/3, pg 127)

In street terminology, Antey is a pimp. She enriches herself through the exploitation, pornographic objectification of young black female entertainers, Nicki in this instance. It’s all game.

Antey was asked a second question: “On being a ‘powerful’ woman in a male-dominated business.” Her answer: “in the beginning, it was hard. I’d go to the table with a group of men, and nobody was hearing me. But I got a big mouth, so eventually you are gonna hear me, and I’m gonna stand my ground. I’m a strong woman. In the beginning, it was a little nerve-racking, but now it’s a beautiful thing.” Of course, it’s a beautiful thing to Antey. She’s getting paid big dollars. She’s a pimp and she was able to convince the male-dominated industry that she was not a “threat to the men creating, marketing and profiting from the exploitation and economic coercion of the women who participate in making [pornography].”(MT2/3, pg 128) She assured them that their interest was her interest and that she was male also.

The point is that the pseudo-feminists have been highly successful in deflecting criticism away from themselves. MIM is the only organization that I’ve seen take them to task and expose them.

Jean Grae rapped in the song “knock”: “I rhyme sick but niggas is quick to turn their backs on spitters with clits /…/ they still want chicks with tits and ass out / my respect is worth more than your advance cash out.” The Debra Anteys (pseudo-feminists) of the music industry turn their backs also. “They are working to gain themselves more power to join in the oppression, and to profit off the labor and deaths of the poor and nationally oppressed peoples of the world.” (MT2/3, pg51)

MIM(Prisons), we have much, much more to say on this and other topics mentioned in MT2/3. Especially, the “all sex is rape” and there’s “no good sex” under capitalism.

Thanks for pointing out the socially constructed gender theory. It’s right on point.