The beat goes on, along with the beat down of women's worth, Amanda Seales writes at Clutch magazine.
Many of the men on the mic who were disrespecting and objectifying women in their songs began doing that in actuality.Β Which then trickled down to their crews, to behind the scenes professionals, and to fans, until it became a known part of the culture.
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Iβm not saying it was embraced by all, but few challenged it.Β Iβve always said that hip-hop is a cockfest and women simply donβt have any party favors.Β Meaning, the culture, as much as women were a vital part of building it and are a vital part of living, sustaining, and nurturing it, is a manβs world therefore women, by nature of being, well, women will never get an equal shake.Β So when faced with that all to common less-than treatment many of us woman of the hip-hop guard are put in the predicament of put up or shut up.Β We want to be taken seriously as members of this rhythmic realm so even though the instinct may be, βWait this doesnβt feel right.Β I shouldnβt let this rockβ the common reaction chosen is to just βbe cool.β
Nothing gets checked or challenged.Β Like I said before, hip-hop is a manβs world, and by crying foul you easily get ostracized, labeled a βbitchβ or, dare I say, a βdivaβ, or even worse, weak.Β βCanβt handle the heat, stay out the studio.βΒ
Read Amanda Seales' entire piece at Clutch magazine.
The RootΒ aims to foster and advance conversations about issues relevant to the black Diaspora by presenting a variety of opinions from all perspectives, whether or not those opinions are shared by our editorial staff.
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