Presentation

Mr. Kubal, the email you wrote in the announcement for the online class is wrong. I received a failed delivery notification when I tried it so hopefully this one works...(If anyone else has this problem use tkubal2.2009.culture.blogger.com)

Holly Stadel

"Unladylike Divas": Language, Gender, and Female Gansta Rappers

This article discusses rap narratives and how women who perform gangsta rap claim social power in a male-dominated genre. The author, Jason D. Haugen,  chose three artists - Mia X, Lil' Kim and Lady of Rage - to display how female gangsta rappers create their own "femininities" which are counter-hegemonic to norms in society as well as in traditional gangsta rap performed by males.

Haugen briefly discusses gangsta rap narratives, and how the only requirement is that these narratives describe life events that could be true (they may not have necessarily happened but are possible). Most gangsta rap involves drug use, involvement in gangs and criminal activity. Obviously this kind of behavior violates societal norms of the female identity, thus there is a necessity for female gangsta rappers to create a narrative for which they belong. 

Mia X - Creates the "Unlady-like Diva" persona. Mia disowns the traditional female notion of being ladylike, and also establishes an individualistic feminine identity - the "Un-lady." Mia speaks of her roots in the ghetto, her strength and size as characteristics of power. 

Lady of Rage - Claims that she is a lady but does not fit into the hegemonic expectations of society. In her lyrics she asserts that she is part of a new category of female rappers, and assumes dominance by her statement that "even a lady can be diesel." Also calls herself "fatally feminine."

Lil' Kim - "The Queen Bitch" takes ownership of being a bitch, making it more of an identity than a gross characteristic portrayed by male rappers. 

The author cites other examples of how these female gangsta rappers express both sexual and lyrical prowess over both males and females. The ownership of non-hegemonic narratives creates a specific femininity that emits social power. 

"Get Up, Stand Up"

This article discusses the life of Bob Marley, the famous Rastafarian. The author Angelica Gallardo discusses how Marley's music inspired Jamaicans as well as many other blacks living in South Africa to seek justice and peace. His songs, which promoted liberation of people and an anti-government agenda put him on the CIA watch list, and he was the target of assassination attempts during the height of his career. Marley unfortunately died of skin cancer before he could see liberation in his home of Jamaica or the end of Apartheid in South Africa.