Respectez-nous as We Feminize the Rapped Rhyme
types found in many rap lyrics and videos ( Weekes ). Moreover , the appearance of women in the hip-hop industry is often one of an outsider or a bystander rather than as what Guevara ( 51 ) labels as a “ participant ,” since females and their contributions to the genre are largely unrecognized or downplayed . Guevara ( 51 ) further states that whenever women take leading roles in commercialized visual presentations of hip-hop culture ( especially in film ), they enter the scene as “ exotic outsiders ” who make their mark via some sort of romantic involvement with a male protagonist . In this sense , hip-hop remains a male-dominated industry or privilege . Industry executives and even some consumers may refer to rap as being the music of the streets , a place where female artists are seen as interlopers ( Rose , ” The Hip-Hop Wars ”). Adams and Fuller argue that in a world where negative social constructs such as sexism , misogyny , and hatred are institutionalized , observations of this sort of patriarchal ideology and attitude in hip-hop culture as promoted by the commodification of the genre by the record industry are extensions of outer negative societal parameters that go beyond music .
In light of these realities , to gain acceptance and credibility in hip-hop culture , women often borrow or adopt masculine attitudes and personalities when they rap , dance , or tag graffiti . Faure and Garcia state that this type of appropriation of male behavior is intended to mask signs of femininity , and it is often manifested by language , fashion , or personality changes that mirror those as seen amongst male artists . Therefore , female rappers take style cues from men in the industry and visually or lyrically appear as “ tough ” or “ hard ” in their appearance and delivery , even when many women artists outpace males in overall sales and popularity . Moreover , stylistic changes assumed by female rap performers are not just limited to one ’ s look , behavior , or sound . Troka ( 87 )
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