Popular Culture Review 30.1
Bams differed from other women rappers in the sense that her lyrical narrative was more radical in form , which mimicked the approach used by popular male hardcore artists at that time . This was not surprising considering that she released songs under the tutelage of the same management company that worked with artists such as NTM , a frequently banned hardcore group who has made a career out of tackling controversial issues dealing with race and class in France , often with very forceful and direct language . Bams ’ debut album “ Vivre ou mourir ” (“ Live or Die ”) did exceptionally well in regard to radio airplay , and from this release came the powerful song “ Douleur de femme ” (“ Women ’ s ’ Pain ”). The thematic approach of this track focuses on direct and explicit feminist militancy ; one that is far greater in scope than what was stated by Lady Laistee and others . In this track , Bams raps “ je fais mes thèses bien exposées ” (“ I expose my theses well ”), and further lyrics explicitly delineate sexism as they concern the male-described historical role of women in society , as shown here :
Nothing has changed , history repeats itself
Violated , all ( women / stories ) has been perpetuated
No matter the offense , women are the star ( i . e . to blame )
Eve ' s sin due to a very stupid husband
Who was an idiot , too stupid , with a gluttonous taste
( And ) that so-called evil magnetized ( influenced ) everyone ( ... )
Women at the dawn of 2000 : The marks the history leave indelible traces
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