I saw this over at Year of the Blacksmith. Murs recently spoke with Hip Hop Official about why there were no women on the Rock the Bells Tour.
Murs makes some decent points about the current culture of hip-hop and the way its tendency to be misogynist can [occasionally] create an environment hostile to women. But it is a tricky line to walk.
Murs says that he wants women on the tour, but he is also saying that the organizers of the festival (himself included) are not willing to incur whatever expense (whether it be financial or otherwise) to ensure the physical and emotional security of women who would want to participate.
It’s a cop-out (not to mention stereotypical) to argue that hip-hop is by definition hyper-masculine, violent and hyper-sexual and as such certain behavior is to be expected. How can so called “conscious” artists like Common, Talib, Murs, etc… all perpetuate to care about the way black women are treated in the world, but be content to rest back on their laurels about the state of an environment that defines their lives. The reality is that this is not about an environment that fundamentally cannot be changed, this is a about an environment that has no interest in changing. In order for Rock the Bells to become a space that is conducive to the inclusion of women, the male participants would have to make certain sacrifices. Whether these sacrifices mean curtailing certain impulses (sexual or otherwise) or simply providing separate bathrooms for the women artists, Murs makes it very clear that the festival is not willing to compromise.
At the end of the day, Murs conflates being a “legitimate” hip-hop artist with a willingness to subject oneself to a potentially toxic (physically, spiritually and emotionally) environment. My response? Do better.
peace.
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By definition Hip-Hop is not hyper-masculine, violent and hyper-sexual. You’re right about that. However, turn on the TV or the radio, which happen to be the main forms of media distribution, and that’s all you see. Hip-Hop is rooted in misogyny. Bitches ain’t been shit for about 20 years plus now. Black Star’s Brown Skin Lady is proof that they care about women and are trying to make a change. But don’t be surprised if you catch them spitting some misogynistic lyrics from time to time.
@Why, honestly, I tend to think that arguing about which rapper cares about women more, based on whatever single they just released doesn’t make much sense. At the end of the day, every single one of them (conscious, underground, mainstream, whatever…) will release a song that is political, misogynist, or even uplifting of women, if it fits whatever their particular agenda is on that day. And honestly, that flexibility is not really at issue here.
From my perspective, you can rap about whatever you want, but hip-hop has a responsibility to create a space where women are able to do the same.
peace.
I like your take on this. I think it reflects the ways that when we talk about a rapper being “conscious” we talk about it as an achieved or flat status. The reality is that work around gender, race, sexuality, and class (read: social justice work) is iterative and we have to challenge our ideas which may be steeped in stereotypes which come from living in a racist, sexist, heteronormative climate. thanks for opening the dialogue
well said love.