Construction Workers: Black Women Building Community

[By Alysha Griffin]

Hip Hop has become notorious for its treatment of women. Whether through misogynistic images or the large exclusion of women in rap music, Hip Hop has become “Public Enemy #1” in the women’s fight for progress. With all this critique of Hip Hop, however, I think it is important to acknowledge those women who have navigated the tight spaces in Hip Hop culture. By comparing tropes in works of literature written by black women with those works of female Hip Hop artists, it may be possible to reclaim agency that is lost in the mainstream interpretations of Hip Hop. For this reason, HBW launches the series “Raising the Roof: Black Women’s Voices in Hip Hop.”

To start things off, I’ve compiled a list of ten Hip Hop songs by women that work to empower their communities by generating awareness, instilling regional or cultural pride, and promoting unity. Later in the week, the blog will spotlight interviews with musicologist Tammy Kernodle and professor of drama and dance Nicole Hodges Persley. These scholars will discuss various ways that women’s roles Hip Hop reflect women’s roles in black culture and the ways that Hip Hop provides a venue of agency for women.

10 Hip Hop Songs

1. “Poor Georgie” (1991)- MC Lyte
2. “Let’s Talk About Sex” (1991)- Salt n’ Pepa
3. “Waterfalls” (1992)- TLC
4. “U.N.I.T.Y. (1994)- Queen Latifah
5. “Hoodlum Poetry” (1997)- Mia X
6. “Final Hour” (1998)- Lauryn Hill
7. “Love is Blind” (1999)- Eve
8. “BK Anthem” (2001)- Foxy Brown
9. “Love of My Life (Ode to Hip Hop)” (2002)- Erykah Badu
10.  “Lighters Up” (2005)- Lil Kim

May 2: Women, Hip Hop, and Music: An Interview with Dr. Tammy Kernodle Part I 

May 3: Women, Hip Hop, and Music: An Interview with Dr. Tammy Kernodle Part II
May 7: Women and Performance in Hip Hop: An Interview with Dr. Nicole Hodges Persley Part I 

May 8: Women and Performance in Hip Hop: An Interview with Dr.Nicole Hodges Persley Part II