Women's Battle With Misogyny in Music
A study conducted by the Women’s Audio Report reveals that “U.S. women ages 18+ spend an average of two hours and fifty-five minutes per day listening to music,” frequently turning to music as a source of comfort or just a way to pass the time. While many women express great love, respect, and appreciation for music as an art form, the feelings were not always mutual. For centuries, sexist cultural attitudes have resulted in women being degraded, snubbed, and underrepresented within the music industry. In honor of women’s history month, this article will provide a brief overview of women’s historical involvement in music, explore the prevalence of misogyny in the music industry—particularly within rap, dissect the various ways in which women challenged gender inequality, and uncover the struggles women face within music today.
Historical Background
Women’s presence in music dates as far back as 2563 B.C. with Egyptian singer Iti, who is often cited as the “first woman songstress in recorded music history.” Various artworks and writings referencing the singer lead researchers to believe that she was very popular amongst local listeners. As new societies developed, women continued to be active participants within early music. Other notable figures include Hildegard of Bingen, “one of the first known composers in Western tradition,” Francesca Caccini, the first woman to write an opera, and Camilla Urso, the first woman to play the violin in an American concert. These women, along with many others, garnered large audiences and were pioneering figures for new forms of music.
Despite women’s many successes, their talents were not always recognized. Oftentimes, men disparaged women’s contributions to music. In 1880, music journalist George P. Upton published his book, Women in Music, in which he stated, “it does not seem that woman will ever originate music in its fullest and grandest harmonic forms. She will always be the recipient and interpreter, but there is little hope she will be the creator.” Upton argued women are incapable of being innovative musicians—completely disregarding women’s historical contributions to the industry. While modern readers would view Upton’s statement as ignorant or offensive, his view reflected conventional nineteenth century beliefs about women’s capabilities. The majority of men were chauvinists who saw women as inferior beings, believing that their attributes were only fitting for the “domestic sphere.” Given that the development of music as both an art form and an industry coincided with an era of intense gender inequality, misogyny became heavily ingrained into music culture. Thus, as new forms of music emerged, this misogyny began to manifest in more explicit ways.
Misogyny in Rap Music
More specifically, rap seems to be an area of music where sexist attitudes were expressed with the utmost vulgarity. Firstly, it is important to acknowledge that rap is not the only genre infested with misogyny, rather, these beliefs are presented more candidly within this particular genre. Ronald Weitzer and Charis E. Kurbin’s content analysis of rap music “ identified five misogynistic themes that appear with some frequency (…) derogatory naming and shaming of women, distrust of women, legitimation of violence against women, and celebration of prostitution and pimping.” These themes were often used to reinforce stereotypical beliefs about women—particularly Black women, who were often labeled as aggressive, deceiving, and promiscuous.
For example, the use of Black women’s bodies as props in lyrics and videos can be traced back to the development of the “Jezebel.” The Jezebel trope portrays “Black women as having an insatiable appetite for sex.” The origins of this stereotype can be traced back to slavery as it was “used to rationalize sexual violence committed against Black enslaved women at the hands of enslavers.” Music videos frequently incorporated the use of Black “video vixens”—women used as models and actors in rap videos—to essentially showcase the type of women they envisioned as the subject of their demeaning lyrics. Seeing as the Jezebel stereotype justified men committing sexual violence against Black women, audiences were not disturbed to see a rapper boasting about pimping or violently assaulting women while pointing to the Black woman seductively dancing next to him. Yet, these misogynistic lyrics and actions did not exist in a vacuum; rapper’s continuous reinforcement of harmful stereotypes had real-world implications for women.
The Jezebel trope in particular has been a continuous threat to Black women’s safety and wellbeing, putting them at a greater risk of experiencing sexual violence. Researchers found that “historical stereotypes about Black women’s promiscuity may be used by others to justify sexual violence and may contribute to less willingness from others to intervene when Black women and girls are the victims of sexual violence.” With no one else challenging the narratives pushed by mainstream media, the burden fell on Black women to avoid accidentally aligning with the Jezebel archetype. In spite of this, rappers continued to exploit negative stereotypes about Black women to garner wealth and fame at women' s expense.
For women directly involved in the music industry, their objectification took on a different form. Women within the industry were expected to act as accessory to men’s lifestyle and careers, leading to the development of the “ride-or-die chick” trope. “The Bonnie and Clyde Theme” by Yolanda Whitaker, also known as Yo-Yo, featuring Ice Cube is one of the earliest instances of artists incorporating the ride-or-die chick into a mainstream song. Throughout the song Yo-Yo details the ways in which she is willing to protect and serve her boyfriend: lying, stashing weapons in her clothing, and robbing other men. “I Need a Hot Girl” by the Hot Boys is another popular example of the ride-or-die trope. When explaining their ideal companion, the men describe a woman who is willing to support their criminal activities and “take the charge” when necessary. The Ride-or-die trope quickly became an industry norm, and women were expected to embrace servitude and demonstrate unwavering loyalty to men, even when it was to their detriment.
Challenging Sexism in the Industry
This was until 1998, when Katrina Laverne Taylor, commonly known as Trina, would record the verse that forever changed women’s role in rap. Trick Daddy’s hit song “Nann” featuring Trina laid the foundation for a sub-genre of rap that would quickly gain traction and set a precedent for women being the sole face of their careers. Throughout the verse, Trina boasted about engaging in sexual activity—as most rappers did, but she did so with a twist. Instead of speaking from a place of servitude, she chose to center her pleasure, proudly reclaiming the sexual agency that had been denied to the women in music before her. This was something that Trina would go on to do for the remainder of her career, making her one of the most radical women in rap during her time. With every project, Trina embraced her sexual autonomy and prioritized her desires above all else, even when it led to tension with her male counterparts.
Throughout her career, Trina received a lot of criticism from men, even from those who supported her in the beginning. Maurice Samuel Young, more commonly known by his rap name “Trick Daddy,” introduced Trina to the music industry by featuring her on his song “Nann.” However, tension began to rise between the pair as Trina sought to take her career in a direction that Trick disapproved of. In an interview, Trick states that he feels “the people around her (Trina) never wanted her to share none of her fame, none of her stardom with me for some reason.” Though Trick may have wanted to merge their personal brands, Trina preferred to build her career independently. Their differing desires often lead to intense conflict between the two, in which Trina would boldly call out Trick’s misogynistic tendencies. Despite Trick’s protests, Trina remained relentlessly determined to mold her career and image according to her aspirations.
Trina in 2009 Tiff Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Feminist Response
Trina was not the only woman who sought to challenge misogyny within music; feminists were hyperconscious of the issue and presented wide-ranging solutions. Some argued the need for more lyrics focused on women empowerment as a way to combat sexism and many artists embraced these sentiments. Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” is just one example of various songs that listeners have classified as feminist anthems. Other feminists adopted a much more extreme approach, advocating for a complete cessation of degrading rap music. For instance, the Congress of Black Women “[urged] the music industry to stop releasing gangsta-rap records that demean women and promote crime.” For years, feminists have been divided on how to address the issue of misogyny within music and most are still divided today.
While music has supported the maintenance of strict patriarchal norms, it has also aided women in making societal progress. Major movements such as the women’s suffrage movement and the women’s liberation movement remixed popular songs to create chants that raised awareness about gender inequality. Though Black women were often excluded from these movements, the development of genres such as Blues and Jazz gave them the opportunity to share their stories with large audiences. Furthermore, the platform granted to prominent present-day musicians, such as Beyoncé, provides the opportunity to raise awareness about the harms of misogyny in all areas of life. Music has been used throughout history as a powerful tool of both advocacy and oppression. The ultimate goal of all feminist, regardless of their approach, is to ensure that women are no longer on the receiving end of that oppression.
Beyoncé on the Renaissance World Tour at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on June 1, 2023 Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Current Issues
While women have made significant progress within the industry, there is still room for improvement. Reports revealed that “in 2021, there were 180 artists on [Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart] — 76.7% of them were men and 23.3% were women.” Furthermore, a study from 2020 revealed that “at the time, less than three percent of producers were women [and] less than 13% of songwriters were women.” Even in the twenty-first century, these statistics reveal that women are still substantially underrepresented in the music industry. Women being represented within every aspect of the music creation process is a prerequisite to effectively combating gender inequality within the industry. Feminist organizations, such as Women in Music, recognize the need for representation and are dedicated to "achieving equity and belonging for all in the music industry.” With creatives and activists becoming increasingly aware of disparities within music and creating initiatives to confront said inequality, the future for women in the music industry looks promising.
As said by writer Sarah Dessen, “Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.” Music can be a powerful tool for unity and advocacy; therefore, we must ensure that all musicians—regardless of gender and other forms of identity—have the opportunity for their voices to be heard. An act as simple as evaluating the number of women musicians included in one’s playlist and intentionally seeking out music made by women can contribute towards developing a better industry for all future musicians.