Hip Hop Wars: Chapter 8 Critique

 In chapter eight Rose discusses rappers’ use of the “bitches and hoes.”  Now, there really is no other place in society where these terms are used so exclusively.  Rappers can try and argue against it all they want, but when you refer to women as a ‘bitch’ or a ‘ho,’ you are doing all women a disservice.  It’s a wonder how these type of men get as many women as they claim to when they treat women as objects for sex.  This has long been a staple of the hip hop genre, and artists like Queen Latifah have tried to expose this problem.  But it just keeps on going regardless.

The ‘keeping it real’ argument intertwines here, but it really is just a cop-out.  Dudes don’t want to take responsibility for their actions and the fact that they are influencing young people.  It’s sickening, really, to see such instances. Women have fought for a long time for equality, and this just degrades them.  Yet, there are a lot of women who relish in these terms.  Or at least it must be since rappers have female fan bases and obviously have female admirers. 

To open the chapter Rose showed some examples of songs in which rappers openly demean women, especially the song “Bitches Ain’t Shit.”  If it’s not obvious these guys are degrading women, I really don’t know what to say.  I love hip hop but this is one of the trends that needs to stop, and it exists in commercial and underground venues.