Music 1003- Women in Rap

Women in Rap: While hip-hop has traditionally been dominated by male performers, several

female artists have made important contributions to the genre. Salt ‘n’ Pepa in the late 1980s;

various others emerged in the 1990s, most notably Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill, who

approached this music in a new way (topics of lyrics, music styles incorporated, style of rapping,

singing, etc.) [Alternative hip-hop as a genre.]

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“U.N.I.T.Y.” (Queen Latifah, 1993). Dana Owens (b. 1970) recorded this song for her

album Black Reign. The song is a response to themes present in gansta rap, specifically

sexual harassment, domestic violence, and the glorified “gangsta” lifestyle (she draws on

her own experiences); the overall message is especially directed at the black

community, that men and women should treat each other with love and respect. The

song begins with a saxophone sample from “Message from the Inner City” (The

Crusaders, 1973); music combines hip-hop (rapping in an aggressive, almost masculine

style in the verses—this is an effective way of expressing her thoughts through “the

voice” of the audience she hopes to reach—and reggae (singing in a Jamaican dialect in

the chorus, “U.N.I.T.Y.”; the sax solo returns in the chorus, and also at the end of the

song.) [note: Queen Latifah spells out the word “unity” in reference to Aretha Franklin’s

“R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”—this further illustrates the theme of respect in this lyrics.]

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“Doo Wop (That Thing)” (Lauryn Hill, 1998) Lauryn Hill (b. 1975) found early fame with

the hip-hop trio, the Fugees. (Before that, she appeared on a soap opera, and in film.)

As a solo artist, she carried over the style of the Fugees (hip-hop, with reggae, jazz, and

R&B elements), and also picked up what Queen Latifah had started, in terms of using

her music to address social issues, especially directed at young men and women. The

song “Doo Wop (That Thing)” promotes the message that men and women should both

make careful romantic choices, and essentially stay classy. The verses are directed

individual at her female audience, then her male audience. She calls on her own

experiences, admitting that she made some of the same mistakes she is observing in

this song. Styles include hip-hop (Hill’s distinctive style of rapping), reggae, jazz, and

R&B (doo-wop harmonies, use of horns and other traditional instruments). The video

features a split-screen (1960s/1990s), with different fashions, dance styles, and

associated music; this illustrates Hill’s point that very little has changed over the years, in

terms of male/female interactions.

Popular Music and Diversity in American Society (MUSI 1003)