For a significant time in the history of hip-hop, various women of skill and lyrical prowess have dominated the scene. However, it is no secret that fewer women have dominated the rap and hip-hop scene compared to men. Also, on very rare occasions in the different eras of hip-hop has more than one woman dominated the industry. Instead, it is a common sight to see women in hip-hop attack each other either physically, lyrically or both for the position of dominance in the hip-hop industry.
This has formed a trend that almost seems like a take-over whenever a rising female rapper is spotted and acknowledged while another dominates. More often they are compared to each other, and consequently, the career of each of these women in hip-hop becomes determined by their ability to outshine their opponent to maintain or obtain their position in the hip-hop business. This, therefore, expresses the notion that women in hip-hop cannot help each other to succeed.
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Upon studying two articles namely; “Why Can There Only Be One Dominant Woman in Rap?” by Kiana Fitzgerald and “Why We Can’t Handle More Female Rappers” by Tyler Lewis, the idea that women in hip-hop cannot help each other succeed is reinforced. These two articles extensively elaborate on the different experiences of women in the hip-hop industry as well as their accounts on commentaries. The details provided in these articles provide an insight into the different factors that influence the actions and kind of music these women create. The details and depth in research in these articles, therefore, makes them authoritative and valid sources of the information they provided.
The coinciding data reinforce the validity of the information they portray on women and hip-hop and the causes of their animosity towards each other. This is even though the main accounts of the articles being from different periods in the history of hip-hop.
Both authors have a similar account of women in hip-hop and their animosity towards each other or the demand for it. However, there is a difference in the groups that perpetuate this animosity, where Kiana Fitzgerald blames the male individuals in the industry while Tyler Lewis attributes it to the public that buys and promotes the music of women in hip-hop. However, both writers agree in their different accounts that women in hip-hop are predisposed to compete with rather than support each other.
Tyler Lewis in his article “Why We Can’t Handle More Female Rappers” on the Atlantic focuses on the rise of Nicki Minaj at a time when she succeeded Lil Kim as the dominating female rapper. The conflict between these two female rappers was well known and is even addressed in the article with instances when they exchanged attacks against each other in their lyrics. Tyler states the possibility of these two rappers existing and dominating the same hip-hop industry at the same time yet they are influenced by the industry to compete and conflict for sole domination.
Kiana Fitzgerald in her article “Why Can There Only Be One Dominant Woman in Rap?” addresses the ordeal of different women in hip-hop including upcoming and most recent dominators of the rap scene. The most prominent mentions in this article are Nicki Minaj and Cardi B who are both female rappers doing well in the industry. However, the author points out the various attempts in social media and in the media to create antagonism between these two rappers through picking through their lyrics and interpreting them as insults to their fellow female rapper. This is despite the two rappers refuting claims of any hostility between them.
The similarity in these different accounts of women in hip-hop depicts a common trend in the hip-hop industry. There is a pattern created by either both or one of the groups that these authors blame for the trend in the culture of female hip-hop. That includes either the men that want to continue to dominate the industry as Kian Fitzgerald puts it or the general industry that has adopted a culture that insights female rappers to conflict for their entertainment as put by Tyler Lewis. Whatever the cause, it all proves that women in hip-hop cannot help each other to succeed.
In my opinion nonetheless, both accounts are accurate in their accusation of the groups that influence this conflict and animosity among female rappers. Tyler’s article blames the industry for its promotion and buying habits which encourage women in hip-hop to focus more on competing and dominating the industry as female rappers at the cost of their counterpart’s careers in the same industry. Kiana’s article blames the men in the industry for seeking ways to cause conflict among these women to maintain limited dominance of women in the industry. Both accounts are true in my view since the hip-hop industry is dominated by a male audience, male artists, producers, and promoters and so on.
All in all, I agree with both authors their accounts of the plights of women in hip-hop. Despite their iconic lyrics and sometimes inspiring music women in hip-hop are predisposed to destroy each other for them to grow in the rap industry. The constant comparisons made among each of them in terms of looks, type of music, lyrical content and so on makes it difficult to grow as a female rapper without tarnishing a fellow female rapper. However, if they understand that together they can be able to rise above all the industry’s influence and form an even stronger dominance over the hip-hop industry than they currently command as individuals, then they can revolutionize the hip-hop industry.
