Since the rise of artists like Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion, critics have argued that Black female rappers do more harm than good by hypersexualizing and objectifying women. However, they have inspired a cultural shift of body positivity and sexual liberation in a new generation. Regardless of how “moral” the reclaiming of female sexuality is, it allows women to have the freedom to express themselves in any way they want to.
These Black female rappers aren’t just talking about their sexual experiences. They are redefining what women are “allowed” to talk about. They are encouraging women to embrace their bodies. They are actively showcasing positive self-talk.
As Cardi B said in an article to i-D Magazine, “Anything a man can do, I can do. I can finesse, I can hustle. We have the same freedom.”
Cardi’s attitude, and other female rappers who have similar perspectives, have altered the rap world, Gen Z’s perspective on sexuality, and the “acceptable” societal attitudes for women.
The rap genre has been male-dominated since its inception. According to Ranker’s “The 100+ Best Rappers of All Time” which was voted on by over 6.6 million people, only two women made the first 100 artists.
In these songs, male artists consistently use derogatory terms for women, objectify them, and establish female attention as a metric for success. However, Black female rappers like Cardi B reclaim the objectification by spinning the narrative.
Songs like Cardi B’s “Money” take the successful rapper trope and flip it on its head. With lyrics like “I was born to flex / Diamonds on my neck / I like boardin’ jets, I like mornin’ sex,” we see a female rapper flaunt her success and express her needs, which shifts the narrative just by having a woman focus on her own desires. Similarly, lyrics like “I don’t really need the D, I need the (money)” reclaims objectification by illustrating that just because she may sing about sex, it isn’t a necessity for her but it is a perk of being successful.
Moreover, there’s arguably a culture shift in how younger generations are engaging with their sexuality due to Black female rappers. Like the sexual liberation in the 1960s with the rise of oral contraceptives, we are experiencing a cultural shift in how we view sexuality.
Disregarding the controversy around the morality of this shift, Black female rappers have paved the way for women to express themselves however they want to. The women in Gen X experienced the cultural effects of oral contraceptives, but there was arguably still a culture that shamed women for participating in the exploration of their sexuality. Women in Gen X, many of whom are our mothers and female parental figures, have been limited to acting and speaking in ways that are deemed “appropriate.”
However, the hypersexualization of Black female rappers is arguably Gen Z’s sexual liberation, brought on by rappers like Cardi B being their eccentric selves.
For example, I grew up in a household that had conservative values, a hush-hush culture about taboo topics, and saw body confidence as narcissism. I never had a positive perception of my self-image nor felt fully comfortable in my body. I felt like embracing my body was self-absorbed, vain, and egotistical. It was ingrained into me that I should only be confident in things that I work toward, so anything involving physical appearance was worthless and unearned. However, artists like Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, CupcakKe, and Saweetie are integral to healing my relationship with my own self-image, allowing me to feel confident and not shy away from these topics.
I understand critics’ perspectives when they say the music that Black female rappers produce is hypersexualized and a further objectification of women, but for people who come from restrictive environments where it isn’t ever seen, it is empowering. When these women talk freely about their bodies, their sexuality, and their self-love, it reframes the narrative for what is “acceptable” for women to do.
Thank you Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, and all the Black female rappers from the past who paved the way for them. Thank you for pushing the boundaries society has set to limit women and encouraging a generation of women to embrace their bodies.