Female Hip-Hop Musicians Continue to Break Boundaries
Female Hip-Hop Musicians Continue to Break Boundaries
Female Namibian rappers are working to fight against forms of male domination and oppression in the hip hop music industry.
In Namibia, where the devaluation, marginalization, and oppression of women by a male dominated culture and patriarchal state have been ever-present since pre-colonial days, women constantly discredit their abilities and feel inferior to their male counterparts. Female Namibian rappers are no exception to this, yet some remain hopeful, working to fight against forms of male domination and oppression in the hip hop music industry.
Although African hip-hop prides itself on a more positive portrayal of women, traditional cultural attitudes towards women still dominate the industry, which is no surprise. What started in the late 1970s as an expression of disenfranchised African-American youth in the Bronx, soon took root in Africa’s urban centres including Namibia, where hip-hop morphed into Kwaito and Afropop and became an expression of post-apartheid identity. Though the independence struggle and exile that left social networks scattered created a space for Namibian women to break away from convention and take up careers in music, this freedom has been fraught with contradictions. Pay is meager in the industry, managers routinely pocket 50 percent of the fees – that is, if the women get paid at all. Frequently, women work on songs or videos that become hits without the recognition, and as a result, many aspiring girls abandon their dreams of becoming top selling artists. This type of abuse and exploitation is routine in the male-dominated music industry where many young women, hungry for a break with a hotshot producer, don’t ask too many questions.
However, despite the prejudice, some of the country’s female hip-hop artists are doing what they can to make music that sends young women listeners an inspiring and positive message. They are left with no choice but to focus on the little things that empower them and make them feel proud of being a woman. As two-time Channel O Music Award winner, “Lady May,” puts it: "When you are wearing high heels you feel powerful, you feel sexy, you feel like you can conquer the world. High heels give a woman confidence, but they also require focus and discipline, or you will fall over" - inspiring!
Female Hip-Hop Musicians Continue to Break Boundaries
Female Namibian rappers are working to fight against forms of male domination and oppression in the hip hop music industry.
GlobalSister.org
March 26, 2010
In Namibia, where the devaluation, marginalization, and oppression of women by a male dominated culture and patriarchal state have been ever-present since pre-colonial days, women constantly discredit their abilities and feel inferior to their male counterparts. Female Namibian rappers are no exception to this, yet some remain hopeful, working to fight against forms of male domination and oppression in the hip hop music industry.
Although African hip-hop prides itself on a more positive portrayal of women, traditional cultural attitudes towards women still dominate the industry, which is no surprise. What started in the late 1970s as an expression of disenfranchised African-American youth in the Bronx, soon took root in Africa’s urban centres including Namibia, where hip-hop morphed into Kwaito and Afropop and became an expression of post-apartheid identity. Though the independence struggle and exile that left social networks scattered created a space for Namibian women to break away from convention and take up careers in music, this freedom has been fraught with contradictions. Pay is meager in the industry, managers routinely pocket 50 percent of the fees – that is, if the women get paid at all. Frequently, women work on songs or videos that become hits without the recognition, and as a result, many aspiring girls abandon their dreams of becoming top selling artists. This type of abuse and exploitation is routine in the male-dominated music industry where many young women, hungry for a break with a hotshot producer, don’t ask too many questions.
However, despite the prejudice, some of the country’s female hip-hop artists are doing what they can to make music that sends young women listeners an inspiring and positive message. They are left with no choice but to focus on the little things that empower them and make them feel proud of being a woman. As two-time Channel O Music Award winner, “Lady May,” puts it: "When you are wearing high heels you feel powerful, you feel sexy, you feel like you can conquer the world. High heels give a woman confidence, but they also require focus and discipline, or you will fall over" - inspiring!
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