BDB Bertsolaritzaren datu-basea

The purpose of this research paper is to identify the practices and characteristics upon which black female artists build their identities and public personas and what the implications of those constructed identities are in relation to female empowerment and gender equality. It is concluded that black women in hip hop construct their identities based on hyper-masculinity and over-sexualization. Hyper-masculinity occurs when black female hip hop artists write and perform misogynistic lyrics used by their male counterparts, as well as when black female artists in hip hop act with hostility and aggression towards one another. Over-sexualization can be seen by analyzing the sexually suggestive lyrics said by black females in their music as well as the sexually explicit photography and videography in which they feature. A counterargument is presented in this paper, which claims that female empowerment is achieved by black females participating in these practices due to the monetary gain that is made by exhibiting such behavior. However, the evidence and analysis presented disprove this argument and illustrate how black female artists in hip hop who represent hyper-masculinity and over-sexualization regress genuine female empowerment and gender equality by reinforcing the degrading stereotypes placed upon women of color.

Introduction ...134
Hyper-masculinity: females being “hard” to stay relevant ...136
Hyper-sexualization of black females: self objectification for popularity and profit ...140
Conclusion ...145
Works cited ...146