![]() As men in the industry had been sexualizing women within their lyrics for a long time, it was shocking for listeners to hear the first all-female rap group embrace sexuality in their own empowering way. The trio rocked the industry with their uber-feminine style and sexually charged lyrics, which had only been spit by their male counterparts thus far (XXL). In the mid-‘80s, the emergence of Salt-N-Pepa brought a new wave of liberation to women in rap. While most women in hip-hop reached success in the following decades, the genre itself would have never reached success without the work of its female pioneers. Not only was she the first female rap performer on live television, but she introduced “echo chamber” rap methods into the industry (Sound of Life). She is also recognized for her own artistry, R&B hits “Love is Strange” and “Pillow Talk,” in addition to her contributions to “The Record,” a major track by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, which introduced the concept of “conscious rap” (Sound of Life).Īs hip-hop popularized in the ‘70s, MC Sha-Rock, otherwise known as “Mother of the Mic,” emerged as the first female emcee, later signing onto Sugar Hill Records herself. Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” is another notorious piece of hip-hop history, being the first release from Sugar Hill Records which was co-founded by Sylvia Robinson. Lesser recognized is Cindy Campbell, Herc’s sister who inspired and planned the event, which labeled her as “the founding mother of hip-hop” (Daily Bruin). The birth of hip-hop is accredited to a party hosted by DJ Kool Herc, which introduced DJ’ing and rapping to New York City. ![]() To commemorate Womens’ History Month, let’s explore the bountiful contributions that women have given the hip-hop genre. It’s just a product of society that’s built on patriarchy and men that gain and assert power through the treatment of women and non-heterosexual men” (KISA Radio). Aria Halliday, who teaches African American and Gender and Womens’ Studies, “ Hip-hop is a production of the culture that we live in – American culture. While hip-hop has been largely transformative in the world of music, as well as social change, it is notoriously a male-dominated genre and the influence of women is oftentimes forgotten.
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