Two questions that I get asked a lot are “Do women like Hip-Hop music?” or “Why don’t women love Hip-Hop music?”  My first response has always been “Yeah, sure we do!  Women are the number one consumers of Hip-Hop music.”  Like most women, I too enjoy a nice catchy beat that I can dance to.  I often hear a lot of guys say, “Women only care about the beat and not the lyrics.” That statement made me think about the previous questions on a deeper level. The more I looked into it, I thought how can we as women truly love something that doesn’t show us any respect?

Director Ava DuVernay said it best when she tweeted this statement last year

Hip-Hop music is filled with blatant disrespect towards women. We have been called every type of B**ch, H*e and Slut in the book. We have been painted as prostitutes, gold-diggers, dream killers, disease givers and bad mothers.  We are seen as sexual objects that are only good for sucking d**k and having “a ni**a busting a nut” in us. That’s only if we are not being told that our pu$$y isn’t up to par.

For me personally, I enjoy more hip-hop beats than actual songs due to the lyrics.  I hear what is being said and most of the time, I don’t like it. I have a lot of instrumentals to songs because I like the beat, but I don’t want to hear those disrespectful words.  Although they’re not speaking about me personally, I’m a woman and feel a certain way when I hear negative things about women.

How can women love Hip-Hop music when they hear lyrics like…

Bobby Digital – “Domestic Violence”
“When I first met you, you was a hoe. I tried to reform you, bomb you, warn you and teach you. But couldn’t reach you, and you’re still a hoe. Your father said you was a hoe. And when you leave me, bitch you’re gonna be a hoe.”

Ghostface – “Wildflower”
“I gave you earth lessons, I came to you as a blessin’. You didn’t do the knowledge what the God was manifestin’. You sneaky fuck bitch, your ways and actions told it all. I fucked you while you was bleedin, held you down in malls. Sexually you worshipped my di-dick like a cross.

Tyler the Creator – “Translyvania”
“Don’t got a problem smacking a bitch, kidnapping, attacking, with axes and shit. Til she decides to take Dracula’s dick.”

Snoop Dogg/Kurupt – “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None)”
“I know the pussy’s mines, i’ma fuck a couple more times. And then I’m through with it, there’s nothing else to do with it. Pass it to the homie, now you hit it. Cause she ain’t nuthin but a bitch to me. And y’all know, that bitches ain’t shit to me. I gives a fuck, why don’t y’all pay attention. Approach it with a different proposition, I’m Kurupt. Hoe you’ll never be my only one, trick ass beeyatch!”

N.W.A. – “One Less B-tch”
“The bitch tried to gag me. So, I had to kill her. Yeah, straight hittin
Now listen up and lemme tell you how I did it. Yo, I tied her to the bed. I was thinking the worst but yo I had to let my niggaz fuck her first yeah. Loaded up the 44 yo. Then I straight smoked the hoe.”

G-Unit – “Good To Me”
… Hell naw, I ain’t put my head between her legs. Smelled like a philly wood grain. Bitch I’m balling, in a Bentley continental see bitch I’m hauling. You got want to win like I want to win and do thing my way. If not I’ll put your ass out on the highway. I’m a bad judge of character, I know that shit. Man time don’t fly when you fuck the wrong bitch. I mean damn why you come to me bitch? What you want from me bitch? You’re like the boogey man, your haunting me bitch. I give you money, you spend that, and come back. Like you need a new stack. I’m puzzled now, how the fuck you blow that. You got a new nigga on the side, well you should have him full-time. Go fuck up his shit instead of mine.

Gone get! Punk bitch! I don’t need you round here, no way. You a muhf**kin headache, you understand what I’m saying? Look my mother-f**king head hurts right now cause of your punk ass. Bitch, why don’t you find something constructive to do. You know, KILL YOURSELF, G-Go kill yourself. Go on to the bathroom, open the cabinet and eat the pills.”

Too $hort – “Call Her A Bitch”
“I said ‘Bitch, why you such a stupid hoe?’ You lil’ bitch, you never could fuck with this. And every bitch that don’t like it, she can suck my dick.”

Slick Rick – Treat Her Like A Prostitute”
“As Rick is my name. I wouldn’t trust no girl unless she feels the same. Treat ’em like a prostitute (Do What?)Don’t treat no girlie well until you’re sure of the scoop. ‘Cause all they do is they hurt and trample. Listen up close, here comes my first example.”

Eminem – “Superman”
” Put Anthrax on a Tampax  and slap you till you can’t stand”

The list of songs could go on and on. As a woman, I don’t want to listen to this! To be honest, no one should want to listen to these types of songs. I don’t want to be told I’m these awful things. I remember men tripping about Beyoncé songs, like “Single Ladies” and other “female empowerment anthems” we have; yet, none of those were degrading towards men. The double standard is ridiculous.

I want to love Hip-Hop music and identify with it.  I want to have the lyrics speak to me, move me and have a positive affect on me too. Maybe when the music can have love and stop disrespecting me, I can love it.

~Peace