Morgan, J. (1997, March). The bad girls of hip-hop: Their sweet success brings home bitter truths. Essence, p. 76.

OVERVIEW

The p---- for-sale materialism that dominates Lil’ Kim’s album...is rampant among young females. Sex has become the bartering chip many women use to gain protection, wealth, and power. In the Black community, where women are given little access to all of the above ‘trickin’ can become a way of leveling the field.

It is amazing the effect that music has on its listeners. Women, and especially sensitive teenagers, are listening to the notorious Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, and DaBrat. These women believe that they are doing society a favor by expressing that they share the same negative power as men:

Ultimately Foxy Brown’s and Lil’ Kim’s success shows how much we have yet to teach our little sistas about sex, feminism, and power. Feminism is not simply being able to do what boys do—get high, talk endlessly about their wee-wees and what have you.

Unfortunately, these singing artists express truths about the various circumstances in the ‘hood:

DaBrat, Foxy, and Kim are what has been happening to young Black women while the brothers (and some sistas) were busy rescuing the Endangered Black Man. Few were willing to believe that Black girls growing up in the same violent, materialistic, and economically and spiritually impoverished environments were likely to suffer their own pathologies...Is it really that surprising that some female MCs...would decide to get paid by glamorizing reality?

Although their music depicts truths of black society, they could be writing music that creates positive change instead of enhancing the degradation of those in the black community. Young black girls are already struggling with their image; they do not need lyrics such as, "No money, no money; no Picky, no Picky..." to encourage them to continue to have poor self-image. As the author of this article says, this type of music "Both deludes Black women into thinking that p---- is their only asset."

Whether we like it or not, this type of music affects how girls envision themselves and relationships. If young girls are tuning in to music of Lil’ Kim and they are singing it or whistling it to school, the lyrics are becoming more and more apart of them. As one journalist states, " ‘music becomes the soundtrack of her life’ " (Essence, August 1995, p. 130). If they are constantly exposed to lyrics that express that they are only valuable because they can have sex, then guess what most teenage girls are going to do? If they constantly tune into lyrics such as these on a daily basis, they begin to internalize the messages and thus are more likely to act upon them.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Have you heard of the song artists Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, or DaBrat? Have you listened to their music?
2. Do you pay so much attention to the rhythm of music that you miss the message conveyed by the artists?
3. Have you have spoken to the girls in the youth group about their sexuality and female images in videos and music? Do you know how much the music that they listen to affects their behavior with young men?

IMPLICATIONS

• Youth workers and parents need to know about and listen to different types of popular music. Some music may be too explicit or too raunchy, so consider subscribing to magazines and surfing the Internet to find about various artists. With such knowledge, adults can participate in meaningful discussions with teenagers.
• Host a slumber party for girls; create a theme night, "Female images in music."

Elizabeth Pierre cCYS