LADIES FIRST TO FIGHT THE POWER
A few months ago when the whole Imus scandal exploded across America and rap music was subsequently thrown under the bus for supposedly teaching Don Imus the words ‘Nappy Headed Ho’ there were some very important voices within the entertainment and Hip-Hop community that were notably silent…
DEBRA L. LEE, president and COO of Black Entertainment Television
SYLVIA RHONE, exec VP of Universal Records
JUDY SMITH, former senior VP of communications, NBC
CHERYL BOONE ISAACS, a governor of the board of motion picture arts
This is just the listing of a small handful of the wealthy African American women that decide the content that we view, listen to and consume within popular media. You might think that one of them might have the courage to stand up and tell Oprah that it isn’t rap artists that determine the imagery of the videos that they perform in. IT IS THESE WOMEN! And others that are in the decision making positions within the entertainment industry.
Women need to stop pretending to be victims and take these women to task that willfully denigrate and disenfranchise you for their own personal monetary gain. The only reason that women are silent in this cause is because they one day hope to be like one of the four women I just mentioned. As long as women continue to pimp each other there will be no equality.
The Hip-Hop Odyssey is kicking off a FREE panel discussion TODAY from 6pm to 730pm at the ImaginAsian Theatre, 239 East 59th Street, Manhattan. The panel is titled ‘Venus Rising: Women Shaping The Future of Hip-Hop Media’. The panelists are all esteemed journalists and media personalities.
Moderator Raquiyah Mays
Martha Diaz
Felicia Palmer
Dream Hampton
Kim Osorio
Let’s see if these women have the courage to speak the truth. The Hip-Hop Odyssey is hosting additional panels and workshops as well as screening Hip-Hop films for the next two weeks. Check out their schedule and activate yourself.
Excellent point Dallas.
There are some powerful broads getting rich off the nappy headed hoes and video vixen imagery portrayed in rap music. I don’t hear anything coming from their camps except the sounds of cash registers…..cha-ching.
dang.
drop it.
money makes you do many things you otherwise wouldn’t. although some may say it’s a truth serum. 🙂
Fantastic post. Its my position as well that women need to stop pulling the victim card and start taking responsibility for their own actions.
As a woman who works as a professional in the media industry I would say that yes some of these women are responsible for the images portrayed in hip hop but to vilify them is to split hairs in context of which came first the chicken or the egg.
Ice T’s wife in a stripper bikini on his album cover? Or the consumers who bought it, the young boys who hung it on their wall and then wanted more like it?
Women have been and will continue to be the muse for musical artists, hip hop is not exclusive, check out Marilyn Manson’s new video where his 19 year old girlfriend and he have REAL SEX then she appears dripping in blood. Houston we have a problem!!
I have been on set for some of these videos and seen rap artists demand for more tits, more ass, more flesh, more ass shots, it’s a symbiotic relationship. I’m fighting the good fight from inside the war zone with images of women especially black women in media and I can tell you that you have to be in the game to win it…so hopefully these afore mentioned women will either turn over the reigns or play to win when it comes to images in and for our community!
May I add the name of Christina Norman ex president of VH1 & current president of MTV.
What it is DP?
A. In the grand scheme of things, these women have very LITTLE power. Meaning the power to go against the grain.
B. Universals shareholders, and “White boy N*gga fantasies” have more power than these Black/Brown women EVER will.
C. What Oprah can do is put them white mommas on the stage and ask them how they feel about their kids listening to Luda, Snoop and 50.
Thats the discussion no ONE wants to have.
“What Oprah can do is put them white mommas on the stage and ask them how they feel about their kids listening to Luda, Snoop and 50.”
Yup.