Hip-hop has had an overwhelming influence on the Black community in America. For many within the Black community, hip-hop is more than music, it is Black culture; it provided a voice to the voiceless in America. Odenthal (2021) state:
“More than simply entertainment, hip-hop is a major part of contemporary identity circuits–networks of philosophies and aesthetics based on blackness, poverty, violence, power, resistance, and capitalist accumulation.” Contrariwise, Hip-Hop also has connotations of misogyny, rape culture, and hypermasculinity. Byron Hurt’s documentary Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes focuses on the levels of violence, misogyny, and homophobia in both Hip Hop and the Black community holistically. Hip-Hop artists embrace masculinity by “either stoically rejecting vulnerability or overcoming vulnerability through supposed greatness” (Jones, 2017). In hip-hop hypermasculinity is self-perpetuating, the more machismo the artist displays, the more popular they become (Jones, 2017). Artist sale a lifestyle of drugs, violence, and unrealistic views on women to consumers, and people who are openly gay are seen as a threat to that masculinity.
Hypermasculinity and homophobia are interwoven in the fabric of the genre because hip-hop embraces an aggressive and occasionally violent masculinity (Jones, 2017). It can be argued that all forms of music are heteronormative, however unequivocally homophobic discourses are lyrically overrepresented within hip-hop culture which creates a hostile culture that is historically anti-LGBTQ. (Durham, 2022). Popular hip-hop artist such as Jay-Z, Eminem, Nas, and Ice Cube, have all recorded blatantly homophobic songs, because making anti-gay sentiments was an innate component of their personas as emcees and gay stereotypes are thought to run counter to their masculine image . In Eminem’s song Criminal (2000) the rapper who is known for his homophobic lyrics, raps a rancorous verse against LGBTQIA+ individuals:
My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge
That’ll stab you in the head whether you’re a f*** or lez
Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest
Pants or dress, hate f****? The answer’s, “Yes”
Homophobic? Nah, you’re just heterophobic
The inclusion of these lyrics in hip-hop music goes back to “the machismo ideal of hip hop, and what better way to question the masculinity of a rival than insisting that he is gay” (Leake, 2021) Testimonials from rappers such as Eminem provide insight into why homophobic slurs are used so readily in hip-hop “the f-word is “the lowest degrading thing you can say to a man. With hip-hop’s tenuous grasp on masculinity it is no surprise that being queer or going against society’s construction of masculinity causes panic since that is against what is considered the norm. Such as when rapper Kid Cudi wore a dress and painted his fingernails on Saturday Night Live to honor the late Kurt Corbin, he faced hate for not adhering to what is considered traditionally masculine, and eventually deactivated his Instagram account for a while due to the vitriol he received. Or when Lil Nas X; who had to hire security after the constant hate on social media and backlash following the release of his video Montero. The video is in the same realm of explicitness as any in hip-hop video, however Lil Nas X a gay Black man is the one giving a lap dance to another man, so it now becomes an issue of morality.
Hypermasculinity continues to have a great effect on Black male culture since Black masculine aesthetic is always seen as “strong, assertive, hyperaggressive and hyper-heterosexual. Hypermasculinity continues to handicap Black manhood because it promotes ideas of misogyny, rape culture, and male dominance. To break this metaphorical shackle Black men must begin step away from the idea of hypermasculinity within Black culture and a good place to start, begins in the music loved by so many within the Black community.
Durham, E. (2022). Hip-Hop and Black Queer Defiance. [Master’s thesis, Grand State Valley University]. Culminating Experience Projects. 109. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/109
Jones, I. M. (2017, December 23). How hip-hop is confronting toxic masculinity. HuffPost UK. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ioan-marc-jones/how-hiphop-is-confronting_b_13787178.html
Leake, D. (2021, August 25). “no homo” – hip hop’s never-ending battle against homophobia. The Signal. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://georgiastatesignal.com/no-homo-hip-hops-never-ending-battle-against-homophobia/
Mathers, M. (2000). Criminal. On The Marshall Mathers LP. Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
Odenthal, K. (2014, March 18). How hip-hop music has influenced American culture and Society. Spinditty. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://spinditty.com/genres/Hip-Hops-Influence-on-America
I was just speaking to a colleague about the power of culture being even more powerful than politics in many regards. It speaks to your article’s urgency and the effect that hypermasculinity has in regard to black culture.
Gianna, thank you for sharing your brilliance, experiences, and perspectives. I find it highly ironic that a hip-hop community that has demoralized women in their music and videos for decades, suddenly cares about morals when those same behaviors switch to male to male interactions. It’s flat-out ridiculous! The double standard is sickening and will only continue until more and more courageous individuals like you bring the issues to light and expose how these “minor” behaviors that are seemingly only seen in hip-hop perpetuate homophobic beliefs for black men. I will say it yet again- I cannot wait to read your dissertation!!!
G, the perspectives that you shared within this blog post really was eye opening. I believe that it is something that really is not addressed or even talked about for that matter. I love how you are bringing this sensitive issue/topic to light and really expose the impact that some of these famous rappers and song writers have on the youth.