a black girl

Ego trip's Miss Rap Supreme

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Ok. ok. ok. I got three major issues with this show. They are as follows:

1. Why Khia why? AND you got disqualified for using material that was on your album and a free mixtape. This is the thing: I was mad confused when I found out you were on the show anyway. Many of these chicks were unheard of (well, I'd heard of one of them, but this is because I'm a big ol lesbian who occasionally finds herself listening to homohop). Khia... Khia... I don't want to blow you up too huge but "My Neck, My Back" went international and K-Wang is a club anthem. Why? You didn't need to be on this show--and the fact that you showed your ass by getting disqualified for simply reciting lyrics that you recorded twice is shameful. I'm not going so far to say that you're a one hit wonder blah blah blah like old girl did... thats not useful, and for me--being someone who lived in the South from 2002-2005, you aren't. But it does make you someone who has passed the mark for being on the show. Sorry you didn't come up when reality tv was making stars other than Kevin Powell and Puck. Being on one may have helped your fame but this is hip hop. It probably WOULD NOT HAVE. Just like it wont for the "femcee" who emerges from this competition.

You're better than that.

Do you, let the children do the reality shows. The whole title that you seem to be vying for is contrived and ridiculous. I'm mad at VH1 for letting the shit happen. You better have gotten paid. A lot.

In the meantime, I'm waiting for a response from Trina. And I think this is enough fodder for Jackie-O to come back to life.

2. The Ego Tripping fools are whack. Their concept of the "history of the female emcee" is a-historical, limited and skewed. Also, how much of it is this way because of VH1? The Salt and Pepper suite as sanctum while Queen Latifah is a Tavern, meanwhile Lauryn Hill is nowhere to be found and don't even get me started on Roxanne Shante (does she exist to these fools?)

Their understanding of the "state of the female emcee" was more condescending than understanding. While it did address how female emcees have to consider different aspects of the industry that make them commodities rather than artists, they failed to critique how Male emcees, and the industry foster that culture, and how they perpetuated it through these corny ass lines about the "state of the female emcee."

The fact that the show is paralleled in some ways to the white rapper show is also unnerving, and again reveals the a-historical approach these fools have to this question about female rappers. Women have ALWAYS been a part of hip hop, if we are talking about "minorities" and "representation" this is not about a kind of reverse affirmative action (i.e. ok womens we will let you into the game via reality tv show), this is about the ways in which male dominance permeates other aspects of Black culture.

Furthermore this whole thing with them "dressing as male rappers" to see if they can hang with the men... garbage.

Props to them setting up moments for the sisters to retort at Too $hort.

3. My questions about how they will not only address how male dominance is a part of all of this make me want to actually tune into VH1 even after Khia was eliminated. Not more, however, than this fear of the queer for the female emcee. Already there are some ways these women are being made to deal with that. They had to perform in a WHITE dyke bar. (I'm just going to leave that one alone and let you ruminate on that shit) But really, how are they going to discuss how the two clearly stud/butch/ag/dom emcees face a whole 'nother set of hurdles nothing short of not being white so that they may be featured ont he final season of the L Word, but that they are queer and how female emcees have had to hide and silence themselves in order to fit into the hetero paradigm of ass, titties, and sprite cans a la lil' kim.

uttered by a black girl at 2:58 AM. | 2 comments

2 Comments:

i saw a bit of the episode where the women came at too short, besides him having a taste of his own medicine, i was confused. so what? ya'll can hang because you can be as gross as ol' boy, short? i didn't want to watch this show just like i didn't want to watch "the white rapper show" because it felt so contrary. here's a mainstream show about a culture developed in the margins. ??? from a universal/zulu nation-esque perspective, who are you, mr. heteronormative-commercial-hiphop, to tell me i can or cannot get in on this? i think dr. merriday would be in agreement with your opinions.

By fruitfly4, at 12:22 PM

This is nothing more then a distortion of reality if it's that. I mean from the fake low budget Yoyo in the mirror to Khia having to do a freestyle about respect and that's the first single on her new album. Give me a break. This show is fiction wrapped in a reality blanket. That's all it is.

By LaLa FuFu dotcom, at 1:40 PM