With the growth of the music industry and the struggle by musicians to outdo each other, so have music videos become a powerful medium to capture the attention of music lovers. These have led to the inclusion of a high number of women in these videos and of interest are; how they dress, how they relate with men, the roles they have been assigned, their behavior, how they are treated by men, and how they relate to each other in the songs and videos (Rose, 2005). Hip hop songs and videos have over the years had the inclusion of women in particular scenes of the video and sections of the song that has generated a lot of debate on the role women play in these songs and videos. Nevertheless, it’s not only hip hop that has influenced viewers’ perception of women, other music genres like rock and R and B have also their fair share in influencing the perception of listeners and viewers towards women although they do not have as much analysis as hip hop receives. This may be because hip hops’ influence is more widespread than the other genres and its origin and association mainly with the black community as compared to rock and R&B and other genres of music. The roles women play in these songs and videos have influenced the listeners’ and viewers’ perceptions of women (Robert, 2008).
Most of the hip hop songs and videos like; Make it rain, done by Fat Joe and Lil Wayne which they also did a remix with other musicians like R-Kelly and T.I and was a huge hit among the youth all over the world serves as an example on how women are portrayed in songs and videos. In the video of the song the women are dressed in bikinis, are shaking their treasured bodies, money and alcohol being splashed on their bodies, and how they relate to the musicians in the video can is a typical example of how women are being downgraded in songs and videos.
In this song, most of the scenes degrade women and portray them explicitly as objects in an obviously sexual way that can be acquired by a few dollars and even to a worse extent lured freely by just flossing a few dollars or material objects like cars (Rose, 2005). The dressing of the women, the lyrics of the song, and the behavior of men and women in the video as well as how they treat the ladies in the video also augment the fact women are being portrayed explicitly as sexual objects. The black women get major negative perception from the songs and videos as it is associated more with the black race and receives more scrutiny than the other genres (Robert, 2008). Nevertheless, the white women have a negative portrayal in rock music which is the music genre more acceptable to the white as compared to hip hop.
This song by Fat Joe and Lil Wayne both challenges and reinforces the stereotypes because the musicians are giving their listeners what they want to hear and watch. The musicians also want to earn a living while beating their competitors and therefore they have little blame because the listeners and viewers have a choice. But this reinforces the stereotypes because music is very powerful at influencing the public perception of any issue that affects them (Rose, 2005).
Reference
Rose. A. Hip hop portrayal of women protested. 2005. Web.
Robert. H. Rap videos spark debate over negative portrayal of women. 2008. Web.