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If I had to speculate on why female artists are excluded from hip hop, I would start with my training as a finance professor. When I analyze corporate models and what makes people put millions of dollars behind a commodity, the reality is that the group responsible for providing the funding must feel that the commodity can be sold. In the case of hip hop, the powers that be have yet to be convinced that female artists can sell as well as male artists, and that's what keeps the gate locked.
What we also know is that the corporate models are often incorrect. There was a time when gangsta rap as an industry couldn't be funded because no one believed that NWA would sell records. The group not only went on to sell millions of albums (after being funded in part by drug dealers), but they created a multi-billion dollar industry. Another educational example is the unwillingness of Hollywood to fund African American filmmakers, leaving the door wide open for Tyler Perry to step in and build a gold mine. When it comes to females in hip hop, the lack of vision of corporate America continues to be the avenue of lost opportunity.
Here are some thoughts about Nicki Minaj within the context of what she represents as a female in hip hop:
1) We know that sex sells, and female artists are being asked to sell it: Nicki Minaj, like Lil Kim, Trina and other artists who are able to find the light of day in this male-dominated industry, sells her sexuality as much as her lyrics. The need for her to subject herself to selling sex in order to stay potent is partly due to the hyper-masculine nature of the hip hop industry, where every other song is about big booties and poppin bottles at the club. If only we can get to the day where a woman can rap about something other than the creative things she can do with a Coke bottle, perhaps then, we might actually be making progress.
2) I don't necessarily like Lil Wayne, but I applaud him: As I listened to the song, "Roger That," where Lil Wayne and the entire "Young Money" clique were throwing their amazing rhymes on the airwaves, I was impressed. I noticed that they've done an outstanding job of branding Weezy, Drake, Nicki Minaj and other artists in their camp. Most of my business students at Syracuse couldn't have done a better job.
3) Women are constrained by the ugly turn the industry has taken: By only financing artists who make the same boring songs designed to push the limits of their sexism, the industry is shoving women further and further out of the industry. Listening to hip hop on the radio is almost like being in a porn shop, where every song goes deeper into what men will do to women when they get them naked, or finding even more degrading ways to describe a woman's body. Even the Grammy Award-winning group, Three Six Mafia, has a new song called "Azz and Tittiez," which is about as blatant as an untalented group can get. Any woman forced to enter an industry that has become so invested in female degradation is going to be expected to become something she may not want to be.
4) The artists aren't going to be the ones to change this industry: Sorry to tell you this, but your favorite rapper probably has almost no power. Corporate America signs the artists and decides whose records will get promoted. While this doesn't deny the artist's responsibility for their own lyrical content, it is a reminder that consumers must empower themselves to speak out against various forms of hip hop, and to also hold corporations accountable for the images they promote of the African American community. When gangsta rap started to sell less than in the past, companies started moving toward slightly more positive music, like that of Kanye West (who was once told that his style would never sell). One can only hope that supporting artists like Nicki Minaj might be an avenue toward opening the door for other female artists who don't have to wear a g-string to get a man's attention.
5) A black barbie? Are you kidding me? We can't study the impact of Nicki Minaj without noticing how well she has branded herself. Nicki has this odd and interesting "Black Barbie" persona that works quite well for her. Little girls all across America now want to be black Barbies, so I guess it comes with the territory. So when one factors in Minaj's over-the-top sexuality, the rumors of butt implants and the barbie doll imitation that she does on demand, you can see that someone spent a great deal of time creating this character. The problem for Nicki, however, is that when I listen to her lyrics, I only see brilliance 40% of the time. We have to wonder if Nicki Minaj is simply a fad. At the very least, if Nicki's celebrity is short-lived, there should be dozens of other female artists lined up behind her. Women deserve a place in hip hop.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (21)
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By: sheena on 4/02/2010 8:00PM
Wow your absolutely right! Corporate America only look at the bigger picture and that is money. We are feeding into the different ideologies that we are suppose to act, dress, and look a certain way because we all want to be accepted instead of being different and looked down upon. If only corporate America can make us feel that being different is something to be commemorated on but what we need to remember instead of putting all the blame on these business maybe its time to stop putting money in there pocke and start making a change.
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By: michael on 4/14/2010 5:01PM
wat up nikki im huge fan
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By: Amanda on 4/04/2010 12:21PM
Never before have I read an article where I agree w/ 100% of it's content. However, this article is it. And, I also think Nicki might be a fad b/c she's got this animated persona (like Lady Gaga) where she constantly has to be on cue. It's like she can't be yourself, she has to adopt some kind of character and, that usually gets tired pretty quickly. However, you're right. There should be tons of females waiting to take her place when her time has passed. And of course, women deserve a place in hip hop. After all, females were very prominent in hip hop in the late '80's & early '90's. And, besides...women listen to the majority of these popular rappers records anyway. Black males didn't make rappers like Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Li'l Wayne, etc. popular. Women did (mainly BLACK women). That's why those guys were able to cross over into the pop music stratosphere.
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By: Anon on 4/05/2010 11:52PM
I absolutely agree.
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By: MXL on 4/05/2010 4:17PM
Nicki leans so heavily on schtick because she's not really that talented lyrically. I can't help but flatly (albeit respectfully) disagree with your "dope lyrics" comment as it concerns Nicki, as I hear nothing but basic, mediocre rhyme patterns delivered with cartoonish vocal inflections.
The problem, in my opinion, for today's female rapper is finding that comfortable medium between sex and skill. Gone are the days when we wanted our female rhyme representatives to be nothing more than "gangsta b*tches" (i.e., Boss, Gangsta Boo, etc.) who could thug it on par with the hardest male MCs; nor do we want them to be strictly sexpots, as a woman who sells nothing but sex will never be respected. To be successful in the long-term, in my opinion, a female MC has to be sexy without being raunchy, and lyrically skilled without a corny gimmick and without a masculine timbre (like Rah Digga -- whose rhymes I LOVE, but who will probably never break through because her voice is so husky). I think any female rhyme-spitter looking to get into the game without a corny gimmick like Nicki's should follow the Yo-Yo model. Yo-Yo looked good (as does Nicki), had a major co-sign from a Hip-Hop heavyweight (as does Nicki), a positive-but-not-preachy musical demeanor (Nope), a great voice AND dope rhymes with no gimmicks (Nicki's got the voice, but her rhymes are lacking and she's ALL gimmick). She was hood but still feminine; she was that girl from the block all the fellas liked and all the girls respected. To me, when it comes to what could REALLY get a female MC poppin' on a long-term basis, Yo-Yo is the prototype. I think Nicki is little too cartoonish and lacks the artistry to have true staying power. Just my two cents.
Oh, and Three Six Mafia's "Azz & Titties" is NOT a new song; it's at least seven or eight years old.
Peace, Brother Boyce. Keep up the good work.
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By: Spencer for Hire on 4/05/2010 4:54PM
I don't know anything about this new young lady "Nicki Manaj". But from what I hear, she's like another Lil' Kim with Lady Gaga's edge. Quite frankly, I think it's sad that ladies in the hip hop business have to resort to "Whoredom" just to get the attention they need to make it in this business. It just doesn't make sense to me "really"! To me the best female rapper of all time would be MC Lyte, she was it! intellectual, respectable, lyrically inclined. Then comes Salt N' Pepa, Yoyo, Nicki D, Roxanne Shante etc, etc. I only like female rappers from back in the day. Cause it was original, they didn't show their asses and titties just to get attention, they just got it!
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By: hiphopfan on 4/05/2010 6:09PM
I agree, when I first heard Nikki I thought "wow she can rap!" then I saw her over the net and lost all respect for her... Just another Lil Kim showin off her body she will never get respect. Ask Trina how that ho thing worked out for her. They(ho rappers) will make money but never have a real impact or be labled "the greatest". Anyone who is old enough to remember MC Lyte will never really get into Nikki's music after seeing some truely talented women rap who didnt have to show ass and tits to sell cds. Nikki could of made it without making herself a ho it would of taken longer to make it but respect is something that has to be earned Just look at the queen she rapped and now is a multi millonair with out taking off her clothes(not that anyone would wanna see her take off her clothes) and is well respected by Holly Wood and the music industry now look at lil Kim... A joke. ENOUGH SAID!
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By: bj on 4/24/2010 1:56AM
i agree! the old school rappers r where its at. I still bump that mc lyte. but less not forget the Queen, Queen latiefia
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By: PLANEJANE on 4/05/2010 11:23PM
I got one word for yall.... PLANEJANE.... yall don't know me now, but you will, soon, I promise .... I am nothing you've ever witnessed before. In time you will know...in time
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By: William Blake on 4/07/2010 1:13PM
I feel that the article was good but misses the point. Female rappers have always sold sexuality in some degree. The problem with the artist that you named, although good their act is based solely on their sexuality. This feeds into the same old stereotypes. You will never have an artist like MC Lyte or Mone love again. These artist were beautiful but spoke about the empowerment of women in ways that Nikki Minaj couldn't imagine. For those who applaud Nikki's entry into the business ask yourselves is this the only thing that women can talk about is the power of the Pu--- or are they much deeper. If your answer is the latter than artist like Nikki are not good for female artist because its just like a black actor putting on blackface!
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