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Abstract
Hip hop music is understood to be a tool that promotes equality for a group of people who were previously marginalised and discriminated against. However, misogyny and sexual exploitation of women remain dominant characteristics of hip hop culture. When exploring research on women in hip hop culture, scholars tend to focus on misogyny and the hypersexualising of women, thus disregarding the fact that women can express and enjoy their sexuality purely because it is their prerogative to do so. This article highlights how Fairclough's (1995) model of critical discourse analysis can be used as a lens and tool to introduce alternative perspectives on these discourses and ideologies. Specifically, this research interrogates how Megan Thee Stallion applies the politics of articulation through her rap lyrics to subvert the androcentric discourses of hip hop culture, which objectify and sexually exploit women-specifically, Black women who have been historically subjected to the politics of respectability that positions Black women in inferior position to White women.
Keywords: hip hop culture, gender studies, queer theory, subversion, transformation
Introduction
Androcentrism refers to the centring of male/masculine perspectives, ideologies, and discourses, which then oppress and marginalise femininity in society or culture. Presently, patriarchy and oppression of Black women continue to exist despite numerous feminist movements. These include the #MeToo movement that has voiced and critiqued the issue of gender-based violence world wide. Morgan (2015) noted that the agenda of Black feminist thought has been focussed on "holding the United States accountable for [its] sordid history of [both] legal[ly] and culturally] sanctioned rape and gender violence against Black women" (p. 37). The #MeToo movement was begun in 2006 by Tarana Burke who is both an activist against, and a survivor of, gender-based violence. #MeToo, which went viral in October 2017, ushered in global conversations of sexual harassment and gender equality (van Rooij, 2018). Furthermore, the movement saw discourses of feminism and female representation being injected into the entertainment industry. The movement placed a critical focus on hip hop culture because of its "sexist representation of women," influence, and accessibility (van Rooij, 2018, p. 9).
Hip hop culture consists of four elements: breakdancing, deejaying, emceeing, and graffiti. Presently, it is most identified with its marketable element-hip hop music (Kelly, 2015). Hip hop music...