August 24, 2023 • 33 mins
From Queen Latifah’s unity to Cardi B’s WAP, women emcees continue to rule their Queendoms in Hip Hop History. We explore the evolution of the women of Hip Hop throughout a variety of topics from the founding mothers to the evolution of women in rap. Lastly, through all the successes, failures, triumphs, and turbulence, we discuss if hip hop can out live most of us and make it to the century mark. Episode guests include Monie Love. Rah Digga. Shanti Das. Dr Joy Harden Bradford. Bun B. Paul Wall. Shaheem Reid. LL Cool J.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
From I Heeart podcasts, I Am Fab five Freddie and
this this fifty years of hip hop podcast series. Without question,
hip hop game changers and innovators always included women, going
way back to the beginning of this hip hop music game.
Talking about Shah Rock aka Mother of the Mic, to
(00:23):
Queen Latifa and her incredible un I t Y to
MC light, one of Brooklyn's finests. These women and others
are recognized as the pioneering ladies of hip hop and
significant to helping amplify female voices within this rap genre.
Doctor Joy licensed psychologists and hosts of the mental health
(00:45):
podcast Therapy for Black Girls.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So when I think about the history of women in
hip hop and their contributions to the genre, I really
feel like there would be no hip hop without women.
I think, as we think about most few us, you know,
women make significant contributions, right, and there is a whole
perspective and a whole viewpoint that you don't get if
women are not a part of any kind of background.
(01:10):
And so when I think about, you know, some of
the earliest participants in hip hop, Black Queen Latifah, you know,
just thinking about like the kinds of things they would
rap about and incorporate into their music. Were just very
different than I think what men were talking about at
the time, And I think that women really pose like
an interesting mirror in a lot of ways to kind
(01:31):
of hold up like, hey, like the field can be
about more than just these things that people are talking about,
Like they're all these concerns that women have in terms
of equality and like sexual assault and domestic violence, like
all of these things that I think were really important
to talk about as a part of the music as
well as just like making fun music, right, Like I
think just making good songs and like things that people
they enjoy has also been an important part of women's contribution.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Rod Digger, rapper and actress.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Well, I feel like the perspective of women is particularly
in hip hop, is a is a unique because we
have these hard exteriors because we all.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
Understand that the male dominated sport, but at the same time,
we bring the nurture to the situation. We bring the
element to hip hop that probably you wouldn't have got
if it was just men. With men, we know there's
a lot of bravado and ba chiese folks, but we
as women, we tapped into our softer sides and we
(02:30):
know how to bring the feelings out of men and
things like that.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
So I would say we are probably responsible for the
ladies love ll You know, we get lovable.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
Boys, we get the we get the dear mama like
men being able to tap into their feelings and understand
the importance of a woman and hold us in that regard.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
SHOUTI das music industry executive.
Speaker 6 (02:59):
Some of the founding women of hip hop.
Speaker 7 (03:01):
From an artist perspective, you know, I would have to
shout out rock Sane Chante, Queen Latifa, EMC, like Monie
Love Yo yo. They were some of the first women
of hip hop and and of course Missy Elliott who
came later.
Speaker 6 (03:18):
But the ladies that I just mentioned, they kicked it off.
Speaker 7 (03:22):
They made it full for female rappers, right, They opened
the doors for female rappers and made it possible.
Speaker 6 (03:28):
And quite honestly, you.
Speaker 7 (03:29):
Know, not as big of an artist, but I got
to give it up to j J Fad because coming
you know from the a like, I love JJ Fad.
You know, we listened because it kind of felt it
fell into that booty shape vibe for us.
Speaker 6 (03:44):
So shout out to JJ fab.
Speaker 7 (03:46):
You know, I was a young girl listening to Rock
Sand Chante and all the different versions right of rock
Stan Rock Sand.
Speaker 6 (03:52):
It came out back in the day, and of course.
Speaker 7 (03:54):
Like when Queen Latifa did you and I t wire
like that was everything for me as a black woman,
Like it gave me a sin of pride as a woman.
Speaker 8 (04:01):
I love that, you know.
Speaker 7 (04:04):
We had female rappers that were holding their own and
getting the respect that they deserved. Because we know that
hip hop was a very male it still had as
a very male dominated industry, and so those ladies made
it okay for women to be in hip hop as artists,
as executives like myself, and it just made us feel
good about ourselves and it created this sense of unity.
(04:24):
I do feel like when those ladies, the Empty Lights,
the Queen Latifa's, the Yo Yo's, and all those ladies
came out initially Moneyloves, they instilled unity and pride amongst
females within the black community. And then you kind of
started in the two thousand decades seeing a little bit
more dissension, and I think that probably just came from
(04:46):
the competitiveness of it.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
Right when you had Foxy.
Speaker 7 (04:50):
Brown and Little Kim, which we love them, but they
you know, sometimes people started pitting them against one another,
but you didn't see that initially with the Latifas of
the world, and and that's kind of frustrating. I hate
that it took a turn, but that was you know,
the industry, and you know that's what happened.
Speaker 8 (05:08):
But those ladies really set it off.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Some of my favorite pioneering women in rap man. Let
me run down a few Rock Sanne Shante, Lisa Lee,
Shah Rock, Mercedes Ladies, Pebbly Pooh, Miss Melody mc Trouble, Vanessen,
sin Quiz, Lady of Rage, the Boss, jj Fad, Cookie Crew,
Lady B to name a few. MONI Love British born
(05:35):
Grammy nominated rapper and radio hosts Shyrock.
Speaker 8 (05:39):
She was a very I've said this before and other interview.
Speaker 7 (05:42):
She was a very big influence on me and one
of the first women among several of the pioneering women.
As far as the Mount Rushmore women in hip hop,
she would be in there because she definitely is one
of the founding folks. Also, so when I got to Philly,
(06:02):
I met and got to know the history of Mady
b who is from Philadelphia, and she actually had like
a twelve minute record.
Speaker 8 (06:10):
I think she actually released the first solo female record
back in like yeah, I think this is back.
Speaker 7 (06:19):
In like either like the end of the seventies or
the top of the eighties or something like that. Don't
quote me on that, but she's up there. I would
there's I mean, there's plenty more. I mean rock san
Chante put the battery in my back. She made me fairless.
She made me when she came out and she was
doing what she was doing, and it was absolutely brazen
and bold and fearless and talking back and like, dude,
(06:42):
a man, what do I care? You could get some
of this too, you know. She definitely put the battery
in my back. So I would say her also. And
if I had to put another faith in mony's mount
rushmore of women at the headstone of hip hop culture,
it would be Pebbly Pool because Pebbly Pool helped me
develop my flow.
Speaker 8 (07:02):
Listening to Pebbly Pooh, her cadences.
Speaker 7 (07:05):
Her flow, the fun manner in which she delivers rhyme,
her bubbly voice, I would say Pebbly Pooh for me.
So that's the Money's mountain rushmore of women right there.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Real honor to have had a part in Queen Latifa
getting signed and then directing her first two music videos.
DJ Mark, the forty five King in New Jersey was
making incredible beats for a crew of MC's he'd put
together known as the Flavor Unit. I'd go out there
to hang out with Mark, check out his beats things
(07:36):
he was doing. This is back in the mid eighties.
One day I was hanging out with Mark and he
had a tape. He says, yeah, man, you know, the
Flavor Unit was all here. He would play beats and
they would rhyme, you know, sharpening their skills. He said
a female had stopped by and she got down on
the recent tape and her name was Queen Latifa. He
also mentioned she had a little bit of reggae flavor
(07:56):
and I always been a reggae head. Mark gave me
the tape. I flipped when I heard it. Loved her style,
rhymen and then puney through the reggae flavor in there.
I played it for an A and R at Tommy
Boy Records signed Queen Latifa immediately, and then I was
honored to direct her first two music videos, Dance for
(08:17):
Me and the Classic Ladies first, which also featured mony
Love on the song and in the video, and that
really helped blow her up. And every time it's played,
it's always a thrill to see the Queen doing her
thing and mony.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Love right there by her side.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Ll cool Jet, actor rapper entrepreneur considered one of the
best to ever do it.
Speaker 9 (08:40):
Oh man, So many of them, I mean, from Pebble's
Pebbly Pool to shah Rock to deb To, I mean
so many of them.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
I mean, you know, from even like Angie Be and even.
Speaker 9 (08:50):
Though they were a little later, but Blondie and all
of them, they came later, but you know, look sha
peblic Pool, Debbie, all of them, Like, for me, they
were unbelievable. I mean when I heard shar Rock doing
the echo Chamber and all that, it was crazy. Hey,
(09:10):
I go as far as to say it was later.
But even Lady Be out of Philly when she made
a record that was important to me. I heard, you know,
clap your ears, everybody, Well she made that record out
of Philly.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
I was loving it.
Speaker 9 (09:26):
So all of those females, those were the main ones
that I heard, you know, back then, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 10 (09:31):
And then later on obviously the chantees and.
Speaker 9 (09:33):
All of them came later on, but that was the crew,
like shar Rocks on Rock the Belt, She's on our
channel right.
Speaker 10 (09:40):
Like, they deserved to be celebrated again.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
They deserved that love.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
You know, a lot of people don't know about Angie
Stone from the sequence.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
This was one of the early Sugarhill groups.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Real Strong Funk You Right On Up was one of
the big songs that sequence had on sugar Hill Records.
Only voice female group that was once again very early
in the game. But Angib as she was known in
the sequence Girls, later emerged as an incredible R and
V vocalist under the name Angie Stone, who also had
(10:15):
something to do with DiAngelo's career in the beginning, very
early female in the rap game, back in the days
Rod Digga.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Well, I do feel every era had it set of
circumstances to deal with. I feel like early on the
women were striving just to be treated fairly and equally
and even be recognized. So that's why I feel like
there was so much aggression. There was so much kind
(10:45):
of like that that that force, that that battle mentality.
And then fast forward, once hip hop became a thriving,
multi million billion dollar business. Then it became about okay,
what's and we know that sex cell So ultimately the
(11:05):
sexuality of women got explored more and more, and then
that became the prototype for the females.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
And I just think with every you know, even now
with you.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
Know a lot of the girls out here drilling and
killing it, it's like they are I feel like, we
always answer to what's going on with the men. So
if that's you know, if that's what the men are doing,
the women say, hey, we got this money.
Speaker 7 (11:34):
Less well, I mean, the thing that stands out the
most now as opposed to the women in the beginnings is.
Speaker 8 (11:41):
Of course the sexuality. And I think that that was
going to be.
Speaker 7 (11:45):
Women are embracing their sexuality and started and bracing their
sexuality along the road and are comfortable with it. I
think partly to do with not feeling so much.
Speaker 8 (11:58):
Like you have to fight the men. I think that's
what happened.
Speaker 7 (12:01):
And I think that's all praises do to the women
that came before, because earlier on there were many of
us that didn't particularly want to want to even free
attention to our womanhood for the simple reason that we
had so many men to fight in this culture, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
It's like, Dan, can I get some ears, get some likehood?
Speaker 8 (12:24):
Can I get some popular attention over here?
Speaker 7 (12:27):
Like dudes, I'll pick everything. So it was definitely a
sense of I don't want to show femininity right now,
really that much so much because these guys just running
everything and we were competing with them, you know. But
as women came out and demanded more attention time, you know,
(12:50):
professional attention, I mean, you know what I mean, like
more ear time, more mic time and all.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
Of that, and more shows getting booked, or.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
As that started to happen, women began to feel more
comfortable without being woman me, you know, because it then
became because of these women that kicked down doors before us,
it then became apparent that that was a part of
the professional fight, that we didn't have to be on
so much anymore.
Speaker 8 (13:13):
And hence, with.
Speaker 7 (13:13):
That, a lot of women decided to embrace their femininity
in a manner of dress.
Speaker 8 (13:19):
But the point being.
Speaker 7 (13:21):
Just being comfortable in being comfortable in your curve, being
comfortable in your bodily dimensions, and being nice on the mic.
A lot of women felt rude to express that more
later on and embrace their sexuality and things like that. So,
you know, and I do believe that there's in just
in the world of music and in the world market
of music, there's room for everything. You know, So whereas
(13:45):
you didn't see money scantily clad and the bikini or
what have you, rhyme and there's room for that, there's
room for that with another MC that may embrace that,
like the plot.
Speaker 8 (13:57):
And I say that in today's terms too.
Speaker 7 (14:00):
There were girls that are embracing that vibe a lot
more and there were girls who don't want to embrace
that vibe either, and I think that there's.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Roomful of all of them, shouty das.
Speaker 7 (14:10):
So there's definitely been a change, I think in terms
of how female rappers evolved. Even when you think about
what they wore, and you know, like the lights of
the world of tifas, you saw them in more baggy
clothing or you know, more fully closed. But then you know,
I think female rappers grew into their femininity. Whether that
(14:32):
was a little Kim who you saw being a little
bit more risque, but we loved her.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
It was still tastefully done.
Speaker 7 (14:39):
On Foxy Brown, they became more fashion forward, partnering with
some of the high end fashion houses and dressing them
for videos, and you had the June Ambrosis of the world,
you know, bringing the fashion flair to the world, to
the hip hop world, and so I think women became
a little bit more comfortable in their femininity, even though
I feel like there was still a lot of misogyny
(15:01):
that went on in hip hop and some of the
men still you know, calling women the B word and
objectifying women in videos, and it just all kind of
started changing when you went into the two thousand decades,
and so you saw more skin, if you will, in
the videos and on stages and.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
As the women evolved.
Speaker 7 (15:23):
But then you also had you know, the foujis with
Lauren Hill, which you know, we all love what she represented.
I think she she still represented a little bit of
what we felt like almost like women fighting the power,
if you will, still being creative and and true.
Speaker 8 (15:38):
To themselves and them having to show all that skin.
Speaker 7 (15:41):
So like, shout out to Lauren Hill and what she
was able to do as a black woman.
Speaker 8 (15:45):
And I don't I don't judge.
Speaker 7 (15:47):
I'm not you know, the hip hop police, and I'm
not judging anyone that chose to go a different route.
But I do feel like, you know, we went from
being close to just pretty much not caring much at all,
and so it definitely changed. And then now even nowadays,
like you know, kudos to Cardi B, you know, Megan
(16:07):
the Stallion, you know, folks like that. I also love
Rhapsody because I think rhaps he kind of represents some
of the old regime, if you will, of hip hop
and the way women did it. But you know, you
have to do what's comfortable for you and your own skin.
From an artist's perspective, that was different because it was
an artistic expression for them to feel comfortable and to
take risks.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
So you saw more risk.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
Taking that came you know, in the in the next
you know, say ten to twenty years in terms of
fashion and how you know, hip hop artists dressed.
Speaker 6 (16:39):
And then now like you.
Speaker 7 (16:40):
Got hip hop artists, female hip hop artists on the
red carpet at the met Gala, Like that just goes
to show you.
Speaker 6 (16:46):
How far hip hop has come.
Speaker 7 (16:48):
Like you you know, back in the day at the
met Galla, you only saw actors and actresses and folks
like that on the red carpet. But now because hip
hop really controls all of the culture or all.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
The big fashion houses.
Speaker 8 (17:02):
They want to be a part.
Speaker 7 (17:02):
They want the Cardi B's, they want the making the
stallions because you know, these kids look up to.
Speaker 8 (17:07):
Them and they know what they need, they know their.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
Value to the culture.
Speaker 7 (17:09):
And so your women have just become more comfortable in
their skin and been able to embrace their sexuality more
in a way that they're unapologetic about it. And so
if that works for them, you know, God bless them.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Ll cool Jet.
Speaker 9 (17:25):
I think the key for the females is they have
to just stay creative and not fall victim to the
pressures of the industry and society just making them all
do one thing. And you know, I love when they
do different things. I love to see I love the
diversity that's there. I love to see a Lauryn Hill
one day, at a Missy Elliott another day, and then
(17:45):
a Cardi Be another day.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I like that. I like the mix.
Speaker 9 (17:49):
I like the when they in a Queen Latifa the
next day, but then at MC light. You know what
I mean, You know, like I love the That's the
key to me with them. They just have to love
one another, support one another, and create and not feel
like there's only one thing they can do, because there's nothing,
(18:10):
absolutely nothing wrong with being sexy. I'm first aligned on
some sexy and I like to see it. I'm all
with it. I'm on all the smoke, you know what
I mean. But at the same time, leave some room
for other types of creativity and other forms of expression too,
so that you don't limit yourself it comes. You know
you're gonna happen with chure as an artist, and you can.
You don't want to be of one trick pony. You know,
(18:31):
I'm not gonna be running around with my shirt off
like I'm thirty. It's not necessary, you know what I mean.
And I could actually still take my shirt off. I
don't think people would be mad, But I'm just saying like,
that's not It's like you gotta kind of evolve, you
know what I'm saying. Somewhat, So I would just tell
the young ladies to give you a make sure you
have a room, give yourself room creatively. Don't paint yourself
(18:54):
into a corner where you can only do one thing,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
And there's nothing wrong.
Speaker 9 (18:59):
If you want to, you want to, you want to
bust it open, that's what you want to do. That's
what you're aspired to do by all means, do you
think I'm just saying, make sure that you know, just
understand that there's other dimensions to your artist and leave
room for that as well.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
That would be my advice. butN Bee, hip hop legend
and entrepreneur.
Speaker 11 (19:17):
Well, I mean, women have always kind of dictated where
hip hop goes.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Right. Women are the one that choose who the male
sex symbols are and hip hop. Right, they're the ones that.
Speaker 11 (19:27):
Green form andvited raggors, that put the posters up on
the wall and all of that. But then they also
decide who they want as female representation in the culture.
So they're the ones that also get to pick the
Lauryn Hills as well as the Cardi Bs.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Right.
Speaker 11 (19:43):
So but either way, you know, the women's voice has
been heard, right, But now it's more about women actually
being seen more, right, not just behind the scenes. Because
if you go to any hip hop venue or award
show or any of that stuff, black women control production.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
They're the ones coordinating all of this stuff.
Speaker 11 (20:03):
But now they're they're going from just there behind the
scenes contributions and they're from the crowd contributions to actually
understanding how to create spaces that are not only safe
but respective of female contribution. Right, So you could be
a Sukiyana in this game if that's who you want
(20:25):
to be, but we also got to be careful to
protect the sukianness in this industry, you know what I'm saying.
So in the same way that you know, we as men,
we all want women, you know, you know, we get
you know, you stay too close to the front row,
woman my grab reach up and grab something. Right, Let's
say they have if Vice Spice gets too close to
(20:46):
the front row and you know, somebody's going to try
to grab something. So, you know, we just got to
continuously work to make sure that these spaces are safe
for anybody that want have to be hip hop culture.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Right, peoples should.
Speaker 11 (21:00):
Be getting jumped and robbed and shot and staffed and
all that, but that women shouldn't also be broked and
grabbed and like that.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
You know.
Speaker 11 (21:09):
But now that women understand how the situation works, they
are in a better place now to make sure that
the women that are on stage are who they want
representing them. Because women buy more record women, you know,
go out more polls and they do. They on social
media more so, and it's only right that now their
(21:30):
voices from behind the scenes can be heard and their
choices can be seen up front.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
You know, hip hop in a few years.
Speaker 11 (21:37):
Will will not look as it always has looked, and
I think that's for the better. I think everybody deserves
to be a part of representing this culture as long
as they are represent something that hurts people and you know,
bother children and anything like that, I say, you know,
let them have it, let them have access to it.
Speaker 12 (21:53):
See what you get out of Women mcs continue to
rule and have always had a strong influence in hip
hop music and the culture, going back to the very
beginning fifty years.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
After hip hop's birth.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Superstar artists today like Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Megani, Stallion
and many other female mcs are dominating hip hop.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Doctor Joy.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
I love that we are seeing so many more women
becoming kind of like the key players in hip hop
because I think it is time for an evolution. And
I think again, women have always had something to say
in any genre, right, and so I think it is
just now that we are getting around to maybe having
more women who are some of these kind of stakeholders,
(22:39):
but I think it makes things just much more interesting,
and I think we get a variety of different sounds,
we get a variety of different themes when there are
more women in more diversity in the space altogether. So
I'm really excited about what we are seeing in terms
of like how the genre is growing, and excited to
see what, you know, the next fifty years looks like,
you know, like what Mike sound. You know, it feels
(23:01):
like there's like these different regional shifts that happens as
a part of hip hop and all of that, and
so I'm really excited to see how how the genre
continues to grow even with the next fifty years.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Kid Coupriate, Grammy Award winning DJ and producer.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
You see the females emerge and hip hop you see
so many different perspectives that will never even consider before
Doctor Joy.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I think representation is incredibly important just across fields, right
across fields, across genres, because I think it is hard
to imagine yourself as something if you don't see other
people who also are already that right, Like, it's really
hard for me to chart a course to want to
be the president of a label or whatever if I'm
not seeing other people do that, because then it makes
me think, well, you know, that must be really hard
(23:49):
if nobody else, if I don't see anybody else who
looks like me doing that thing, And so it makes
that a little bit more difficult. I think when you
don't see yourself represented in any kind of feel And
I think when we think about hip hop, you know,
we have to think about like that is something that
young people aspire to be, right Like they want to
be maybe famous, or they really enjoy making music, or
(24:10):
you know, they really want to share their talents with
the world. And I think it's hard to do that
if they don't see themselves represented in the field. And
so when I think about somebody like Van Band, who
have you seen like the videos of band band, the
little girl rapper who talks about like naptime and you know,
like all this stuff, like who even knows, you know,
if that'll be something she's interested in years from now.
(24:30):
But you know, I think it makes it easy for
her to kind of look at somebody like Our Rhapsody
or you know, Cardi or whoever and say like, oh,
I can do that thing, like I can make music
or a little Layley. That girl Leayley, I think is
also another rapper from Houston who is also a Nickelodeon store.
Speaker 7 (24:46):
You know.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
So I think we see.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Like young women who want to kind of take up
this mantle and like are really really good. Like Layley,
I think has a beautiful flow, but I think it's
harder for her to kind of advance if she doesn't
see people doing those things already.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Trust me, as somebody that was there in the beginning,
RAPS half century run has been nothing short of phenomenal.
From its start at a back to school jam DJ
and MC by the one and only DJ Cool Hurt
to the ladies now leading the game and it's a
whole lot of fresh women faces doing their thing. We
got to ask one question before this series is all over.
(25:24):
It's hip hop in good hands for the next fifty years,
you asked me. I know it is, Shahim reed, music journalists.
Speaker 10 (25:33):
It's hip hopping good hands for the next fifty years. Absolutely,
it's in great hands for the next fifty years, because
not only do we have a new generational artists, and
I think the people at the top of the game
right now as far as the new generation of artists
are talented and they're rightfully starars like you can't take
(25:55):
none with from Drake. Drake is incredible. Kendrick is incredible.
Cardi being when she, you know, her album, even though
I think it's taking out a little too long to
put out a second album, I can't get mad because
she's married and she asks kids and she's enjoying life,
and that's what it is. You know, we can't forget
that these people have lives in addition to being an artist,
(26:18):
so family comes first, and she seems to be enjoying
what she's doing as a mother and a wife. But
what she did with her debut album, with every song
off the record going platinum and helmin all these awards,
turning herself into icon and the first album is incredible,
and you know, when she calls back with a new project,
(26:41):
I think it's going to be successful. Travis Scott, you
got to put him down one of the best performers
out there. He's definitely one of the best. I saw
this guy hanging from a tree wrapping his record at
Made in America.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
One here Man.
Speaker 10 (26:58):
Travis Scott is incredible. Future is one of those guys
who has such a strong connection to the streets, but
as well as the pop sharts like these Futures is
one of those guys who can seamlessly being.
Speaker 13 (27:16):
In both worlds and nobody thinks anything negative of it,
Like he could do the biggest pop song and not
u's one outs of street credibility.
Speaker 10 (27:28):
He could do the glimier street record, and these sponsors
are still won't be lining up to hear Future please
take out Money, Doctor Joy.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
In the next fifty years of hip hop, I would
like to see more experimenting with sound, and I would
really like to see people kind of go back to
being like true musicians, because I think that we have
gotten a lot with like auto tune and like all
these different technology advances, which I think is fine, there's
a place for that, but I think it feels hard
(27:58):
to me to think about, like, well, what am I
kids going to say or like their old school jam
so to speak, in like fifty years right, Like it
feels hard to know if anything's really going to have
stay in power like some of the songs I think
about of like my childhood or when I was a
younger person. So I really like to see a return
to musicianship as a part of hip hop's next fifty.
Speaker 11 (28:18):
But I would see more power in the hands of
the artists right as media will continue to shift and
change on the dynamics and how it's monetized will continually change.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Artists now have more power than they've ever had.
Speaker 11 (28:34):
Artists can start at SoundCloud page or YouTube page, present
themselves to the world and monetize that and actually make
money without you know, without a manager, even though management
would help, a good manager would help. Without a publicist
and the all publishers would help, a good pubusiers would help.
And without a major record company backing them outside, even
(28:55):
though in certain situations that can help, you know, But
the artists that make the I reconnection to people that
like their music, they can sell merchandise directly to them.
Look at people like Russ who travel all over the
country at doubt you know arenas now and did that
before you ever had any type of major situations with anyone,
(29:17):
you know what I'm saying. So independent minded people that
are willing to grind it out, they get out of
here and make some real money right now. They don't
have to hits their ass of any record company. They
don't have to sign record deals that don't benefit them
to make sure you got a good lawyer, good manager,
and a good team behind you, and you'd be surprised
how far you could go on the country. You don't
(29:38):
need an expensive lawyer, You just need a lawyer that believes.
You don't need a famous managers, need a manager that believe.
You don't need one hundred people. You just need like
four or five people.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
That believe in you. You'd be surprised how far you
could go.
Speaker 10 (29:50):
Shahim reed, We're going to continue to see the artistry.
But I think the biggest thing is that we're going
to continue to our ways to control our own destiny
with our own labels and be our own executives. We're
starting to see it now with the streaming and how
people could just upload the video to YouTube and get
(30:13):
all this money. So we're going to continue to see
people hold their own and you know, be great executives
as well. I'm very, very very inspired by the way
if They Pop is going, and I think that's where
you gotta be.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Don Cannett, DJ, record producer and music executive.
Speaker 14 (30:34):
Hip hop is on very good hands because it's an
organ that keeps regenerating. You know what, I'm saying, so
if you think about Kendred, if he only goes for
another five years, his offspring is going to take it
another ten twelve years. J Cole's offspring is gonna take
it another ten twelve years, Drake's offspring, and it's gonna
(30:54):
keep going. Little Uzi's gonna have offspring. It doesn't end
with them. And what generation now, generation now has our
offspring of labels that's coming. It's just new artists coming
in different forms now what we see different sections of
hip hop. THUSI yeah, we may go into a whole
another vibe, but it's still going to be hip hop,
(31:16):
and it's going to keep generating over and over again.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
And I think it's in great hands. Now.
Speaker 14 (31:22):
There's been some music that you know, us as hip
hop cultural purists don't like, but it's still part.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Of the culture and we got to appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Hakeem Green rapper and cannabis enthusiasts.
Speaker 15 (31:36):
Hip Hop in the next fifty years could either be
a big ball of confusion or could be what anchors us.
And it's predicated on us building systems that entrench the
true values of hip hop culture, which for me is peace, love, unity,
safely having fun, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, culture, freedom, powerify mean quality,
(31:56):
God build born cipher. That's it, like, that's that's what
hip hop is about. Is about human development, using art
and creativity and ingenuity to develop positive human beings through music, art, dance,
through whatever it is. It's about building human character, human development.
(32:19):
At the end of the day, everything else is just
like the superficialness of it. You know, the music, not
the music, but the records, the streams, the you know,
that's just what are we doing. We're developing positive human
beings because if not, we're not going to last long
(32:39):
as hip hop or as anything else.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
We've got to develop positive.
Speaker 15 (32:43):
Human beings that are willing to invest in themselves and
invest in their future to keep hip.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Hop alive for the years without question, as hip hop
moves forward into the next fifty years, having a solid
understanding of how the Internet works SEO, which search engine optimization,
and also getting the handle on how to use AI
effectively is going to be a big part as hip
hop moves forward fifty more and another fifty after that,
(33:10):
without question question. This episode has been executive produced by
Dolly S. Bishop, hosted and produced by your Boy five
five Freddie, produced.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
By Aaron A.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
King Howard Edit, mixed sound by Dwayne Crawford, Music scoring
by Trey Jones, Talent booking by Nicole Spence,
From I Heeart podcasts, I Am Fab five Freddie and
this this fifty years of hip hop podcast series. Without question,
hip hop game changers and innovators always included women, going
way back to the beginning of this hip hop music game.
Talking about Shah Rock aka Mother of the Mic, to
(00:23):
Queen Latifa and her incredible un I t Y to
MC light, one of Brooklyn's finests. These women and others
are recognized as the pioneering ladies of hip hop and
significant to helping amplify female voices within this rap genre.
Doctor Joy licensed psychologists and hosts of the mental health
(00:45):
podcast Therapy for Black Girls.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So when I think about the history of women in
hip hop and their contributions to the genre, I really
feel like there would be no hip hop without women.
I think, as we think about most few us, you know,
women make significant contributions, right, and there is a whole
perspective and a whole viewpoint that you don't get if
women are not a part of any kind of background.
(01:10):
And so when I think about, you know, some of
the earliest participants in hip hop, Black Queen Latifah, you know,
just thinking about like the kinds of things they would
rap about and incorporate into their music. Were just very
different than I think what men were talking about at
the time, And I think that women really pose like
an interesting mirror in a lot of ways to kind
(01:31):
of hold up like, hey, like the field can be
about more than just these things that people are talking about,
Like they're all these concerns that women have in terms
of equality and like sexual assault and domestic violence, like
all of these things that I think were really important
to talk about as a part of the music as
well as just like making fun music, right, Like I
think just making good songs and like things that people
they enjoy has also been an important part of women's contribution.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Rod Digger, rapper and actress.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Well, I feel like the perspective of women is particularly
in hip hop, is a is a unique because we
have these hard exteriors because we all.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
Understand that the male dominated sport, but at the same time,
we bring the nurture to the situation. We bring the
element to hip hop that probably you wouldn't have got
if it was just men. With men, we know there's
a lot of bravado and ba chiese folks, but we
as women, we tapped into our softer sides and we
(02:30):
know how to bring the feelings out of men and
things like that.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
So I would say we are probably responsible for the
ladies love ll You know, we get lovable.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
Boys, we get the we get the dear mama like
men being able to tap into their feelings and understand
the importance of a woman and hold us in that regard.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
SHOUTI das music industry executive.
Speaker 6 (02:59):
Some of the founding women of hip hop.
Speaker 7 (03:01):
From an artist perspective, you know, I would have to
shout out rock Sane Chante, Queen Latifa, EMC, like Monie
Love Yo yo. They were some of the first women
of hip hop and and of course Missy Elliott who
came later.
Speaker 6 (03:18):
But the ladies that I just mentioned, they kicked it off.
Speaker 7 (03:22):
They made it full for female rappers, right, They opened
the doors for female rappers and made it possible.
Speaker 6 (03:28):
And quite honestly, you.
Speaker 7 (03:29):
Know, not as big of an artist, but I got
to give it up to j J Fad because coming
you know from the a like, I love JJ Fad.
You know, we listened because it kind of felt it
fell into that booty shape vibe for us.
Speaker 6 (03:44):
So shout out to JJ fab.
Speaker 7 (03:46):
You know, I was a young girl listening to Rock
Sand Chante and all the different versions right of rock
Stan Rock Sand.
Speaker 6 (03:52):
It came out back in the day, and of course.
Speaker 7 (03:54):
Like when Queen Latifa did you and I t wire
like that was everything for me as a black woman,
Like it gave me a sin of pride as a woman.
Speaker 8 (04:01):
I love that, you know.
Speaker 7 (04:04):
We had female rappers that were holding their own and
getting the respect that they deserved. Because we know that
hip hop was a very male it still had as
a very male dominated industry, and so those ladies made
it okay for women to be in hip hop as artists,
as executives like myself, and it just made us feel
good about ourselves and it created this sense of unity.
(04:24):
I do feel like when those ladies, the Empty Lights,
the Queen Latifa's, the Yo Yo's, and all those ladies
came out initially Moneyloves, they instilled unity and pride amongst
females within the black community. And then you kind of
started in the two thousand decades seeing a little bit
more dissension, and I think that probably just came from
(04:46):
the competitiveness of it.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
Right when you had Foxy.
Speaker 7 (04:50):
Brown and Little Kim, which we love them, but they
you know, sometimes people started pitting them against one another,
but you didn't see that initially with the Latifas of
the world, and and that's kind of frustrating. I hate
that it took a turn, but that was you know,
the industry, and you know that's what happened.
Speaker 8 (05:08):
But those ladies really set it off.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Some of my favorite pioneering women in rap man. Let
me run down a few Rock Sanne Shante, Lisa Lee,
Shah Rock, Mercedes Ladies, Pebbly Pooh, Miss Melody mc Trouble, Vanessen,
sin Quiz, Lady of Rage, the Boss, jj Fad, Cookie Crew,
Lady B to name a few. MONI Love British born
(05:35):
Grammy nominated rapper and radio hosts Shyrock.
Speaker 8 (05:39):
She was a very I've said this before and other interview.
Speaker 7 (05:42):
She was a very big influence on me and one
of the first women among several of the pioneering women.
As far as the Mount Rushmore women in hip hop,
she would be in there because she definitely is one
of the founding folks. Also, so when I got to Philly,
(06:02):
I met and got to know the history of Mady
b who is from Philadelphia, and she actually had like
a twelve minute record.
Speaker 8 (06:10):
I think she actually released the first solo female record
back in like yeah, I think this is back.
Speaker 7 (06:19):
In like either like the end of the seventies or
the top of the eighties or something like that. Don't
quote me on that, but she's up there. I would
there's I mean, there's plenty more. I mean rock san
Chante put the battery in my back. She made me fairless.
She made me when she came out and she was
doing what she was doing, and it was absolutely brazen
and bold and fearless and talking back and like, dude,
(06:42):
a man, what do I care? You could get some
of this too, you know. She definitely put the battery
in my back. So I would say her also. And
if I had to put another faith in mony's mount
rushmore of women at the headstone of hip hop culture,
it would be Pebbly Pool because Pebbly Pool helped me
develop my flow.
Speaker 8 (07:02):
Listening to Pebbly Pooh, her cadences.
Speaker 7 (07:05):
Her flow, the fun manner in which she delivers rhyme,
her bubbly voice, I would say Pebbly Pooh for me.
So that's the Money's mountain rushmore of women right there.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Real honor to have had a part in Queen Latifa
getting signed and then directing her first two music videos.
DJ Mark, the forty five King in New Jersey was
making incredible beats for a crew of MC's he'd put
together known as the Flavor Unit. I'd go out there
to hang out with Mark, check out his beats things
(07:36):
he was doing. This is back in the mid eighties.
One day I was hanging out with Mark and he
had a tape. He says, yeah, man, you know, the
Flavor Unit was all here. He would play beats and
they would rhyme, you know, sharpening their skills. He said
a female had stopped by and she got down on
the recent tape and her name was Queen Latifa. He
also mentioned she had a little bit of reggae flavor
(07:56):
and I always been a reggae head. Mark gave me
the tape. I flipped when I heard it. Loved her style,
rhymen and then puney through the reggae flavor in there.
I played it for an A and R at Tommy
Boy Records signed Queen Latifa immediately, and then I was
honored to direct her first two music videos, Dance for
(08:17):
Me and the Classic Ladies first, which also featured mony
Love on the song and in the video, and that
really helped blow her up. And every time it's played,
it's always a thrill to see the Queen doing her
thing and mony.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Love right there by her side.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Ll cool Jet, actor rapper entrepreneur considered one of the
best to ever do it.
Speaker 9 (08:40):
Oh man, So many of them, I mean, from Pebble's
Pebbly Pool to shah Rock to deb To, I mean
so many of them.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
I mean, you know, from even like Angie Be and even.
Speaker 9 (08:50):
Though they were a little later, but Blondie and all
of them, they came later, but you know, look sha
peblic Pool, Debbie, all of them, Like, for me, they
were unbelievable. I mean when I heard shar Rock doing
the echo Chamber and all that, it was crazy. Hey,
(09:10):
I go as far as to say it was later.
But even Lady Be out of Philly when she made
a record that was important to me. I heard, you know,
clap your ears, everybody, Well she made that record out
of Philly.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
I was loving it.
Speaker 9 (09:26):
So all of those females, those were the main ones
that I heard, you know, back then, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 10 (09:31):
And then later on obviously the chantees and.
Speaker 9 (09:33):
All of them came later on, but that was the crew,
like shar Rocks on Rock the Belt, She's on our
channel right.
Speaker 10 (09:40):
Like, they deserved to be celebrated again.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
They deserved that love.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
You know, a lot of people don't know about Angie
Stone from the sequence.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
This was one of the early Sugarhill groups.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Real Strong Funk You Right On Up was one of
the big songs that sequence had on sugar Hill Records.
Only voice female group that was once again very early
in the game. But Angib as she was known in
the sequence Girls, later emerged as an incredible R and
V vocalist under the name Angie Stone, who also had
(10:15):
something to do with DiAngelo's career in the beginning, very
early female in the rap game, back in the days
Rod Digga.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Well, I do feel every era had it set of
circumstances to deal with. I feel like early on the
women were striving just to be treated fairly and equally
and even be recognized. So that's why I feel like
there was so much aggression. There was so much kind
(10:45):
of like that that that force, that that battle mentality.
And then fast forward, once hip hop became a thriving,
multi million billion dollar business. Then it became about okay,
what's and we know that sex cell So ultimately the
(11:05):
sexuality of women got explored more and more, and then
that became the prototype for the females.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
And I just think with every you know, even now
with you.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
Know a lot of the girls out here drilling and
killing it, it's like they are I feel like, we
always answer to what's going on with the men. So
if that's you know, if that's what the men are doing,
the women say, hey, we got this money.
Speaker 7 (11:34):
Less well, I mean, the thing that stands out the
most now as opposed to the women in the beginnings is.
Speaker 8 (11:41):
Of course the sexuality. And I think that that was
going to be.
Speaker 7 (11:45):
Women are embracing their sexuality and started and bracing their
sexuality along the road and are comfortable with it. I
think partly to do with not feeling so much.
Speaker 8 (11:58):
Like you have to fight the men. I think that's
what happened.
Speaker 7 (12:01):
And I think that's all praises do to the women
that came before, because earlier on there were many of
us that didn't particularly want to want to even free
attention to our womanhood for the simple reason that we
had so many men to fight in this culture, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
It's like, Dan, can I get some ears, get some likehood?
Speaker 8 (12:24):
Can I get some popular attention over here?
Speaker 7 (12:27):
Like dudes, I'll pick everything. So it was definitely a
sense of I don't want to show femininity right now,
really that much so much because these guys just running
everything and we were competing with them, you know. But
as women came out and demanded more attention time, you know,
(12:50):
professional attention, I mean, you know what I mean, like
more ear time, more mic time and all.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
Of that, and more shows getting booked, or.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
As that started to happen, women began to feel more
comfortable without being woman me, you know, because it then
became because of these women that kicked down doors before us,
it then became apparent that that was a part of
the professional fight, that we didn't have to be on
so much anymore.
Speaker 8 (13:13):
And hence, with.
Speaker 7 (13:13):
That, a lot of women decided to embrace their femininity
in a manner of dress.
Speaker 8 (13:19):
But the point being.
Speaker 7 (13:21):
Just being comfortable in being comfortable in your curve, being
comfortable in your bodily dimensions, and being nice on the mic.
A lot of women felt rude to express that more
later on and embrace their sexuality and things like that. So,
you know, and I do believe that there's in just
in the world of music and in the world market
of music, there's room for everything. You know, So whereas
(13:45):
you didn't see money scantily clad and the bikini or
what have you, rhyme and there's room for that, there's
room for that with another MC that may embrace that,
like the plot.
Speaker 8 (13:57):
And I say that in today's terms too.
Speaker 7 (14:00):
There were girls that are embracing that vibe a lot
more and there were girls who don't want to embrace
that vibe either, and I think that there's.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Roomful of all of them, shouty das.
Speaker 7 (14:10):
So there's definitely been a change, I think in terms
of how female rappers evolved. Even when you think about
what they wore, and you know, like the lights of
the world of tifas, you saw them in more baggy
clothing or you know, more fully closed. But then you know,
I think female rappers grew into their femininity. Whether that
(14:32):
was a little Kim who you saw being a little
bit more risque, but we loved her.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
It was still tastefully done.
Speaker 7 (14:39):
On Foxy Brown, they became more fashion forward, partnering with
some of the high end fashion houses and dressing them
for videos, and you had the June Ambrosis of the world,
you know, bringing the fashion flair to the world, to
the hip hop world, and so I think women became
a little bit more comfortable in their femininity, even though
I feel like there was still a lot of misogyny
(15:01):
that went on in hip hop and some of the
men still you know, calling women the B word and
objectifying women in videos, and it just all kind of
started changing when you went into the two thousand decades,
and so you saw more skin, if you will, in
the videos and on stages and.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
As the women evolved.
Speaker 7 (15:23):
But then you also had you know, the foujis with
Lauren Hill, which you know, we all love what she represented.
I think she she still represented a little bit of
what we felt like almost like women fighting the power,
if you will, still being creative and and true.
Speaker 8 (15:38):
To themselves and them having to show all that skin.
Speaker 7 (15:41):
So like, shout out to Lauren Hill and what she
was able to do as a black woman.
Speaker 8 (15:45):
And I don't I don't judge.
Speaker 7 (15:47):
I'm not you know, the hip hop police, and I'm
not judging anyone that chose to go a different route.
But I do feel like, you know, we went from
being close to just pretty much not caring much at all,
and so it definitely changed. And then now even nowadays,
like you know, kudos to Cardi B, you know, Megan
(16:07):
the Stallion, you know, folks like that. I also love
Rhapsody because I think rhaps he kind of represents some
of the old regime, if you will, of hip hop
and the way women did it. But you know, you
have to do what's comfortable for you and your own skin.
From an artist's perspective, that was different because it was
an artistic expression for them to feel comfortable and to
take risks.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
So you saw more risk.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
Taking that came you know, in the in the next
you know, say ten to twenty years in terms of
fashion and how you know, hip hop artists dressed.
Speaker 6 (16:39):
And then now like you.
Speaker 7 (16:40):
Got hip hop artists, female hip hop artists on the
red carpet at the met Gala, Like that just goes
to show you.
Speaker 6 (16:46):
How far hip hop has come.
Speaker 7 (16:48):
Like you you know, back in the day at the
met Galla, you only saw actors and actresses and folks
like that on the red carpet. But now because hip
hop really controls all of the culture or all.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
The big fashion houses.
Speaker 8 (17:02):
They want to be a part.
Speaker 7 (17:02):
They want the Cardi B's, they want the making the
stallions because you know, these kids look up to.
Speaker 8 (17:07):
Them and they know what they need, they know their.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
Value to the culture.
Speaker 7 (17:09):
And so your women have just become more comfortable in
their skin and been able to embrace their sexuality more
in a way that they're unapologetic about it. And so
if that works for them, you know, God bless them.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Ll cool Jet.
Speaker 9 (17:25):
I think the key for the females is they have
to just stay creative and not fall victim to the
pressures of the industry and society just making them all
do one thing. And you know, I love when they
do different things. I love to see I love the
diversity that's there. I love to see a Lauryn Hill
one day, at a Missy Elliott another day, and then
(17:45):
a Cardi Be another day.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I like that. I like the mix.
Speaker 9 (17:49):
I like the when they in a Queen Latifa the
next day, but then at MC light. You know what
I mean, You know, like I love the That's the
key to me with them. They just have to love
one another, support one another, and create and not feel
like there's only one thing they can do, because there's nothing,
(18:10):
absolutely nothing wrong with being sexy. I'm first aligned on
some sexy and I like to see it. I'm all
with it. I'm on all the smoke, you know what
I mean. But at the same time, leave some room
for other types of creativity and other forms of expression too,
so that you don't limit yourself it comes. You know
you're gonna happen with chure as an artist, and you can.
You don't want to be of one trick pony. You know,
(18:31):
I'm not gonna be running around with my shirt off
like I'm thirty. It's not necessary, you know what I mean.
And I could actually still take my shirt off. I
don't think people would be mad, But I'm just saying like,
that's not It's like you gotta kind of evolve, you
know what I'm saying. Somewhat, So I would just tell
the young ladies to give you a make sure you
have a room, give yourself room creatively. Don't paint yourself
(18:54):
into a corner where you can only do one thing,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
And there's nothing wrong.
Speaker 9 (18:59):
If you want to, you want to, you want to
bust it open, that's what you want to do. That's
what you're aspired to do by all means, do you
think I'm just saying, make sure that you know, just
understand that there's other dimensions to your artist and leave
room for that as well.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
That would be my advice. butN Bee, hip hop legend
and entrepreneur.
Speaker 11 (19:17):
Well, I mean, women have always kind of dictated where
hip hop goes.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Right. Women are the one that choose who the male
sex symbols are and hip hop. Right, they're the ones that.
Speaker 11 (19:27):
Green form andvited raggors, that put the posters up on
the wall and all of that. But then they also
decide who they want as female representation in the culture.
So they're the ones that also get to pick the
Lauryn Hills as well as the Cardi Bs.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Right.
Speaker 11 (19:43):
So but either way, you know, the women's voice has
been heard, right, But now it's more about women actually
being seen more, right, not just behind the scenes. Because
if you go to any hip hop venue or award
show or any of that stuff, black women control production.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
They're the ones coordinating all of this stuff.
Speaker 11 (20:03):
But now they're they're going from just there behind the
scenes contributions and they're from the crowd contributions to actually
understanding how to create spaces that are not only safe
but respective of female contribution. Right, So you could be
a Sukiyana in this game if that's who you want
(20:25):
to be, but we also got to be careful to
protect the sukianness in this industry, you know what I'm saying.
So in the same way that you know, we as men,
we all want women, you know, you know, we get
you know, you stay too close to the front row,
woman my grab reach up and grab something. Right, Let's
say they have if Vice Spice gets too close to
(20:46):
the front row and you know, somebody's going to try
to grab something. So, you know, we just got to
continuously work to make sure that these spaces are safe
for anybody that want have to be hip hop culture.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Right, peoples should.
Speaker 11 (21:00):
Be getting jumped and robbed and shot and staffed and
all that, but that women shouldn't also be broked and
grabbed and like that.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
You know.
Speaker 11 (21:09):
But now that women understand how the situation works, they
are in a better place now to make sure that
the women that are on stage are who they want
representing them. Because women buy more record women, you know,
go out more polls and they do. They on social
media more so, and it's only right that now their
(21:30):
voices from behind the scenes can be heard and their
choices can be seen up front.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
You know, hip hop in a few years.
Speaker 11 (21:37):
Will will not look as it always has looked, and
I think that's for the better. I think everybody deserves
to be a part of representing this culture as long
as they are represent something that hurts people and you know,
bother children and anything like that, I say, you know,
let them have it, let them have access to it.
Speaker 12 (21:53):
See what you get out of Women mcs continue to
rule and have always had a strong influence in hip
hop music and the culture, going back to the very
beginning fifty years.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
After hip hop's birth.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Superstar artists today like Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Megani, Stallion
and many other female mcs are dominating hip hop.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Doctor Joy.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
I love that we are seeing so many more women
becoming kind of like the key players in hip hop
because I think it is time for an evolution. And
I think again, women have always had something to say
in any genre, right, and so I think it is
just now that we are getting around to maybe having
more women who are some of these kind of stakeholders,
(22:39):
but I think it makes things just much more interesting,
and I think we get a variety of different sounds,
we get a variety of different themes when there are
more women in more diversity in the space altogether. So
I'm really excited about what we are seeing in terms
of like how the genre is growing, and excited to
see what, you know, the next fifty years looks like,
you know, like what Mike sound. You know, it feels
(23:01):
like there's like these different regional shifts that happens as
a part of hip hop and all of that, and
so I'm really excited to see how how the genre
continues to grow even with the next fifty years.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Kid Coupriate, Grammy Award winning DJ and producer.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
You see the females emerge and hip hop you see
so many different perspectives that will never even consider before
Doctor Joy.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I think representation is incredibly important just across fields, right
across fields, across genres, because I think it is hard
to imagine yourself as something if you don't see other
people who also are already that right, Like, it's really
hard for me to chart a course to want to
be the president of a label or whatever if I'm
not seeing other people do that, because then it makes
me think, well, you know, that must be really hard
(23:49):
if nobody else, if I don't see anybody else who
looks like me doing that thing, And so it makes
that a little bit more difficult. I think when you
don't see yourself represented in any kind of feel And
I think when we think about hip hop, you know,
we have to think about like that is something that
young people aspire to be, right Like they want to
be maybe famous, or they really enjoy making music, or
(24:10):
you know, they really want to share their talents with
the world. And I think it's hard to do that
if they don't see themselves represented in the field. And
so when I think about somebody like Van Band, who
have you seen like the videos of band band, the
little girl rapper who talks about like naptime and you know,
like all this stuff, like who even knows, you know,
if that'll be something she's interested in years from now.
(24:30):
But you know, I think it makes it easy for
her to kind of look at somebody like Our Rhapsody
or you know, Cardi or whoever and say like, oh,
I can do that thing, like I can make music
or a little Layley. That girl Leayley, I think is
also another rapper from Houston who is also a Nickelodeon store.
Speaker 7 (24:46):
You know.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
So I think we see.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Like young women who want to kind of take up
this mantle and like are really really good. Like Layley,
I think has a beautiful flow, but I think it's
harder for her to kind of advance if she doesn't
see people doing those things already.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Trust me, as somebody that was there in the beginning,
RAPS half century run has been nothing short of phenomenal.
From its start at a back to school jam DJ
and MC by the one and only DJ Cool Hurt
to the ladies now leading the game and it's a
whole lot of fresh women faces doing their thing. We
got to ask one question before this series is all over.
(25:24):
It's hip hop in good hands for the next fifty years,
you asked me. I know it is, Shahim reed, music journalists.
Speaker 10 (25:33):
It's hip hopping good hands for the next fifty years. Absolutely,
it's in great hands for the next fifty years, because
not only do we have a new generational artists, and
I think the people at the top of the game
right now as far as the new generation of artists
are talented and they're rightfully starars like you can't take
(25:55):
none with from Drake. Drake is incredible. Kendrick is incredible.
Cardi being when she, you know, her album, even though
I think it's taking out a little too long to
put out a second album, I can't get mad because
she's married and she asks kids and she's enjoying life,
and that's what it is. You know, we can't forget
that these people have lives in addition to being an artist,
(26:18):
so family comes first, and she seems to be enjoying
what she's doing as a mother and a wife. But
what she did with her debut album, with every song
off the record going platinum and helmin all these awards,
turning herself into icon and the first album is incredible,
and you know, when she calls back with a new project,
(26:41):
I think it's going to be successful. Travis Scott, you
got to put him down one of the best performers
out there. He's definitely one of the best. I saw
this guy hanging from a tree wrapping his record at
Made in America.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
One here Man.
Speaker 10 (26:58):
Travis Scott is incredible. Future is one of those guys
who has such a strong connection to the streets, but
as well as the pop sharts like these Futures is
one of those guys who can seamlessly being.
Speaker 13 (27:16):
In both worlds and nobody thinks anything negative of it,
Like he could do the biggest pop song and not
u's one outs of street credibility.
Speaker 10 (27:28):
He could do the glimier street record, and these sponsors
are still won't be lining up to hear Future please
take out Money, Doctor Joy.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
In the next fifty years of hip hop, I would
like to see more experimenting with sound, and I would
really like to see people kind of go back to
being like true musicians, because I think that we have
gotten a lot with like auto tune and like all
these different technology advances, which I think is fine, there's
a place for that, but I think it feels hard
(27:58):
to me to think about, like, well, what am I
kids going to say or like their old school jam
so to speak, in like fifty years right, Like it
feels hard to know if anything's really going to have
stay in power like some of the songs I think
about of like my childhood or when I was a
younger person. So I really like to see a return
to musicianship as a part of hip hop's next fifty.
Speaker 11 (28:18):
But I would see more power in the hands of
the artists right as media will continue to shift and
change on the dynamics and how it's monetized will continually change.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Artists now have more power than they've ever had.
Speaker 11 (28:34):
Artists can start at SoundCloud page or YouTube page, present
themselves to the world and monetize that and actually make
money without you know, without a manager, even though management
would help, a good manager would help. Without a publicist
and the all publishers would help, a good pubusiers would help.
And without a major record company backing them outside, even
(28:55):
though in certain situations that can help, you know, But
the artists that make the I reconnection to people that
like their music, they can sell merchandise directly to them.
Look at people like Russ who travel all over the
country at doubt you know arenas now and did that
before you ever had any type of major situations with anyone,
(29:17):
you know what I'm saying. So independent minded people that
are willing to grind it out, they get out of
here and make some real money right now. They don't
have to hits their ass of any record company. They
don't have to sign record deals that don't benefit them
to make sure you got a good lawyer, good manager,
and a good team behind you, and you'd be surprised
how far you could go on the country. You don't
(29:38):
need an expensive lawyer, You just need a lawyer that believes.
You don't need a famous managers, need a manager that believe.
You don't need one hundred people. You just need like
four or five people.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
That believe in you. You'd be surprised how far you
could go.
Speaker 10 (29:50):
Shahim reed, We're going to continue to see the artistry.
But I think the biggest thing is that we're going
to continue to our ways to control our own destiny
with our own labels and be our own executives. We're
starting to see it now with the streaming and how
people could just upload the video to YouTube and get
(30:13):
all this money. So we're going to continue to see
people hold their own and you know, be great executives
as well. I'm very, very very inspired by the way
if They Pop is going, and I think that's where
you gotta be.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Don Cannett, DJ, record producer and music executive.
Speaker 14 (30:34):
Hip hop is on very good hands because it's an
organ that keeps regenerating. You know what, I'm saying, so
if you think about Kendred, if he only goes for
another five years, his offspring is going to take it
another ten twelve years. J Cole's offspring is gonna take
it another ten twelve years, Drake's offspring, and it's gonna
(30:54):
keep going. Little Uzi's gonna have offspring. It doesn't end
with them. And what generation now, generation now has our
offspring of labels that's coming. It's just new artists coming
in different forms now what we see different sections of
hip hop. THUSI yeah, we may go into a whole
another vibe, but it's still going to be hip hop,
(31:16):
and it's going to keep generating over and over again.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
And I think it's in great hands. Now.
Speaker 14 (31:22):
There's been some music that you know, us as hip
hop cultural purists don't like, but it's still part.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Of the culture and we got to appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Hakeem Green rapper and cannabis enthusiasts.
Speaker 15 (31:36):
Hip Hop in the next fifty years could either be
a big ball of confusion or could be what anchors us.
And it's predicated on us building systems that entrench the
true values of hip hop culture, which for me is peace, love, unity,
safely having fun, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, culture, freedom, powerify mean quality,
(31:56):
God build born cipher. That's it, like, that's that's what
hip hop is about. Is about human development, using art
and creativity and ingenuity to develop positive human beings through music, art, dance,
through whatever it is. It's about building human character, human development.
(32:19):
At the end of the day, everything else is just
like the superficialness of it. You know, the music, not
the music, but the records, the streams, the you know,
that's just what are we doing. We're developing positive human
beings because if not, we're not going to last long
(32:39):
as hip hop or as anything else.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
We've got to develop positive.
Speaker 15 (32:43):
Human beings that are willing to invest in themselves and
invest in their future to keep hip.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Hop alive for the years without question, as hip hop
moves forward into the next fifty years, having a solid
understanding of how the Internet works SEO, which search engine optimization,
and also getting the handle on how to use AI
effectively is going to be a big part as hip
hop moves forward fifty more and another fifty after that,
(33:10):
without question question. This episode has been executive produced by
Dolly S. Bishop, hosted and produced by your Boy five
five Freddie, produced.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
By Aaron A.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
King Howard Edit, mixed sound by Dwayne Crawford, Music scoring
by Trey Jones, Talent booking by Nicole Spence,
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