Date Approved

2024

Degree Type

Open Access Senior Honors Thesis

Department or School

African American Studies

First Advisor

Peter Blackmer, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Victor Okafor, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Ann R. Eisenberg, Ph.D.

Abstract

Hip-hop has emerged as a cultural and artistic movement that transcends time and geographical locations. The 50th anniversary of hip-hop has prompted widespread reflection and appreciation of the art form with particular notice to how hip-hop has contributed to the overall culture. Popular cultures of hip-hop are mixed; the most popular narrative is that it is a form of music that often has problematic lyrics and ideas that degrade mainly women and promote negative tropes and stereotypes of Black and brown people. I, and other scholars who truly appreciate the art form, have a different understanding of the impact of hip-hop. We realize that the heart of this genre is community building and collective resistance. Black women Hip-hop artists are just one of the actors in continuing these legacies. I will employ Black, Hip-hop, and Trap feminist theories and scholarship to help me develop a sensibility that allows me to see Black female Hip-hop artists as agents for resistance and communal building feminist organizers. In this thesis, I will explore Black female hip-hop artistry, cultural impact, the intersectionality of their identities, and how they navigate the hip-hop scene while employing a Ratchet and Pleasure politics self-identity that is mobilized through their fans.

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