JerMaine DuPri says that Today’s Female Rappers are just "Strippers Rapping" About the Same thing..

via rban islandz

In an interview with People, Jermaine DuPri said he couldn’t pick his favorite female rapper at the moment because he felt that they are all just “strippers rapping” about the same thing. His response did not go over well. People were quick to point out the producer’s double standard of what female rappers are judged by compared to what was awarded to their male counterparts since the beginning. 

Fans and female rappers retaliated against DuPri’s sexist comments, with Cardi B posting two videos to her Instagram. In them she expresses how she not only loves rapping about her pussy, but she has to because that is the type of music people expect from her. She discusses how she tried to break away from that reputation with her personal hit “Be Careful,” which touches on the infidelity of her husband Offset. However that single did not reach the success of her other songs. 

In the second video, Cardi then promotes the music of female rappers that continuously work hard, but do not receive the same recognition because their music does not satisfy the music industry’s sexual standards. 

DuPri’s short sighted comments confirm just how subconsciously deep sexism thrives in the rap game. Not only are women seen as objects to fulfill sexual desires, but when female rappers deliver that sexuality through their own perspective, they are either promiscuously categorized or not completely struck down. These “strippers rapping” flip the narrative when it comes to female sexuality, by empowering it instead of having it validated through the male gaze. A sexual freedom that 90s rappers like Lil Kim paved the way for. 

Why shouldn’t women rap about their bodies in the same context and quantity as men? Are women required to rap about something of more value, when their male peers are not upheld to that same standard?

DuPri’s comments also diminish the role of the audience when it comes to music. There are often two conflicting factors: the type of music listeners are seeking out and the type of music the industry forcibly promotes. Is DuPri seeking out the work of female rappers who meet his sexist standards, or is he making this generalization based on what is presented to him?  

Although DuPri emphasized that this was his personal take, his comments reflect a troubling mentality that still runs rampant across industries. However the increasing acceptance and success of female rappers like Meg thee Stallion, Rico Nasty, Rapsody, City Girls, Tierra Whack and more is just the beginning of the range and power female rappers will continue to accomplish.