WELCOME TO THE FEMCEE SLAUGHTERHOUSE

01Dec10

Definition of Femcees

Female rappers, or “femcees” as they are often called has caused quite controversy on just the name itself. Should MCs, who just happen to be female be put into their own category, or be included in the general group of all rappers, regardless of gender? I mean, if you are hot, you’re hot, no?

In my opinion, “femcee” does make it hard for female lyricists to be compared to her male companions, not because her rhymes aren’t just as good, but because before we can even criticize what she’s saying, we’re putting her in a separate category.

Nicki (Minaj) can’t be compared to Kanye (West) because she’s a female. Forget what she’s talking about. Stack her up to Lauryn (Hill) or Lil Kim. Until she’s able to grow some balls and a mustache, she can’t be matched up.

Journalist Toure says: To call an MC who is female a femcee is to insult her. He then asked, “Since MC and rapper isn’t gendered, is there any reason to use the term?”

Is that the mentally that using the word “femcee” forces us to use? Alternatively, was the word just created as a sense of empowerment for female lyricists when in the 80s, hip-hop was a male-dominated industry and you had (female) rappers like MC Lyte, Roxanne, Queen Latifah and Salt n Pepa breaking barriers?

Something was needed to classify them since they hadn’t been represented and it seemed like “femcee,” an abbreviation for female MC was more than appropriate; liberating for those who aspired to be like them, who in the coming years, paved the way for artists like Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Eve, Rah Digga, and now, the popular Nicki Minaj. Then there are artists who are lyrically great but are not known by the public, but rather only those in the local area or true hip-hop heads, like Jean Grae and others.

The Menstrual Blood Bath

Nicki Minaj. Lil Kim. Foxy Brown. Talented? Check. Successful? Kim and Foxy, definitely back in their heyday. Nicki’s time seems to now. Sexy? Overly. Why was this done? You know the sexed-up images, tight clothes, big tits, tiny waists and enlarged asses? Well, to appeal to the male audience, of course. Although males had artists, they could relate to, they could salivate over these women. Females looked at them as sex icons and tried to emulate them. For some artists, it provided an asylum from the restrictions of black female sexual expression. Jackie Brown, anyone?

But. Kim and Nicki in particular, compared themselves to Barbies, which is a problem in itself; because now you have young children who also idolize them because they, Nicki Minaj in particular, are like animated, life-sized dolls, who spit sexual lyrics that are to mature for someone of their age to understand.

Recently, there has been a heated battle between two of the Barbies, Nicki and Lil Kim. Kim claimed Nicki didn’t pay enough homage to her because Nicki totally snagged her style. However, in many of the interviews I’ve listened to, when asked who influenced Nicki, she names Kim as one of her main idols.

“I respect you. I love you. I’ve said it in every interview time and time again,” Nicki said about Kim. “And if that’s not good enough for you, mama, there’s something deep-rooted in you. … That’s your insecurity bothering you. It’s not Nicki Minaj.” – Nicki Minaj/Angie Martinez Interview – Hot 97

So, where does the hate come in? Yeah, I’m as clueless as you are. Over the summer, Kim did a round of interviews dissing Nicki and Young Money, saying Nicki was nothing more than a knock-off. It took Nicki some time to formally respond, she put her frustration into a song titled Roman’s Revenge (the Hot 97 interview wasn’t until after Roman’s Revenge was released).

Kim followed up with Black Friday, playing off Nicki’s album, Pink Friday.

“I’ve seen them come/I’ve seen them go/Still I remain, sweetie/You going on your 14th minute of fame,” she raps. Kim later warns that she’s going to turn “‘Pink Friday’ into ‘Friday The 13th.’”

It’s unfortunate that rappers, who just happen to be females (re: femcees), can’t go without being malicious. Can’t be happy for one who’s doing well and succeeding. But we’ve seen these types of beef before, and of course, it just doesn’t happen among females.

But Kim had problems with Foxy Brown, Eve and Remy Ma, just to name a few. Shouldn’t we be used to this?

Nicki Minaj’s Disappointment

Nicki has been around for years, but many people have just been introduced to the self-proclaimed Barbie within the last year. Her high-energy is contagious. And her features leave you wanting more. Before she’d even dropped her debut album, Pink Friday, which sold 317K units in its first week (this week, thus far, she’s sold 375K), she was, like her label mate, rapper Drake, performing at awards shows and getting offers for major collaborations (does Kanye West’s Monster with Jay-Z and Rick Ross ring a bell?). It seemed like she was on top of the world, and her music game. But when Pink Friday was released, it was nothing like the hype of her mixtapes – the music (beats, hooks, lyrics) – it was lacking something – Nicki’s outlandish personality and passionate lyrics. Her label had obviously taken over and convinced her to go more pop instead of allowing her to stick to her roots.

ToureX: If Minaj is important bc she’s a female rapper, but not important as a rapper, then she’s not important.

With Nicki, there aren’t many prevalent female rappers in the game, so I wanted more. There was too much singing (not with features, but her). There were already tons of people who were criticizing her, doubting her success. She’ll know have to work even harder to prove herself in upcoming features, remixes and future albums. It would be different if Nicki entered the industry as a rap artist, but she proclaimed herself to be a rapper, and that’s the difference. She wasn’t a pop artist.

The New York Times’ review of Nicki’s Pink Friday and Kesha’s Cannibal, scarily said it all:

And as is clear from this album, maturity is overrated. Still, even at her dullest, Nicki Minaj is more technically gifted, more thoughtful and more radical than Kesha, which makes it somewhat maddening that, with “Cannibal,” Kesha threatens to become the most influential female rapper of the day, or at least the most popular.

Walking in the Shadow of a Giant

Spoken word artist Jasmine Mans performed a piece entitled “The Miss-Education of a Barbie” that has gone viral. And rightfully so. In the spoken word, which is obviously addressed to Nicki Minaj, she says:

You turned your g-spot into a land mine.

There is nothing pedal bike pretty about being broken.

Don’t let this industry rape the Assata out of you.

This microphone is not a dildo so you’re going to have to cum a little harder.

U-N-I-T-Y so you wouldn’t have to record on your back”

(Barbie) stop spittin’ me toy stories.

Although some Nicki fans were upset by the poem, Mans said the poem wasn’t meant as a diss, but as a challenge to Nicki and all women and the entertainment industry.

Mans further said: I do not want Nicki Minaj to be the next Lauryn Hill or MC Lyte, I want her to rap as if women like Assata Shakur and Toni Morrison exist.

The “Miss-Education of a Barbie” questions the message that Nicki Minaj is relaying to her listeners. If Nicki Minaj seeks to simply entertain audiences with shallow concepts then my poem can be written off as irrelevant to her and her fans alike. However, if she seeks to make a difference in musical history and in the lives of her fans around the world then my piece questions her methods of doing so.

Her “Barbie” image is an objectification of womanhood. How can we expect our male rappers to pay homage and respect to women when the voice that is representing us is tainted with sexual innuendos and “child’s play?”

Let’s disregard Nicki and Kim’s beef. To me, it’s not relevant. Kim isn’t rapping anymore and Nicki is trying to make a long-lasting impression unto the world of rap relevance. People are saying she doesn’t possess the lyrical power of Lauryn (Hill), or the ability to revive the lost souls. But what we’re failing to realize is that all we have is Nicki. No other female rapper comes close to being as popular what she is today. Sure, there are other (female) rappers around. So what’s the problem? They aren’t (female) rappers that are socially conscious like Lauryn to balance out “p**** sitting your sideburns.”

Demetria Lucas summarized it best:

The absence of a Lauryn Hill-like figure is really Nicki Minaj’s biggest problem (and her misguided attempt to compare herself to Hill over the summer.) And Minaj’s critics take her to task often because they’re upset as the ONLY woman with a name brand in rap, Minaj actually chooses playful, silly and sexy, over actual depth that they know is in there.

There’s only one Laruyn Hill, and Hill returning can’t even replace the void that she left over a decade ago. We can love Minaj or we can hate her, but it’s fruitless to think we can change her into something she’s not or someone we still miss in order to embrace her.

Nicki knows what she’s doing. She’s an actress. This rap game is just that – a game. The fans and critics are her puppets. Each time she changes her voice or personality, she’s getting into character. Just like rapping, acting is something she’s always wanted to do. Now she has the stage to finally make it happen. Regardless if you like her or not, you can’t deny her talent. It’ll be interesting to see how she continues to use it – will she change her image, keep her Barbie persona, venture into the pop arena, go back to her rap roots or dibble into acting?

Filed under: celebrity status, controversy, Dolls and toys, entertainment PR   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Cannibal, female rapper, femcee, Foxy Brown, hip-hop, Jasmine Mans, Kesha, Lauryn Hill, Lil Kim, MC, MC Lyte, Miss-Education of a Barbie, Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday, rap, Toure