Maria Llyod, writer from Reason4Rymes, has split Black women into 2 classes.
She says:
“I must admit that I don’t have the slightest interest in how rappers view black women. Why? Because they’re not talking about me. In fact, they’re not talking to me either because I don’t listen to their music…The women the rappers are addressing are the women who use the word ‘b*tch’ as a term of endearment. They are the women who have no respect for and/or knowledge of black history. They are frequently making poor decisions regarding their finances and their sexual behavior.”
Lloyd goes on to talk about the divide between educated and uneducated black people. She defines “educated” not solely as schooling, but as “the ability to think for yourself with conclusions drawn from research and experience.” In her opinion, rappers talk about uneducated women.
I shook my head at every word on that page.
First of all, women who say rappers “aren’t talking about them” are kidding themselves. They are talking about all women, especially Black women.
Now, rappers may differentiate between “ratchet pussy” (Juicy J), “bad bitches,” “independent women,” and whatever else they like to call us. They are not singling out or excluding certain women in their lyrics. It doesn’t matter if you’re educated, or whether or not you listen to their music. If you are a woman, you fall into one of their many categories.
The degradation of women in the music industry is not an “uneducated” woman’s problem. It is (or should be) a concern for all Black women. It is our image that is being dragged through the mud for the entire world to see. Those are our bodies that appear in music videos. We are the bitches, hoes, and tricks that they are referring to.
Black women’s reputation is especially at risk. The image rappers put forth is absorbed in the eyes of other ethnic groups. Society doesn’t always take the time to differentiate between “educated” and “uneducated” Black people. I can’t tell you how many nonblack people have asked me ignorant questions like “Can you dance like the girls in the music videos?” or “Have you ever been to Compton?” or “Do you like Lil Wayne?” simply because of the color of my skin.
When an “educated” Black woman walks into a room, people may draw conclusions from the way that she dresses and presents herself. They may think she is well-mannered or high class (or whatever their words may be) but that doesn’t mean their perceptions of all Black women have changed just because one “educated” woman walked into that room. If anything, they may think “Oh, she’s one of the good ones,” like many racists like to say.
And it shouldn’t be like that. I shouldn’t have to prove that I am “educated” or “one of the good one’s” (both definitions pretty much mean the same thing). The image of Black women should be changed so that when I am in front of any audience, they are not comparing me to horrifying images of Black women they see on TV.
People categorize and stereotype all the time. The only way to change the stereotype of Black women is with a united front. Not only must the “educated” women boycott degrading music, as Lloyd says later in her article, but everyone must push for a change in the music industry.
A Woman's Worth 