Roxanne Roxanne

I grew up with a Hip Hop. Blasted from every television, every c.d., every car stereo. The music I listened to was not the same hip hop that is on the airwaves today. While reading Love Feminism but Where's My Hip Hop?", I knew exactly what she meant by "rap music... offers space for public dialogues about love, romance.." My parents were very much into the rap of the 1980s and 1990's and into my early teens I listened to all of the rappers the author lists and so much more. I knew the lyrics, I idolized those hip hop divas. I also understood the audacity that some male rappers had. The music blasting from the stereo would speak lustfully of watching women walk down the streets, and the plans "to bang Roxanne" (Roxanne, Roxanne by UTFO). In almost all of these songs written by male MC's, they were merely making a world where "women are portrayed as objects of conquest" (89). In this world, to fulfill my role as a bi-racial woman, I needed to wear short little spandex skirts and dance with my ass sticking out. But, there were also those songs that spoke of love, that made me dance around the house singing at the top of my lungs like a crazy little 8 year old.... the romance and not just wanting to chase that "skirt", but to keep her, and treat her right. I see the competing ideals in hip hop that was evident in its prime-the 1980s. I was born and raised in it. I was taught to value my body, and to be able to realize that not all men valued me for the right reasons like the men in my family. I loved the author's connection between feminism and hip hop.... Something that has been a staple in my life in all 19 years, could also be a reflection of society's sexist views.