Hip-Hop feminist spins her stuff
Joan Morgan is an award-winning journalist and author of When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost.
"I believe hip-hop can help us win," writes Joan Morgan, a journalist and self-declared hip-hop junkie.
"Let's start by recognizing that its illuminating, informative narration and its incredible ability to articulate our collective pain is an invaluable tool when examining gender relations. The information we amass can help create a redemptive, healing space for brothers and sistas."
Morgan spoke about hip-hop and feminism at JMU this past Tuesday. Her speech explored the misogyny of hip-hop and the music's influence and role in today's society. She is the author of When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: a Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks it Down.
Morgan's voice both in her speech and writing reflects the nuances and style of hip-hop. Brian Peterson of Okaybooks notes that her voice, "tight like a battle-tested MC, [puts] the bling bling in Chickenhead's shiny star." Morgan's voice is truly her own. "I did the prep school thing, but I grew up in the streets," she said. She also attributes her unique style to never having attended journalism school.
In the introduction to When Chickenheads Morgan writes, "This book by its lonesome won't give you the truth. Truth is what happens when your cumulative voices fill in the breaks, provide the remixes, and rework the chorus."
Hip-hop, Morgan said, "is the voice of a nation, in pain and insane." It is ultimately a form of expression. Morgan highlighted her struggle to appreciate and love hip-hop with its "increasing use of violence, straight-up selfish individualism, and woman-hating," tied together by a dependency on commercialism.
One section of her book is formatted as a love letter to hip-hop. She writes as if to her boyfriend. The letter voices her struggle to balance her love for an art form that harbors unhealthy attitudes towards women. Of the rhythm, voice and brilliance she loves, "…none of it explains why I stayed in an obviously abusive relationship."
Morgan finds the answer in the music. "While it's true that your music holds some of fifteen- to thirty-year-old black men's ugliest thoughts about me, it is the only place where I can challenge them," she writes.
Morgan holds that while it is important to hold black men responsible, women must also take control. "I am down," she writes, "for a feminism that demands we assume responsibility for our lives." Women are "often complicit in [their] oppression."
Morgan sees sexism and racism as linked entities. She noted during her speech that due to racism, black men and women have needed to band together. "I can't embrace any brand of feminism that encourages me to throw black men away," she said.
In her love letter to hip-hop, Morgan concludes that "hip-hop and my feminism are not at war but my community is. And you [hip-hop] are critical to our survival."
Hip-hop is about community and life. "Hip-hop is a great vehicle to express things that we are divided on," she noted.
The birth of her son has had a large influence on Morgan over the past few years. It further reinforced her desire to include men and not throw them away. Having a child around the house has "sanitized my listening…and forced me to practice what I preach," she told Tuesday's audience.
"Rappers are entertainers, not role models," stated Morgan. She holds parents ultimately responsible for controlling their children's exposure to mature content. "Parents need to stop expecting the television and radio to baby-sit their children," she said. She linked this to the high number of single-parent homes and a lack of parental guidance in today's society.
Morgan highlighted the case study of MTV and BET. During the 1980s, parents protested the sexual and violent content of music videos. MTV responded by toning down their videos, but similar content was soon airing on BET. "It was fine to dump them on a black audience," said Morgan.
She charged women with not protesting this problem. "Women are not complaining," she said. Morgan feels that if women were to successfully mobilize, the media would respond.
"The record companies are no less or more responsible than consumers," said Morgan. She holds consumers responsible for what music they purchase and their responses to the music and music videos. She noted that record companies generally do not market "positive" rappers.
While she likes well-known rappers such as 50 Cent, "there's a whole lot of other music I want to hear." She noted, "Commercial-ism has taken away a lot of what I really loved about the music," she said.
Morgan also discussed her difficulties as a writer. She has fought the feminist label and has had to "battle not to do the 'chick' thing." Editors will often call her up to write about the misogyny of hip-hop, when sometimes she simply wants to write about the aesthetics, style, and brilliant writing of rap artists that made her love the music.
Morgan currently writes for Essence and Notorious. Her book is available in paperback.
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