Hip Hop, Where is my Lady?

Where is My Lady?

When listening to hip hop music today one can’t help but wonder sometimes, where the “Lady” went? Long gone are the years when female MC’s like Queen Latifah, TLC or MC Lyte dominated Hip Hop culture. These women and others represented the face of women in urban environments and encouraged them to be a lady, stick together and stand up for what they represent. At one point, it was ok to tell the masses of women that you are not a bitch or a ho. Now it has become socially acceptable to be one. With mainstream artists encouraging more sex, same sex behavior, drug use and other irresponsible acts, it makes it hard to consider the new Female MC a lady.
To some there is a misconception of what a lady is. Many think the definition of a lady is a polite female who thinks of herself to be good or better than others. Though not entirely false, however, I maintain that most of the time a Lady typically is representative of the decency of her gender. Call it the counterpart to a gentleman or the female equivalent of a Lord. A Lady exudes things like order, confidence, enlightenment and tranquility. These are all traits that we see in a lady but can’t touch. The intangible characteristics are the things that empower a lady. It is unfortunate that today our female MC’s encourage the opposite in their gender.
It’s as if women have liberated themselves too much. What I mean is there is no unity involved that upholds or conserves their values and traditions. It’s as if they’re bounded by false liberation and their mirage of endless opportunities, incapable of truly seeing themselves for who they truly are.
Years ago they (female MC’s) did not want to see themselves being represented as uneducated, promiscuous, bi-sexual, or drug addicts. Nowadays that is more the exception than the rule. The first person women look to for advice on how to be a lady are there mainstream leaders. How can Nicki Minaj, today’s leading mainstream female MC show other women what they should value. With songs that depict women as the opposite of a lady, it’s as if there is nothing to value or nothing to conserve.

By being so open and free figuratively and literally, they now have nothing to hold on to; in some cases not even their mind, body and soul. Long gone is the female MC who liberates the mind, and the spirit of her gender. Where has the lady gone? As a hip hop fan I miss her and I wonder will she ever come back.

http://www.hiphoparchive.org/prepare-yourself/women-hiphop