WAP Video Exposes Double Standards In Hip Hop: It's Time To Let Women Enjoy Things
By: James Teague
Social Media and society has been up in flames ever since Cardi B dropped her anticipated new single with Meg The Stallion called “WAP” on this past Friday night (technically Thursday). Since the release of this record, the amount of opinions and hot takes that were presented to the masses were very interesting to say the least.
Some listeners debated that “WAP” was one of the nastiest songs they’ve heard (me personally i don't agree but that’s a different story for another write up LOL) while others have went as far as creating a petition in hopes of getting a certain individual removed from the music video (I refuse to say this person name but If you know you know). I'm very conflicted about that particular subject but again, different topic for another write up.
One thing that stuck out to me the most was seeing how some men were being reactive towards the music and the women enjoying it. Me being a Man myself, it was weird for me to scroll down my twitter timeline watching other grown men on social media acting real republican like when it came to the overall message of WAP. It got even more aggravating when the men once again brought up rapper Rapsody and were using her as a crutch only in an attempt to shame Cardi and Meg for their vulgar raps about their sexuality.
First off, just by the way she’s only brought up to combat other successful women who rap, it just says to me that y’all don't really listen to Rapsody music like that. Secondly she’s expressed before that women like Cardi B and Meg The stallion are necessary and important for the hip-hop world. And Also, if you REALLY claim to believe that women who are conscious rappers don't get the same love like the more hyper sexual women rappers, then show more love and support to those conscious rappers then. Buy their music, show up to their shows, let them know that you see them, feel them, and support what they’re doing .
I don’t know how many times this needs to be said but let the women love and enjoy the things that were made and meant for them and stop policing what they should or should not like, and what they should do or not do. This is applicable to different subject matters outside of music. Music is just being used as a main example here. Every time women are out here having fun enjoying themselves with the music that’s made for them, men want to suddenly get on their high horses and speak about how music is suddenly a bad influence for the children and suddenly want to rely on celebrities to raise their kids.
It says so much more about you as either a man, parent, or both when you decide to go to social media and voice your opinion on this type of thing. There should be no reason why anyone complaining about how vulgar or sexualized the music is when there is so much content available to us that caters to different audiences. Not to mention the amounts of content that’s been created over the decades that were catered to stroking the male ego with things such as money, high class cars, and beautiful women damn near naked women running around in videos.
Whenever that content is released, the women have allowed us men to get our shit off. But when the content for women is made and the shoe is on the other foot, all of a sudden now some men all of a sudden have high morals. Bro, I understand that you feel how you feel in regards to the subject matter and you have your right to feel however you want to feel. But please, just leave it alone and let the women have their moment of celebration. I promise that it will help you more than hurt you. If you are really sitting there complaining and critiquing a song that’s clearly not catered to you, then it speaks more volume about yourself than the consumers enjoying the content.
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