Pro-Women Rap?
I know very little about popular music (my taste is generally limited to classical and opera), but I really enjoy listening to rap while exercising. Unfortunately, since my musical perspective is so limited, most of the rap I know is replete with misogyny, and I find it hard to feel good while running when I have such stuff running through my ears (not to mention the fact that I don't want to give my money to such musicians). So I'm wondering if any of you know of good pro-women (or at least not anti-women) rap. I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions!
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I actually can't think of any rap that doesn't include some type of misogyny. I was going to say 3OH!3 But yes, even they objectify women in their music. I'd suggest some music that ISN'T rap, for example, some dance/trance/electronic music is fun to listen to while exercising and it keeps you motivated as well. If you're interested, there's The Generator, Flutlicht, Pendulum & Free Stylers, Vincent De Moor. Goodluck Zyio!
I can't speak for all their material, but I know the following artists have made non-sexist and generally empowering hip hop or rap-including songs: K-Os, Lupe Fiasco, TLC, Lauryn Hill.
TLC is cool and Lauryn Hill, but it really depends on the type of rhythm you are looking for. It's too hard to find rap music in our contemporary culture that wouldn't make you ears bleed with all the derogatory words they use. But I strongly suggest that you listen to some nice RIOT GRRRL music, which is I personally think is cool while you exercise. Try some of Bikini Kill, bratmobile. hope you like it
Mr. J Medeiros, who wrote this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqyLRpGgxRs and is actually involved with anti-trafficking projects. He talks about it at about 3:40 in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx6hPIX5Slk
The old stuff! Look up MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Salt N Peppa. Brand Nubian, NAS, De La Soul are also good. Hope I helped.
Ditto on De La Soul.
Yeah, you gotta go 1988-1993 for real good stuff (and simultaneously the rise of the most offensive). Some of a Tribe Called Quest's early stuff is *less* misogynistic...
Black Eyed Peas' first album...
I love Cee-Lo prior to hooking up with Danger Mouse...
And don't know where you live, but sometimes local "underground" stuff is less blatantly misogynistic. Blue Scholars from Seattle fits that bill.
MC Flow.
Lil Jackie is rather nice but not really hardcore but Has Some Definite Feminist Views
It's not rap per se, and probably not what you're looking for rhythmically, but I highly recommend "Your Revolution" by Sarah Jones. It's actually a spoken word piece that DJ Vadim set up as a song, and it's brilliant. She takes on the misogyny of hip-hop culture head-on. Here's a link to her performing it in it's original form on (I think) Def Poetry Jam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmaWDCH2tBg
Speaking of old groups, Arrested Development had some positive, pro-woman stuff.
Yo Majesty, Roxanne Shante
the herd, are a political australian rap band
Dessa from the Doomtree crew out of Minneapolis, and Atmosphere is pretty good on this front as well.
While 2pac called women hoes or such in his songs, he actually really respected women, and if you are a fan of his, you find this out. One song I know of immediately is Keep Ya Head Up.
"Since we all came from a woman, got our name from a woman, and our game from a women, I wonder why we take from women, why we rape our women, do we hate our women? I think its time we killed for our women, be real to our women, try to heal our women, 'cause if we don't we'll have a race of babies that will hate the ladies, who make the babies. And since a man can't make one he has no right to tell a women when and where to create one."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-3XPPA-vA
Lots of respect
I can think of some really decent male rappers who actually do respect women, despite the culture.