Oppositional Gaze

Hip-hop is predominantly a male dominated industry with very few women famously known for their impressive lyricism. The successful black women that are noticed, have to objectify themselves in ways to please men in order to stay relevant and have a decent career in rap music. The first example would be no other than herself, Nicki Minaj. Nicki is known for her bars and being associated with some of the biggest rappers currently, but she is also known for her explicit lyrics and raunchy outfits. She tends to wear clothes that show off her curves or expose assets that’ll please men since most men don’t listen to her music. Even though there is nothing wrong with women embracing their sexuality, most women consider this to be distasteful or even unacceptable since they do not choose to only please men. Women that look at Nicki Minajs’ actions in this light would be considered to have “oppositional gaze” because they choose to rebel against that notion that women need to glamourize being exposed in a sexually explicit way. Women who have become famous in hip-hop follow in Minaj’s footsteps and make it a goal to post pictures half naked on Instagram and not focus on the artistry when it comes to music because of the fact men don’t take women seriously. Black women are considered to be nothing but a fantasy for men and aren't able to have the success most of them have in hip-hop without being exploited making it easier for other women to criticize their actions versus finding ways to break the cycle.