J-Banks

It's been the norm for years -- young black women being portrayed as eye candy willing to degrade themselves for the a spot in the limelight, even if its for a brief second in hip-hop music and videos.

There's no doubt that these women play an integral part in the hip-hop culture, so in response, Vanderbilt University professor, former model and feminist Tracy Sharpley-Whiting decided to research this paradox and responded with a new book called Pimps Up, Ho's Down: Hip Hop's Hold on Young Black Women.

The new book, according to a press release from its publisher (New York University Press), offers an insightful look into strip clubs, the groupie culture and other aspects of hip-hop that often exploit the women involved in it.

"As disturbing as I find some of what's going on around gender in hip-hop, there are also things that we need to celebrate," Sharpley-Whiting said. "It's a cultural art form. It's the soundtrack of black life in the United States, and it's absolutely astonishing that it became such a cultural force globally."

In the book, Sharpley-Whiting remembers walking into a class to speak as a graduate teaching assistant, when she caught herself humming Snoop Dog's "One, two, three and to the fo" from his "Nuthin' But a G-Thang" collaboration with Dr. Dre, which is one of the moments that lead her into her research of the topic -- speaking to young women involved in the hip-hop world.

"It was one of those rare moments where my contradictions were laid bare -- humming such a salacious, sexist tune," she writes in the prologue to Pimps Up, Ho's Down.

Pimps Up, Ho's Down features chapters on the rise in sexual tourism by black men in Brazil, the maneuvers of groupie-rap star relations, the sexual abuse of black women and strip club culture.

Although the book paints a picture of black women consistently remaining at the bottom of the latter, she admits that she doesn't totally blame hip-hop for misogyny.

"That doesn't mean I find hip-hop depressing," Sharpley-Whiting said. "I find the state of gender and race relationships depressing. Just because aspects of hip-hop may be misogynistic and sexist doesn't mean that misogyny began with hip-hop. Hip-hop just happens to be the youth culture of the moment and therefore takes the wrath on a lot of issues."

The book is out now and retails for $22.95.

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JBanksblog.com - check it out
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WC AllStar

propzzzzzzzzzzzz

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InfamousQBC

They Always Focus On That Element In Hip-Hop Now But, I Don't Blame Her For Talkin' About It . What About The Other Difficulties In The World? Even If They Try To Stop This Sexual Abuse And Sexist Behavior It Ain't Gonna Work.

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GMNRecordsCT3

props.............

ChUcK C

lol peepz dat dnt listen ta hip hop dnt undastnd dat tha blck women rappas tlk about on songz r bout hoes in tha hood nd tha groupies lol