Signing up for this class, already two weeks into the semester, due to scheduling and other class conflicts, I walked in on the first day expecting Pop Culture Women, where I figured we'd apply feminism to current media and public figures. What I actually got out of this class was so much more. I wouldn't consider myself a stranger to hip hop when I walked into this class, but my scope was definitely limited, and I hadn't viewed hip hop as something that could be tied with feminism. Though I had encountered more recent, independent artists that had meaningful, and political lyricism, I wasn't aware of hip hop's extensive political history, and what a huge role it played in Black culture. I'd written off most of hip hop as egotistical BS about livin' large, and mistreating women. It was hard to look past.
I was also unaware of hip hop's global reach, as well as its place in youth culture. Though hip hop can often be written off in America as being "non-musical" and simply distasteful, it's amazing to see how powerful it can be as a political and social tool in other cultures. I know that after having looked at hip hop through a more critical, feminist, academic lens, I will be a more understanding, yet critical listener when I continue to enjoy hip hop!
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