Masculinity in Hip Hop

Introduction
In their discourses on the same, Frith and McRobbie (1990) tackle the issue of sexuality in popular culture. As they tackle this issue, the authors focus specifically on the issue of masculinity as depicted in imagery, songs, videos, and concert tours. In the course of their work, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 374) observed a prevalent trend, which they referred to as ‘cock rock’ in their initial scholarly account. This was the reference to the dominant pattern of masculine chest-thumping as well as the aggressive and explicit portrayal of male sexuality. Later scholars also used the term hegemonic masculinity to sustain this viewpoint. Besides hegemonic masculinity, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 375) identify ‘the soft sentimentalist’ as another form of masculine sexuality, essentially a subtle evolution of the former. Sentimental masculinity appeals more to female vanity and the need for affection. The sentimentalist is charismatic and charming full of sensual flirtation aimed at luring the superficial audience. Critical observation indicates that both forms of masculine sexuality are still present in the world of Hip Hop today. In a detailed overview on the same, this paper tackles the issue of hegemonic and sentimental masculinity as evidenced in the world of Hip Hop today and the pervasive trend of aggression and sexuality in popular culture.
Sexuality in Popular Culture
The issue of sexuality continues to dominate the world of popular music since the inception of hip hop culture in the late 1970s to date. In fact, observers note that rap music was then as it is now ‘an expression of hyper-masculinity’ as evidenced in violent music videos and strong worded song lyrics that seem to reaffirm the perceived superiority of the male gender. Writing in the wake of the birth of hip hop culture, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 374) noted an emergent pattern of explicit, vile, and often aggressive expression of masculinity after a close scrutiny of the Irish rock band, Thin Lizzy’s hit single “The Boys Are Back in Town” recorded and released in 1976. Simon Frith and Angela McRobbie cite the cover of Thin Lizzy’s album dubbed ‘Live and Dangerous (1978), which featured what McLaughlin and McLoone (2012: 94) term “eye level crotch shot of Phil Lynott’s bare-chest. Frith and McRobbie had earlier noted that the depiction of a seemingly sexually ecstatic lead singer with a phallic bass guitar on the band’s album cover was an expression of aggravated masculinity. The authors also note that during the band’s performance of the hit song ‘Emerald’ in 1976, the lead singer addressed the fans in what Frith and McRobbie (1990: 345) term ‘ostensibly affable enquiry.’ Lynott, the band’s lead singer used his charm to ask whether there were any of the women amongst the fans who would like “some Irish in them” the sexual connotation being as it were in the societal mindset that historically considers women sexual objects.
Further scholarly inquiry indicates that from the decision to portray Lynott as it were on the album cover and the singer’s audacious inquiry where the ladies wanted some Irish demonstrates varying forms of masculinity. Using Lynott’s persona as the case of interest, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 356) identify two forms of masculinity: the hard chauvinist and the soft sentimentalist.
Masculinity and Hip Hop Culture
As Kevin Powell writes in his runaway success dubbed HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, the prevailing mindset of the society is that manhood is about violence and conquest (Ullah 1990: 23). Powell believes that this culture is not only unique to the world of rap music; since the days of outlaw American cowboy to the emergence of the gangster rapper, hegemonic masculinity has remained an enduring image of American manhood. Likewise, even in other societies that have adopted the wave of hip hop culture, the two forms of masculinity – hegemonic/ hard chauvinist and soft sentimentalists – are dominant in the musical message, videos, and concert tours. As a prevalent trend, the society has become accustomed to hegemonic masculinity, supporting violence unwittingly through consumerism. As the New York Times reported in the early 2000s, the world of hip hop, specifically rap, identifies with violence and aggravated masculinity. Scholars also note that in the absence of such violence and shows of masculine power, it is very difficult for artists to make it in the industry.
Social psychologist Dr. Melissa Hawthorne of Stanford University explains that while male fans identify with the shows of violence and aggression to reassert their sexuality, female fans enjoy being objectified as sex symbols in music videos, which often depict them in sexually ecstatic poses and dance moves. The violence and aggression in hip hop, according to this expert, appeals both to the feminine and masculine sides. It stands to reason, therefore, that 50 Cent – a gangster rapper born Curtis Jackson became one of the most historic icons in the evolution of Hip Hop. 50 Cent concert tour dubbed “Get Rich or Die Trying” sold out within weeks, a phenomenon that was reminiscent of The Beatles back in the 1960s. According to Forbes, 50 Cent defied historic odds by penetrating the American pop culture market considering that he is an African American artist (Whiteley 2007: 34). The kind of energy that he portrayed in form of hegemonic masculinity during his debut was a shock to many. The title of his debut studio album ‘Get Rich or Die Trying’ is a perfect indicator that violence and aggression as forms of showbiz masculinity are at the center stage of the Hip Hop industry. In his memoirs, Curtis Jackson tells the tale of how ‘many men’ – also a title of a single in the album – wish him dead (Whiteley 2007: 34). After sustaining numerous injuries from nine bullets, as it says in the memoirs, 50 Cent would rise to vindicate himself and set his wrath upon his adversaries. With song lyrics like “every hood that you are in, when you look at me, you see 50 don’t back down” and ‘all the ladies be crying to get some 50’ (Whiteley 2007: 33) as well as the portrayal of bare-chested portraits of an almost fully tattooed 50 Cent, it is reasonable to say that this artist embodies the image of hegemonic masculinity in Hip Hop.
Information retrieved from the annals of Hip Hop sources indicates the imagery of hyper-masculinity as witnessed in this particular genre plays into myths and realities associated with African Americans. Looking at a Public Enemy - a renowned Hip Hop artist – logo, which has a black man as a target of a gun in close range, it becomes evident that violence is at the heart of the music industry. In an attempt to make sense of the correlation between violent masculinity and the Hip Hop industry, historian Jelani Cobb explains that this form of imagery serves as a defense mechanism born of pervasive historical injustices perpetrated against the African Americans. They do it as a psychic armor to deny their own frailty, as psychologist James Dean would have it (Campbell 2013: 34).
In the heart of Hollywood lies the mentality that sex sells. Though somewhat sexist, the mass media has elevated this mentality to new heights making it seemingly fashionable. The American consumer then unwittingly shops for sex as manufactured in Hollywood. From aggravated masculinity to sexual objectification of women, this trend has become one of the most influential forces in the modern society. Everybody seems to have embraced it whether consciously or involuntarily; from TV commercials, billboards, and infomercials to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, the society eats, sleeps, and breathes sex (Campbell 2013: 34).
Besides the much celebrated hegemonic masculinity, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 345) identify another rather subtle, seductive aspect of masculinity evidenced in the music industry. The soft sentimental male emerges mostly in the Rhythm and Blues (R&B) element of Hip Hop notwithstanding the fact that more unconventional rappers are growing sentimental too (Campbell 2013: 34). The soft sentimentalist uses his charm to appeal to female vanity. In any given Hip Hop concert, words and phrases such as ‘how are all the pretty ladies doing tonight’ often dominate the show. The soft sentimentalist departs from the mainstream violent and belligerent tendencies and leans more towards sensual and verbal seduction appeal (DeGeneres 2011). They use words to charm the ladies with phrases like “if we had babies, I wish they would have your eyes”, which are song lyrics taken from an R&B/ Hip Hop singer. In a seminal pamphlet dubbed Sexuality and Hip Hop, Philip Campbell, a renowned artist/ author at the Tisch School of Art, Yale, notes that sentimental masculinity is often so alluring to the females, especially the superficial, conceited, narcissistic, and small-minded kind (Whiteley 2007: 25). Campbell identifies artists such Trey Songs, Usher Raymond, Drake, and Chris Brown to mention but a few as some of the soft sentimentalist kind. Trey Songs actually has a hit single dubbed ‘Can’t help but wait’, a track that basically urges a girl to leave an abusive spouse. Phrases such as ‘you are so beautiful’ and ‘you deserve someone who treats you better’ or better yet ‘I can see your inner beauty that matches your impeccable outer beauty’ are some of the catchphrases the sentimental males use to lure women (Campbell 2013: 34).
Social psychologist, Graham Bell of New York University, coins the term ‘sweet nothings’ to refer to the promises made to ladies by the charming males (Whiteley 2007: 31). The promise to treat them better than their current partners and to appreciate and respect them, as they come to find out, is usually a mere marketing strategy to sway consumer patterns for that particular genre of music. They do this all in the name of entertainment and it has been known to work perfectly. The notion behind soft sentimental masculinity is a depiction of how the society deems the female gender. In a predominantly masculine society, women have for long been considered sexual beings. The goal behind sentimental masculinity is to please them with gifts, sweet words, and promises to set the ground for sex. Sentimentalism is an evolution from the medieval approach of aggravated sexual advances. As Joan Rivers, the fallen American entertainer once said “It is the 21st Century, and clearly these men have evolved in the manner in which they approach women” (Campbell 2013: 109) This statement was in reference to Trey Songs’ latest single ‘Oh Na Na!’, a perfect example of sentimentalism in male sexuality (Dunn 2013). Echoing Rivers’ sentiments, the male gender has indeed evolved in the way they now reach out to their female counterparts. Sentimental masculinity however comes out as deceitful and misleading; one might even say it undermines the dignity of females (Whiteley 2007: 34).
Conclusion
Using Lynott’s persona in the case study involving the Irish band Thin Lizzy, Frith and McRobbie (1990: 356) identified two forms of masculinity: the hard chauvinist and the soft sentimentalist. Following critical observation, it emerges that both forms of masculine sexuality are still present in the world of Hip Hop today. The prevailing mindset of the society is that manhood is about violence and conquest. Powell believes that this culture is not only unique to the world of rap music; since the days of outlaw American cowboy to the emergence of the gangster rapper, hegemonic masculinity has remained an enduring image of American manhood. The issue of sexuality continues to dominate the world of popular music since the inception of hip hop culture in the late 1970s to date. In fact, observers note that rap music was then as it is now ‘an expression of hyper-masculinity’ as evidenced in violent music videos and strong worded song lyrics that seem to reaffirm the perceived superiority of the male gender.

Bibliography
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