Activity #1--What is Hip Hop?
Have students brainstorm and then write down words that come to mind, when they hear the term "Hip Hop" and particularly Women in Hip Hop on index cards. After students have completed the task, have them tape the cards on a wall/chalkboard. Facilitate a discussion around the words. Would the rest of the collective agree? Disagree? Discuss.
Write following words on word wall (facilitator can add to the list):
MisogynyHybridism
Braggadocios
Sexism
Marginalization
Intersectionality
Exploitation
Consumerism
Repudiate
Problematic
Imagery
Metaphoric
Have the students defined the words from common stocks of knowledge (i.e. what they have already known from hearing each word) at first, then facilitator gives definition of words. If so, have them find the commonality between their words and the words on the word wall.Discussion.
Activity #1--Black Women telling their stories
· Ask the students have they ever heard of a griot? Tell the students that although one may be led to believe that hip hop music is a recent evolution, it relates back to the griots of West Africa, from more than two hundred years ago. The griots were, and in some rural areas still are, storytellers, poets and traveling singers who played an important role in ancient African societies. They used poetry and rhythm to teach the people about their history, as written language was rarely used
· Facilitate a discussion on how this relates to MCs (Master of Ceremonies)?
o Aspects to discuss: Other forms of griots in the Black community? Black Women as storytellers?
o Using both their words and the words on the word wall, start a "chain story". The facilitator will start this off, ex. "There once was a girl name Lisa, who loved Hip Hop. . ." Each student must add onto the story using a word until everyone has a turn all the words are used.
Activity #2--Stronger in Numbers
· Ask the students what female MCS, have they heard of? Write them on the board.
· Make a list of male MCs they have heard of and currently listen to.
· Facilitate a discussion around the differences and commonalities of the two lists. What do we attribute this to?
Activity #3--Define ourselves, for herself, for myself.
Group the Women into "listening groups", where they will name themselves from either creating an original name or using a name of a present day or past female MC? Briefly ask them to explain why they choose the name.
Activity #4--Listening Party
While in their listening groups, ask the students to keep these three questions in mind:
What are they saying?
What aren't they saying?
What comes to mind while listening to each song?
After each song, encourage brief discussions amongst groups and have one representative from each group, report what the group came up with, overall on each song.
(Facilitator can pick and choose which songs to keep, for time consumption)
Lil' Kim--"Queen Bitch"
Lauryn Hill--"Doo Wop: That Thing"
Nikki Minaji--"Your Love"
MC Lyte--"Georgie Porgie"
Roxanne Shante'--"Have a Nice Day"
Bahamadi--"Uknowhowwedo"
Yo-Yo--"You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo"
Sister Soujah--"Slavery's Back in Effect"
Queen Isis--"The Power of the Truth"
Salt and Pepa-"Independent"
Jean Grae--"Love Song"
Foxy Brown--"Ill Na-Na"
Eve--"Heaven Only Knows"
Queen Latifah--"Ladies First"/UNITY
Nikki D--Daddy's Girl
After the listening party, briefly read to the students the framework Cheryl Keyes uses in "Empowering Self, Empowering Choices. . .", where she classifies Black female rappers in three categories "Queen Mother", "Fly Girls" and "Sistas with Attitudes". Ask each group to brainstorm for a couple of minutes, on where would they put each rapper and song, and why?
Artist/Song
Queen Mother(Community Responsibility)
Fly Girls(Empowerment/Independence)
Sistas with Attitudes(Sexual agency)
Activity #5--I Write What I like
Have the students in rap form; construct a rhyme either solo, or as an individual about anything personal, the state of Hip Hop female MCs, etc. Specifically focus in on what the female MCs that you listened to, did not say. Encourage them to find the gap.
Activity #6--When there is Woman, there is Magic
Using objects, papers, markers, etc, have the students ponder on thinking about the complexities of Black women and girls and the ways our images are both different and alike, what would a near to perfect representation of a female MC look like? What will this MC rap about? Who would her audience be?
Closing activity--Read excerpts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsPolm335vY) Hip Hop Cheerleader by Jessica Care Moore and Musical Revolution by Jane Musoke-Nteyafas
"I'm a Hip Hop Cheerleader, carrying Hand grenades/ and blood red pom poms/screaming from the sidelines of a stage I built"---Jessica Care Moore (I'm a Hip Hop Cheerleader)
"We stand on merit of our poems, we stand on merit of our songs, we stand on merit of our talents,we are calling for a change and do not call us deranged, if we want to be portray in a more positive light in fact we are the light that brings you delight and brings you insight. We take you to creative heights. Our words sing with sensual sights.We shout our message with might. ---Jane Musoke-Nteyafas, Musical Revolution
Using Moore and Jane Musoke-Nteyafasm, attempt to wrap up today's activities with debrief of a discussion.
Scratch paper
Artist/Song
Queen Mother(Community Responsibility)
Fly Girls(Empowerment/Independence)
Sistas with Attitudes(Sexual agency)
Hip Hop Cheerleader (in full)
I'm a hip hop cheerleadercarrying hand grenades and blood red pom poms
screaming from the sidelines of a stage I built
afraid to part down the middle
for feminine riddles
raining words of proverbs
of prophets who never get heard
because the microphone is just another phallic symbol
that allows jack to be nimble
jack too quick
leaving Jill with a man who can't climb a hill
and a bucket of spit
she can't drink for find her reflection
inside she hides.
inside crooked eyes of amber
allows her life to be slandered
if hip hop is conscious
we must change the standard
my womb-mate's been slandered
i planned her arrival
of letters and lyrics never sent to those lovers
who claim that they know her
but still blow her off as flunky
not a microphone flunky
fiending for a quick fix
no fast cars & hoe tricks
her mouth matrix is taped
left her language for rape
so she ate her words
and became an instant interlude
a cute break between the music
when she was an electric lady
a black flower rhyme scheme romantic
a breathe and release tantric with five tongues
and no one
understood why her flow was so fast
asked to slow down
hesitate--never last
to the finish I'm gonna win this
all the DJs gon' spin it
when you're a woman
71
sometimes all you have is a minute
I'm a hip hop cheerleader
I buy all your records
despite the misogyny
not looking for the blood in me
respond to me
I feel molested hip hop fondled me
I know the conscious brothas follow me
hollow me with half breaths
real emcees don't half step
but I never slept
took my poems and made food
put my babies in school taught me
to wait for no one
never turn my back from the sun of man
I know all my fly mommas understand
got the rifle on my back
with a mic in my hand
I'll be the air that you breathe
I'll be your number one fan
I'll scream the HEYs
I'll tolerate all your hoes
I'm a hip hop cheerleader
there she go
there she goes
self love freed me
despite all your rhymes with bitches
I know you need me
complete thee believe me
I see you growing in me
looking out form my belly
your rhyme schemes are telling
sang those lullabies to nelly
walking close to my edge like melle
doing cartwheels and air splits
u stage diving into white chics
when I got your hair pick
your weapon of choice
I chose my voice
'cause I only gotta quarter left
on this microphone meter
I got on a short pleated skirt
72
I'm a hip hop cheerleader
there she go
there she goes. . .
Musical Revolution--Jane Musoke-Nteyafas
This is a musical revolution
This is a lyrical revolution
This is a poetical revolution
This is a wordology revolution
This is a phraseology revolution
This is an ideology revolution
This is a respectology revolution
This is an imagery revolution
This is a dictionary revolution
This is a humanitarian revolution
We refuse to take off our clothes.
we refuse to be ho's
we refuse to play these games
we refused to be called names
just to sell
just to tell
our souls to the public
our stories to the public
our music to the public.
We stand on merit of our poems
We stand on merit of our songs
We stand on merit of our talents
We are calling for a change
and do not call us deranged
if we want to be portrayed
in a more positive light
in fact we are the light
that brings you delight
and brings you insight.
We take you to creative heights
Our words sing with sensual sights
We shout our message with might.
We are the female voices
that are making positive choices,
enough with the sexual noises.
We are the messages
of beautiful womanly images.
We do not need to strip
in order to make that video clip.
We are beautiful even with our clothes on,
we've got brains that can turn you on.
We refuse to show you our breasts
just to boost our record sales.
Isn't it enough that we tell tales?
We refuse to jiggle in thongs
just to sell our songs.
We refuse to wiggle
what our mamas gave us
instead we choose to juggle
with the gray matter that our creator gave us.
We be the poets
We be the singers
We be the rappers
We be the artists
We be the writers
We be the creators
that are calling for a change
calling for a change
calling for a change
calling for a change.
This is a musical revolution.
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