1 of 1 copy available
The Motherlode highlights more than 100 women who have shaped the power, scope, and reach of rap music, including pioneers like Roxanne Shanté, game changers like Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott, and current reigning queens like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Lizzo—as well as everyone who came before, after, and in between. Some of these women were respected but not widely celebrated. Some are impossible not to know. Some of these women have stood on their own; others were forced into templates, compelled to stand beside men in big rap crews. Some have been trapped in a strange critical space between respected MC and object. They are characters, caricatures, lyricists, at times both feminine and explicit. This book profiles each of these women, their musical and career breakthroughs, and the ways in which they each helped change the culture of rap.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
February 2, 2021 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781683358053
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781683358053
- File size: 28528 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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March 5, 2021
Rap hadn't existed for long before women were sidelined, struggling for a place in an art form--turned--cultural juggernaut--turned massive media industry. Drawing on years of interviews with hundreds of rappers, journalist Hope (New York Univ.) emphasizes how much these women are already a part of hip-hop history, acknowledged or otherwise, through their individual and collective achievements. The book includes the expected success stories of the artists who are recognizable even to casual fans across the decades--Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Lil' Kim, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and more--but a thread of histories of missed chances and lost potential also winds through the book. Most intriguing are the profiles of rap's early innovators, before the internet, especially social media, made the genre's development accessible to mass audiences in real time. Hope also argues that the rise of social media has not necessarily leveled the playing field, but has made it more accessible to women artists. Baker's dynamic portraits of the artists enhance the volume. VERDICT An appealing survey that highlights many unsung heroines along with the superstars. For hip-hop fans and music historians alike.--Genevieve Williams, Pacific Lutheran Univ. Lib., Tacoma
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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