A few casual comments from rapper T.I. last week touched a nerve after the rapper had said he would not vote for Hillary Clinton, simply because she was a female.
“Not to be sexist but, I can’t vote for the leader of the free world to be a woman. Just because, every other position that exists, I think a woman could do well. But the president? It’s kinda like, I just know that women make rash decisions emotionally…I think you might be able to the Lochness Monster elected before you could [get a woman].” T.I. stated.
LOL!
T.I. made the comments as he was being interviewed by DJ Whoo Kid so don’t go getting your “panties in a bunch.” DJ Whoo Kid does great interviews on his critically acclaimed show, but it is not “Anderson Cooper 360.” If T.I. had been making an appearance on CNN and was asked the same question, there’s no doubt he would have been a bit more reserved, especially with his experience in the music business.
Of course, that doesn’t excuse T.I. who most likely expressed his true sexist beliefs while his guard was down. It’s relatively easy to hone in on T.I., since he was rather direct. But what about that record currently chugging towards #1 on the charts, by arguably the most popular rapper in the world?
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Is Drake Less Sexist than other rappers?
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Drake’s latest song “Hotline Bling” is a message to a woman who isn’t calling him anymore.
If you read the lyrics, Drake seems upset that the woman has friends, a nice social life, and a successful career of some sorts since her passport is getting stamped all the time.
The way Drake frames his lyrics makes them much more palatable for men and women. Moreover, it is something the rapper has done deliberately. It is something Isha Damle noted in an article for Syracuse’s Daily Orange, which pointed out that Drake’s a sexist, but he’s more of a “feminist” than other rappers.
“It’s lyrics like these that shame women for wearing clothes that some consider provocative. Though it is possible that Drake’s intentions are to encourage women to find hobbies other than clubbing, it really isn’t his place to tell a woman what her appropriate behavior ought to be,” Damle reasoned. “Women can be encouraged to empower themselves in ways that don’t shame their behaviors, and quite frankly, considering how much rappers brag about their exploits in the club, it is hypocritical to shame women for engaging in the same behavior.
In a lengthy interview with The Fader, Drake said he wanted to serve as a time marker for his generation and continue to share his real-world experiences. “I just want to be remembered as somebody who was himself, not a product,” Drake told The Fader.
“Even if Drake behaves differently around women in real life than he treats them in songs, rapping about “b*tches” all the time while trying to present himself as a more sensitive rapper does more harm than good,” Damle said. “Let’s just hope that being around powerhouse women like Serena Williams will encourage Drake to reconsider his behavior within the scope of the music industry.”
Only time will tell if the rapper, who cites his mother as one of his biggest influences, will have a different perspective on women, which could impact the outlook of thousands of other rappers.
