Spring Break
The Daily OrangeAuthor offers new take on hip-hop
By Kristen Aufiero
Posted: 11/17/04, 1:52 AM EST Section: News
Pough said hip-hop has changed, and she said she thinks the changes are mainly good ones.
"Now hip-hop is worldwide. There are hip-hop movements all over the world, in Japan, Germany, France, even Israel. The culture has expanded across the globe," she said.
She said she also believes hip-hop culture is male-dominated as a result of the nature of hip-hop itself and the way society values the capabilities of women.
"I don't think that there's a large space for women," she said.
Pough said the culture is still largely masculine, but some women have made their voices heard and are gaining more momentum.
"Unfortunately it is male-dominated, but there are artists who say that it doesn't have to be that way," said Kathryn Wilson, a junior majoring in political science and African American studies. "Lil' Kim, as a woman, is trying to level the playing field. This music transcends gender roles. It's about the power of black women."
Artists in other musical areas, such as Ma Rainey and Dinah Washington, have influenced female hip-hop artists like Lil' Kim, Wilson said.
"There have always been women involved," Pough said, citing Sylvia Robinson, the woman who founded Sugar Hill Records, as an example.
Pough completed the book after a year and a half, and the process was difficult at times with about nine months of revising with her editors. There are no rap lyrics in her book because of copyright purposes, and Pough said she tried to paraphrase the lyrics.
"That part of the process was a learning experience because I didn't know so many of these artists don't own the rights to their songs. It made me sad, because with rap lyrics, most of the time the artist is actually writing their own lyrics," she said. "But they don't get to own a majority of their rights. It's disheartening."
Now that the whole process is finished, though, Pough said she is just waiting for the reviews.
"I think it's written in a way that's accessible, and that people who are involved in hip-hop and hip-hop activism will like that aspect," she said. "I consider myself part of the hip-hop generation so it was nice to be able to write about it and think critically about it."
"Now hip-hop is worldwide. There are hip-hop movements all over the world, in Japan, Germany, France, even Israel. The culture has expanded across the globe," she said.
She said she also believes hip-hop culture is male-dominated as a result of the nature of hip-hop itself and the way society values the capabilities of women.
"I don't think that there's a large space for women," she said.
Pough said the culture is still largely masculine, but some women have made their voices heard and are gaining more momentum.
"Unfortunately it is male-dominated, but there are artists who say that it doesn't have to be that way," said Kathryn Wilson, a junior majoring in political science and African American studies. "Lil' Kim, as a woman, is trying to level the playing field. This music transcends gender roles. It's about the power of black women."
Artists in other musical areas, such as Ma Rainey and Dinah Washington, have influenced female hip-hop artists like Lil' Kim, Wilson said.
"There have always been women involved," Pough said, citing Sylvia Robinson, the woman who founded Sugar Hill Records, as an example.
Pough completed the book after a year and a half, and the process was difficult at times with about nine months of revising with her editors. There are no rap lyrics in her book because of copyright purposes, and Pough said she tried to paraphrase the lyrics.
"That part of the process was a learning experience because I didn't know so many of these artists don't own the rights to their songs. It made me sad, because with rap lyrics, most of the time the artist is actually writing their own lyrics," she said. "But they don't get to own a majority of their rights. It's disheartening."
Now that the whole process is finished, though, Pough said she is just waiting for the reviews.
"I think it's written in a way that's accessible, and that people who are involved in hip-hop and hip-hop activism will like that aspect," she said. "I consider myself part of the hip-hop generation so it was nice to be able to write about it and think critically about it."
