My good friend over in Canadia, Ms Tara Henley, does a regular blog for the newly revamped xxlmag.com. Her latest one concerns women in journalism being labelled groupies, wannabies, sluts, ho's, yadda yadda ya.
Here's a taster:
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Yeah, so generally I avoid talking about sexism in hip-hop at all costs. After all, the key to being a successful female hip-hop writer is to never, ever acknowledge (a) that you are indeed female and (b) that there is any sexism in hip-hop whatsoever. Any mention of either of these things serves as an invitation for dudes to scrutinize your private life.
But given the fact that several male bloggers insist on repeatedly raising the issue, and none of the female bloggers (not a single one of us five) have responded, I’m afraid the time has come to jump in. (Plus, it seems that the XXL site has become the spot to say all the stuff that isn’t normally said. Interscope that.)
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To read more check out
http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=849
or tarahenley.com
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Now, I got to add my own opinion too. This was something I wanted to talk about a while back, but frankly couldn't be arsed until I read Tara's post and was suitably inspired to get off my ass.
On these very pages there was a wee, all-in-good-fun beef with another blogger, who I'm actually a fan of. The fact his lyrics centered on my punani etc didn't bother me - it was predictable, but, hey he's appealing to young minds so dude had to do what he had to do. What made me lock off the back and forth tho was the comments he had posted on his site. Now I'm really not wanting to dredge that situation back up, but it's so tiresome to hear people's presumptions about who or what you are and why they think you do what you do. Call me ugly, old etc - that's cool, I'm 31 (old for a WOMAN in this game, but young for a GUY doing the same thing, right?) and while I think I'm kinda fly, my looks might not do it for you - but don't be on some shit where you straight-up make shit up. That's nuts.
As a female journalist in this game I have been told to my face and via my blog that I'm just in this to 'suck black dick.' Literally. Don't know what's wrong with Em's bits but I guess I'm racist too, huh? Too often we women in the game are viewed as being 'in it for the wrong reasons' (that came via a 'collegue' btw) when perhaps we're just into the music and want to write about it so other people can listen with the same pleasure we do. I've listened to, written about and DJd hip hop and R&B for over 15 years now and I love it as much now as I did when I was a kid taping Tim Westwood on a Friday night or rocking to What's The 411 on the bus to college. That's why I buy Remy Ma or Lil Wayne albums the second (ok, slight exaggeration) my feet touch US soil - cos I want to hear that isht so bad but it's not available in the UK.
But you know what? I don't actually care if people do think I'm in this for whatever reason they imagine, despite never having met or spoken to me. All I know is I couldn't have a better job; I get to talk to people whose music I love, hear their material in advance and travel the world in order to do this. That's not to mention the gigs, the CD's, the promo's and the freeness in general. Put it like that, I guess you can see why people have to hate. If I weren't me, I'd hate me too!
So suck a dick yourself and while you're at it suck ya mama and shh huh you muh.
Out.
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