The hip-hop culture has been long associated with violent and misogynistic imagery, in spite of its tightly bound collective of both male and female artists and its notable fan base of both genders. In her article, Hip-hop's Betrayal of Black Women, author Jennifer McLune cuts to the core of the women hating culture admonishing women and fringe artists such as Common, Eve, and Talib Kweli, not to accept or support the misogynistic culture being emphasized by their musical brethren. McLune argues that simply offering "lip-service" protests about the negative imagery associated with this musical genre is more of a public relations ploy than an actual attempt to change the hip-hop culture and offer women the respect they deserve. Further, McLune implies that the current culture divides women against women and blacks against blacks, perpetuating the prejudice against these respective groups. The author offers a passionate and logical argument as to why the Hip-Hop culture excuses the sexism associated with this musical genre as a tragic side effect of poverty, further breeding the misogynistic objectification of black women.
In her article, Hip-Hop's Betrayal of Black Women, McLune points out that a major argument used to trivialize they negative representation of black women is that the socio-economic hardships experienced by the artist should give them a pass to say as they please. As Tupac Shakur brought out, "We were given this world, we did not make it" (2). McLune argues that both men and women were subjected to the rough times, economic hardships, and socioeconomic conditions used as an excuse for the harsh, derogatory, and berating lyrics.
The primary reason the hip-hop industry allows for the blatant sexism in their art is the financial draw of the controversial subjects. That the success of the hip-hop genre comes from its violent objectification of women (5). McLune notes that
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