Latinas Rapping: The Impact of a new Generation of Musicians
Ana Tijoux, Nitty Scott, Zuzuka Poderosa, Bia Landrau, Nani Castle, Snow tha Product, Danay Suarez, Aye Yo Smiley. [images] From "8 Latina Rappers Who are Killing It" Cosmopolitan.
The woman rapper is a phenomenon in Rap that has been around since very early and has tried to keep with the no-rules everything goes kind of style akin to their male counterparts. Some of them assume the same attitude and mannerisms as male rappers too. No title. [image] from PNW Free Press. Twitter. 2013.
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Woman on Top: Snow tha Product. [video] from International Affair. Youtube. 2011.
Some women have chosen to break the mold of Latino Rap and become rappers even though this has traditionally been a male-dominated field of music. Some of these women like Snow the Product are excellent examples of extremely talented rappers that are among the best lyricists that rap has to offer. The video above displays an interview with Boss Lady from International Affair in their segment called Women on Top. She speaks about her potential success and her plan for the future.
Fuck Weed Legalize my Mom Being the daughter of illegal immigrants, Snow has had a very different experience with the topic of immigration, latindad and being Mexican. Many of her songs reference the fact that she's Mexican as well as latina, so she targets her music at both groups of people. The slogan that she coined "Fuck weed legalize my mom" has been one of the things that she has contributed to the conversation of immigration in the United States. |
Snow the Product: A cut above the rest
Yeah, yeah I'm kind of cocky
When it come to what I'm made of Cause we, we ain't the same And they don't want you from the waist up! You the cookie cutter type and they call me the baker! -Snow tha Product - Cookie Cutter Bitches |
The song "Cookie Cutter Bitches" by Snow Tha Product is a good example of how a female rapper has become affluent and produced songs that highlight problems or at least speak of things that happen to women in the world of Hip-hop. In this song, she speaks of being different from other women because her skill at rapping elevates her above and beyond even male rappers. Interestingly however, she still refers to other women as "bitches." I suppose that that would be a way to differentiate the real woman who will rise above what has been put out for her by men in this field and those who would choose to conform to those limits. In any case, she showcases her skill, style, and marketabilityin this song with a good rap and a catchy hook. She has reached a level that all rappers aspire to.
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Ana Tijoux : Rap in Spanish
Ana Tijoux is another rapper that has influenced the sphere of Latinas in Rap greatly with her rap. Originating from Chile, ties to the happenings in that country can be heard in allusions to her life. In her song 1977, she speaks of the military dictatorship of Agusto Pinochet and of the relationship that the questionings of the era relate to the questions she had about her own life.
La parada militar de paso monotono
Colores policromolos Uniformes de poco tono Detono mi cuestionamento La voz si sono no Mi primera rima que sono y me enrrolo Another example of a female refusing to conform to the niche that has been carved out for women in this genre, Ana Tijoux is a groundbreaking example of a politically-charged and highly opinionated female rapper making waves in the industry, especially in the Spanish-Speaking World. Her colorful and interesting lyrics are a testament to her skill as a rapper and her willingness to be a better rapper through her own skill and not through some cheap bastardization of her body and selling herself as something she is not.
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Photograph of Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux, from the photoshoots of her album 1977. [image] Ana Tijoux. Wikimedia. 2009.
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