See, sex sells. That’s why it’s everywhere. But though India is one of the most populated countries in the world, sex is not normalised. It’s still hush-hush, except that women have been sexualised in different aspects of life − mostly in music and entertainment; a lot in the genre of hip-hop.
But now that women are claiming their sexuality, and capitalising on it – something that men have been doing for centuries – in their own way, people have issues. It’s ironic that when women want to own their own sexuality and talk about it, they are called names!
I recently got into an argument with a person who said that the WAP (Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion) music video is internalised misogyny. Apparently men started objectifying women and women haven’t realised it and are carrying it forward! In a conversation like that, the other party is not willing to learn, and it’s more an attack than a debate.
Attack, not debate
I’ve experienced this too with the video of my recent song Yaaru, where I have three shirtless men sitting while I’m just sitting and rapping. It’s a personal song and has nothing to do with sexualisation or body parts or innuendos. Yet, a lot of people saw it as a direct attack. Comments like, “Oh she’s so good but I wish the video didn’t have the boys,” were aplenty. It’s very aesthetically shot too but the problem is people are uncomfortable seeing the visual. And that moral compass doesn’t sit right with me. It was a conscious decision to have the three men, though, because I appreciate men. And no, it doesn’t have to be sexual. I also realise a lot of women have internalised misogyny, so when you come across someone like me, these people think it’s ‘too much’. It’s so numbing at times!
{{/usCountry}}I’ve experienced this too with the video of my recent song Yaaru, where I have three shirtless men sitting while I’m just sitting and rapping. It’s a personal song and has nothing to do with sexualisation or body parts or innuendos. Yet, a lot of people saw it as a direct attack. Comments like, “Oh she’s so good but I wish the video didn’t have the boys,” were aplenty. It’s very aesthetically shot too but the problem is people are uncomfortable seeing the visual. And that moral compass doesn’t sit right with me. It was a conscious decision to have the three men, though, because I appreciate men. And no, it doesn’t have to be sexual. I also realise a lot of women have internalised misogyny, so when you come across someone like me, these people think it’s ‘too much’. It’s so numbing at times!
{{/usCountry}}The ‘female’ tag
What I also find annoying is that when people talk about women rappers, the term ‘female rappers’ is used. No one uses ‘male rapper’ for men. It’s just rapper. Even on Instagram! You’ll see pages going gaga over tracks by men, but for women it’ll be a collective and like Women’s Day or Durga ma puja! Those are the only days you care about women. The rest of the year, people don’t give a damn.
Let’s not forget references to rape and violence in hip-hop, which fortunately has reduced now. I mean, that’s not something that should make a person feel good in the first place. It shouldn’t exist, so it’s honestly nothing to be happy about!
But the dynamic is changing globally with the shift in power as women crawl their way to owning their space. And as long as it makes women feel empowered, who’s anyone to say anything?
—As told to Karishma Kuenzang
Siri, 27, is a Bengaluru-based rapper, who raps in Kannada, Telugu, English and Hindi. She was nominated for the MTV EMA (Europe Music Award) 2020
Follow @Kkuenzang on Twitter and Instagram
From HT Brunch, April 11, 2021
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