God Save the Queens
The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
An NPR Best Book of the Year
"Without God
Save the Queens, it is possible that the contributions of dozens of
important female hip-hop artists who have sold tens of millions of albums,
starred in monumental films, and influenced the direction of the culture would
continue to go unrecognized." —AllHipHop.com
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop meets Girls to the Front in this essential and long overdue history of hip-hop’s female pioneers and its enduring stars.
Every history of hip-hop previously published, from Jeff Chang’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop to Shea Serrano’s The Rap Yearbook, focuses primarily on men, glaringly omitting a thorough and respectful examination of the presence and contribution of the genre’s female artists.
For far too long, women in hip-hop have been relegated to the shadows, viewed as the designated “First Lady” thrown a contract, a pawn in some beef, or even worse. But as Kathy Iandoli makes clear, the reality is very different. Today, hip-hop is dominated by successful women such as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, yet there are scores of female artists whose influence continues to resonate.
God Save the Queens pays tribute to the women of hip-hop—from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today. Exploring issues of gender, money, sexuality, violence, body image, feuds, objectification and more, God Save the Queens is an important and monumental work of music journalism that at last gives these influential female artists the respect they have long deserved.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Iandoli (Commissary Kitchen) explores the role of women in hip-hop from its inception in the early 1970s up to the present in this insightful music history. Women have always struggled to get mic time, Iandoli writes: when early groups formed, "only one woman per male crew could exist," and, in the 2000s, "record labels started placing a cap on the number of female rappers they signed." Even today, Iandoli notes, feuds between stars such as Nicki Minaj and Cardi B send the message there's only room for one woman at the top. Throughout the history of hip-hop, women climbing the ranks have often been forced to choose between two archetypes: the "Sex Kitten" and the "Nubian Goddess," who "embraced pro-Black beauty." And over time, artists who found success adopting personas "who loved sex, violence, and designer fashion" forged an even narrower standard: "women now had to be sexy the dirtier the better." Iandoli gives attention to talented women who were lost in that shuffle, to the big names who opened avenues for others (such as Roxanne Shant , Lauryn Hill, Monie Love, and Queen Latifah), and to contemporary artists including Megan Thee Stallion who continue to evolve the genre. Music lovers will celebrate this much-needed exploration of the overlooked experiences of women in hip-hop. Photos.
