Beyond the mainstream of ‘gangster pop’, Nino argues hip hop can be – and is – feminist
A so-called ‘feminist’ group from a student union attached to my local university ripped their own eyelashes out recently, to the delight of the on-looking public. Not literally, of course… But that’s how it appeared from where I was standing in my painted trainers. They frolicked round the city like a bunch of 12-year-old Rainbow schoolgirls, smacking stickers on random people’s backs. The oh-so-inspirational logo printed on this waste of plastic and glue? “Think you’re fit”.
First off. I believe that ‘the feminist’ is possibly the least-fulfilled stereotype on the planet. To be honest, most of the legit feminists I’ve come across turned out to be the most stunning, powerful and honest people I have ever met.
The thing which really pissed me off about the branding of these stickers smack in the middle of my ‘Not Bad For A Girl’ t-shirt, was that they were creating an organisation which basically ripped itself so the rest of the public felt no need to do so. They were there, under this group name, which would usually suggest politics, soul, truth and revolution. And they were saying, actually, you’re right. We lasses aren’t particularly bright or influential. So we’ve made an organisation to rip ourselves further. Come watch us giggle and prance about to shitty house music.
I don’t fucking think so.
