The novel, “Invisible Man”, a
commentary on racial stereotypes, ideologies, and black identity was
written by Ralph Ellison and published in 1952. The unnamed narrator
reflects on the progression of his life and how he has become the man
he is in the present. He comes to the conclusion that he is an
invisible man simply because others refuse to “see” him,
acknowledge him, and accept him as an individual in hegemonic white society. Throughout the
course of his life he is continually told what to think and how to
act based on ideologies. He finds that he is perpetually
plagued with stereotypes that he cannot discharge. The narrator questions what responsibility he has to a society that refuses to "see" him as an individual who thinks for himself and fits into no single formulaic category. Though the narrator of "Invisible Man" experienced his struggles around the 1930s, similar struggles are experienced by the African American male today. Because our world is so heavily influenced by media, the African American rapper has become a representative of black culture. This being said, what responsibility, if any, does the African American rapper have to black culture and its representation? Before coming to a conclusion, let's review some of the prevalent messages mainstream rap artist frequently convey.
Hyper-Masculinity
The hyper-masculine male is continually perpetrated in rap music and its music videos. Hyper-masculinity is presented through the image the "tough guy" persona; a dominant male in control who attains his power through instilling fear in other men. Guns are regularly mentioned to reinforce the African American rapper's reputation of hyper-masculine manhood. In the song, "Poppin' Them Thangs", by rap group, G-unit, each of the three group members rap about some form of weaponry. The chorus explains, "Every hood we go through/ All the gangsters around know my whole crew/ We hold it down like we're supposed to/ Nigga you can front if you want, we'll be poppin them thangs". Through the chorus, the men portray the persona that represents them as men with credibility, because all gangsters ( gangsters being the epitome of the masculine, threatening male) acknowledge them as men to be respected. By saying, "We hold it down like we're suppose to", G-Unit express that men are supposed to be threatening and are supposed to be willing to engage in violence to assert their manhood.
Gender Policing and Homophobia
Gender policing is used to reinforce gender roles and clearly state what it means to be feminine or masculine. Gender policing does not allow for males to participate in hegemonic feminine behaviors without being scolded. In American rap, this occurs when a male rapper is not fulfilling the hyper-masculine role that he is supposed to. Shown in the hip hop documentary, " Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes", by filmmaker, Byron Hurt, rapper 50 cent berates fellow rapper Ja Rule for crying in one of his music videos. 50 cent, showing the video to an audience, utilizes gender policing to explain that a male who cries is essentially equivalent to a female, saying, " So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The next time you're flipping through your radio or through your T.V, you'll know how to identify a bitch ass nigga". Not only is 50 cent attributing crying as solely a female behavior, but he is making a statement to all men that participating in such behaviors is unacceptable. This mind set aligns intimately with the deep rooted homophobia in hip hop. The fear of homosexuality in hip hop is so acute that for rapper, Busta Rhymes, it was not even acceptable for him to be in a room where the topic was being discussed, exiting with " What I represent culturally doesn't condone it whatsoever". Indeed, so long as gender policing and hyper-masculinity remain prevalent in hip hop, the culture will never accept homosexuality.
Misogyny
The objectification of women can be seen in a multitude of media outlets, and hip hop is no exception. In American culture the more women a man has desiring him, the more masculine and powerful he becomes. Due to the hyper-masculinity exhibited in hip hop the male rapper is portrayed as so powerful and desirable that women become easily accessible and therefore valueless. It can be seen in numerous rap music videos that the dozens of sparsely clothed women are present entirely for the affirmation of the male rapper's manhood and explicit heterosexuality. Songs like, " Big Pimpin' ", by rap artist, Jay-Z, present pimping in flattering light, glorifying the male pimp and degrading the female prostitute. Presenting prostitution in an attractive, desirable manner allows for desensitization to the serious social issue and perpetuation of violence against women.
By and large, there are many negative ideologies that hip hop propagates through the media. Whether expressed implicitly or explicitly, hyper-masculinity, gender roles, homophobia, and misogyny remain a prevalent part of hip hop culture, and as a result, are attributed to black culture as well. As a consequence of this relationship between hip hop and black culture, the individual rap artist has been allotted a level of responsibility for how black culture is represented nationally and internationally. Undoubtedly, African Americans have dealt with overt and implied racism for centuries and this largely affects the messages that are produce through hip hop. Now, recall that invisibility in the novel, "Invisible Man" symbolizes the cloak of stereotypes that are placed on black males by society, and that the narrator struggles with the question of how much responsibility an oppressed man has in a racist society. In embracing his invisibility as a black man in America, the narrator admits that he is acting extremely irresponsible. This can be applied to the African American rap artist who embraces and perpetuates deep seeded stereotypes of African American males. In a sense, the African American rapper is behaving exactly as white hegemonic society of the early 1900s expects him to behave, he is embracing his invisibility. So in essences, the African American rapper is behaving irresponsibly when he perpetuates such stereotypes through his music. He is accepting the identity that has be ascribed to him, rather then defining his own individuality. The expression of individuality is an important key in breaking down generalized stereotypes of black men. As representatives of black culture, African American rappers are largely responsible to the movement toward the end of stereotypes attributed to black men.
The objectification of women can be seen in a multitude of media outlets, and hip hop is no exception. In American culture the more women a man has desiring him, the more masculine and powerful he becomes. Due to the hyper-masculinity exhibited in hip hop the male rapper is portrayed as so powerful and desirable that women become easily accessible and therefore valueless. It can be seen in numerous rap music videos that the dozens of sparsely clothed women are present entirely for the affirmation of the male rapper's manhood and explicit heterosexuality. Songs like, " Big Pimpin' ", by rap artist, Jay-Z, present pimping in flattering light, glorifying the male pimp and degrading the female prostitute. Presenting prostitution in an attractive, desirable manner allows for desensitization to the serious social issue and perpetuation of violence against women.
By and large, there are many negative ideologies that hip hop propagates through the media. Whether expressed implicitly or explicitly, hyper-masculinity, gender roles, homophobia, and misogyny remain a prevalent part of hip hop culture, and as a result, are attributed to black culture as well. As a consequence of this relationship between hip hop and black culture, the individual rap artist has been allotted a level of responsibility for how black culture is represented nationally and internationally. Undoubtedly, African Americans have dealt with overt and implied racism for centuries and this largely affects the messages that are produce through hip hop. Now, recall that invisibility in the novel, "Invisible Man" symbolizes the cloak of stereotypes that are placed on black males by society, and that the narrator struggles with the question of how much responsibility an oppressed man has in a racist society. In embracing his invisibility as a black man in America, the narrator admits that he is acting extremely irresponsible. This can be applied to the African American rap artist who embraces and perpetuates deep seeded stereotypes of African American males. In a sense, the African American rapper is behaving exactly as white hegemonic society of the early 1900s expects him to behave, he is embracing his invisibility. So in essences, the African American rapper is behaving irresponsibly when he perpetuates such stereotypes through his music. He is accepting the identity that has be ascribed to him, rather then defining his own individuality. The expression of individuality is an important key in breaking down generalized stereotypes of black men. As representatives of black culture, African American rappers are largely responsible to the movement toward the end of stereotypes attributed to black men.
