Rap is a black male genre. So when Jay Z took on Nas in "Takeover," it did nothing but sell more records. I'm not overlooking the fact that this is a racially charged issue. One must simply look at the fates of Tupac and Biggie to understand that this is much deeper than who is the most lyrically talented rapper.
But when we look at Eminem, a white, heterosexual male who starts "feuds" with anything that moves, we see the lens of privilege is strong here. Somehow, this poor white kid can break into a genre that is traditionally not his, make it his, and anger most people already in the game, say "fuck it" and continue selling records, even to people he insults.
When Nicki Minaj first broke onto the scene, I didn't love her. But with Pink Friday, I began to really see her for what she is: a feminist. She's a gender fucking female who is doing big things in a man's world.
And Lil Kim was one of the first women to make any strides in the male-dominated world of hip-hop.
So why are these two women tearing each other apart? Why did Lil Kim put out an album cover with a highly sexualized and violent image of Nicki with her head ripped off?
Why can't we just get along? Why must we get in each other's way? Why can't we build each other up?
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