We’ve a bonus blog post for you this week. Earlier this month Cardi B welcomed her third child. In today’s post, pulled from the pages of Ma’Chell M. Duma’s 33 1/3 on Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, we look at how rap is becoming more matriarchal and the expectations placed on mothers in popular music.
Excerpt from Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, by Ma’Chell M. Duma
One of the principle reasons men have forever feared matriarchies is because they believe women will rule in the same manner they have for thousands of years; when in fact societies helmed by women are frequently structured communally, have historically allowed for more sexual and economic freedom, and tend to have happier citizens. 1
As an example of matriarchal power in Black art we can look to the world of film and director Ava DuVerny. Variety examined The OWN drama “Queen Sugar” noting it had
made its mark on TV thanks to creator Ava DuVernay’s decision to only hire women to direct the show, now in its seventh and final season. Variety spoke to all 42 directors (including DuVernay), who emphasized how her daring mandate changed the trajectory not only of their careers—with 39 of them getting their first episodic credit—but also of their lives.
Working on “Queen Sugar” had practical benefits: Many of the directors secured entry into the DGA, received health insurance and found representation for the first time. But the greatest gain may have been their newfound sense of confidence in their talents. That was a hard-won victory in an industry that has made it so hard, for so long, for women. Collectively, they refer to the changes brought about, thanks to the “Queen Sugar” initiative, as “the Ava Effect.” 2
Rap is slowly but surely becoming more matriarchal, in the most literal sense, as many Pussy Rappers are also mothers. Cardi herself had two children back to back after her major label debut.
Throughout the history of popular music women have given up children, forgone having them, and given up their careers to raise them. The number of mothers in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is shockingly low and the majority of those names compromised their career at some point to parent. Out of all the inductees, seemingly only Diana Ross and Madonna had children mid-career and were able to continue at their previous artistic output.
But now we have seemingly swung almost too far in the opposite direction.
Fans now expect artists to drop an album and a baby. Your reveal should be public. Pregnant artists performing to their literal due date happens with enough frequency that we compare them. Black women in modern America face staggering rates of both mother and infant mortality, making the stress of career and motherhood a life and death issue. Black women are also faced with super heroic expectations when it comes to careers and motherhood. Even the most celebrated and wealthy like Serena Williams, who most consider a superior human, have experienced frightening, traumatic deliveries, and stigmas regarding their return to work.
However, the upside is that pregnant bodies are normalized, even in various states of undress. As working women with children require childcare, which is mostly staffed by other women, space for nannies and kid-friendly backstages become part of touring norms and lean into the communal care style modeled in matriarchy. The second matriarchal aspect to the ascension of Pussy Rap and Cardi as an artist is the sense of Femme Rap as a whole community. After years of being the “featured” girl, femme artists started collaborating with each other to create a new metric of success. Cardi has served as a model in encouraging other women to be part of the game and encouraging those women to do the same. By 2022, there were more femme collaborations than there had ever been in the history of the medium absolutely dominating the Top 40. When these women are in charge of their own labels and atop the power structure, we will see how Hip-Hop and matriarchy evolve.
1 https://www.damemagazine.com/2013/05/10/five-things-we-know-about-societies-run-women/
2 https://variety.com/lists/queen-sugar-42-women-directors-ava-duvernay/
Ma’Chell M. Duma’s
writing has long centered on sex-positive, intersectional feminism and pop culture. Her work has included columns on style, brunch, and cannabis. Her first love is long form music writing. Duma’s childhood goals were to live in New York City, become a music scribe, and marry slash. She has, so far, accomplished two of the three.
Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy is available to buy in bookshops and online (including at Bloomsbury.com).
