U.N.I.T.Y.
by Sierra
Uh, U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity
U.N.I.T.Y., love a black man from infinity to infinity
(Who you calling a bitch?)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black woman from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)
U.N.I.T.Y., U.N.I.T.Y. that's a unity (You gotta let him know)
(You go, come on here we go)
U.N.I.T.Y., Love a black man from (You got to let him know)
infinity to infinity (You ain't a bitch or a ho)
Instinct leads me to another flow
Every time I hear a brother call a girl a bitch or a ho
Trying to make a sister feel low
You know all of that gots to go
Now everybody knows there's exceptions to this rule
Now don't be getting mad, when we playing, it's cool
But don't you be calling out my name
I bring wrath to those who disrespect me like a dame
That's why I'm talking, one day I was walking down the block
I had my cutoff shorts on right cause it was crazy hot
I walked past these dudes when they passed me
One of 'em felt my booty, he was nasty
I turned around red, somebody was catching the wrath
Then the little one said (Yeah me bitch) and laughed
Since he was with his boys he tried to break fly
Huh, I punched him dead in his eye and said "Who you calling a bitch?"
~ Queen Latifah “U.N.I.T.Y”
These lyrics play through my head every time I hear a new song on the radio. Queen Latifah wrote this song to empower young women and to let us know that it is not what a person calls you, but what you answer to that matters. She is a female rapper who used her gift with words to educate women and to uplift them to be more than a stereotype. I am oftentimes left with one question after turning off the television: “Where has the hip hop generation gone?” Women have been turned into “Shawty’s” and “Bay Bay” and even though many women would love to be called a “Ten” it seems there are few songs on popular radio that uplift women of color. Every station I turn to has an artist rapping about a woman getting low or putting a female to bed. While all of these songs are artistic expressions about what the artist feels at that time, or what he/she feels will get airplay, they do not seem to empower women to be more than a shawty or a dancer. Young women of color are more than the words rapped about on local radio and television music stations.
We are the next generation of intellectuals who will leave our mark on the world through education, teaching, uplifting, and empowering young girls to be more than the video girl, and to erase the stereotype that a young woman has to disrespect her body to become successful in life. We must be role models to a generation which barely notices the objectification and even abuse of women in hip-hop lyrics. Hip-hop was created as a lyrical expression for artists to use their words to talk about society, their life struggles and gains. It could also be just a fun expression of life in general. Either way, artists do not have to demean another group or person to get sales. Young women of color are not bitch, ho, or even “bay bay” or “shawty.” Hip-hop has become the platform for artists to call our sisters, daughters, and mothers these words, and the power to be a “woman” has become a thing of the past.
My plea to every young woman of color is to stand up against these songs and lyrics. You do not have to act out the lyrics in the songs. We are more than the words that are played on the radio and we are more than the dance moves on music videos. The hip-hop of today does not define our character, our strengths, our culture or our knowledge. Artists such as Queen Latifah, Sister Souljah, MC Lyte, Common, Mos Def, and many other lyricists used their words to empower a generation to be more than the status quo and to break out of the box that society put us in. Women of color: we need U.N.I.T. Y to stand up against every injustice, disparity, and negative publicity that surrounds young women who are Hispanic, Black, Asian, and American Indian. The lyrics do not define us; we are more than the words on the Billboard top ten songs. Instead of supporting these songs because they have a nice beat, let’s create, support, and stand up for the music that is more about the positive images of women.
We carry the same power that former women activist such as Angela Davis, Rosa Parks, Ida B. Wells had. They empowered a generation and a culture to stand up against the societal ills in this nation. Where is that strength, empowerment, and motivation? We once had to fight for our lives, respect, and our rights. We all have a voice - do you want to be called “shawty” or do you want to be called by the name your parents gave you? It is about taking back the power and fighting for more positivity in songs and in videos. If we support the hip-hop that calls us demeaning names, the music industry will only keep making it, but if we speak out and support the hip-hop that calls us women, queens, survivors, mothers, sisters, daughters, lovers, and partners, someone will have to take notice and start listening. So, do you want to stand up for U.N.I.T.Y?
Related Articles
|
