Mark Anthony Neal sent us an email taking issue with our response on Wednesday to his Africana.com article, "Hip Hop's Gender Problem." Click here for our response. The associate professor of American Studies at University of Texas writes:
"Check the record--my books and public writings have consistently held Hip-Hop and R&B artists as well as a few ministers and patriarchal gatekeepers accountable for their sexism, misogyny and homophobia. A few examples:
Critical Noir: Rhythm and Beatdown
Baby-Girl Drama: Remembering Sakia
My Black Male Feminist Heroes
Critical Noir: Spelman Women Take a Stand"
Our focus was on this particular article, which we believe was too light on offensive hip hoppers. We wish Mr. Neal had put the critique from his other articles into this article. In "Hip Hop's Gender Problem," he deflects too much attention from hip hoppers' actions, arguing that society itself (the influencer) must change before hip hoppers can change. Our point: how about hip hoppers taking some responsibility to change society, especially since they are a key part of the very influencer of which Mr. Neal speaks?
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