Gender | ProHipHop

October 02, 2009

Complete List of 2009 Billboard Women In Music Power Players: Special Honors for Beyonce & Lady Gaga

Billboard has announced the 2009 Billboard Women In Music Power Players List with Beyonce named Woman of the Year and Lady Gaga named Rising Star.

The 2009 Billboard Women In Music Power Players List:

1. Judy McGrath
Chairman/CEO, MTV Networks

2. Julie Greenwald
Chairman/COO, Atlantic Records

3. Jody Gerson
Co-president, Sony/ATV Music Publishing

4. Kathy Willard
Executive VP/CFO, Live Nation

5. Sylvia Rhone
President, Universal Motown Records

6. Debra Lee
Chairman/CEO, BET Networks

7. Alexandra Patsavas
Owner, Chop Shop Music Supervision

8. Amanda Marks
Executive VP/GM, Universal Music Group Distribution

9. Claudia Palmer
Executive VP/COO, Europe, EMI Music Publishing

10. Julie Swidler
Executive VP of business affairs/general counsel, Sony Music Entertainment

11. Marian Leighton Levy
Chairman, Rounder Records

12. Marsha Vlasic
Senior VP of contemporary rock, International Creative Management

13. Tammy Genovese
CEO, Country Music Assn.

14. Cynthia Sexton
Executive VP of music services, EMI Music, Worldwide

15. Brenda Romano
President of promotion, Interscope Geffen A&M Records

16. Amanda Ghost
President, Epic Records

17. Andria Vidler
President, EMI Music U.K. & Ireland

18. Lia Vollack-Friedman
President of motion picture music, Sony Pictures Entertainment

19. Kara DioGuardi
Co-owner, Arthouse Entertainment; VP of A&R, Warner Bros. Records

20. Linda Newmark
Executive VP of acquisitions and strategic projects, Universal Music Publishing Group

21. Melissa Lonner
Senior Producer, 'Today'

22. Rebeca Leon
VP of Latin talent, AEG Live/Goldenvoice

23. Kathy Spanberger
President of the Anglo American region, peermusic

24. Jennifer Schaidler
Executive VP of sales, Sony Music Entertainment

25. Cara Lewis
Agent, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

26. Alison Smith
Senior VP of performing rights, BMI

27. Livia Tortella
GM/Executive VP of marketing and creative media, Atlantic Records

28. Marilyn Bergman
Former president/chairman, ASCAP

29. Liana Farnham
VP of marketing concerts/network integration, MSG Entertainment

30. Marilyn Santiago
Programming/operations manager for Miami, Spanish Broadcasting System

Over at Hip Hop Press:
MTV NETWORKS CHAIRMAN AND CEO JUDY MCGRATH TOPS
THE 2009 BILLBOARD WOMEN IN MUSIC POWER PLAYERS LIST

Posted by Clyde Smith on October 02, 2009 in Awards, Business News, Community, Gender, Music Industry | Permalink

October 01, 2009

So In Style Black Barbies: As Cliched as the White Ones

The fact that the video accompanying a NY Daily News article uses runway models to illustrate the growing diversity of Barbie dolls pretty much keys into my response to the introduction of the new So In Style black Barbie dolls. They still don't represent real women's beauty and they tie into unattainable standards of beauty that contribute to social ills such as anorexia and bulimia.

I'm not on a crusade and I do believe there's room for all sorts of fantasy figures in people's lives, but I have to ask, where are the women I've known and loved, whether up close or at a distance?

The big girl at the club who dances better than all the skinny chicks.

The nerdy scholar whose thrift shop style represents a new cool for emerging generations.

The tattooed and pierced bad ass who shaved her head and has no regrets.

The paint spattered artist who doesn't mind dirt but cleans up real nice.

I think the discussion that's happening around these dolls is important and I'd like to think the Barbie cliches help open up space for various efforts at alternative dolls. I just hope that, in those discussions, folks don't forget that all these Barbies are cliched fantasy figures that have their place in women's lives but should not be allowed to become the sole definition of beauty.

Note: If you want to dig into deeper Barbie analysis, one thing you might consider in the video mentioned above is that, as the commentator describes a boombox, the violin actually seems more prominent and any serious critique should take such complicating details into account.

Over at Hip Hop Press:
Barbie Launches a New Line of Black Dolls Called So In Style

Posted by Clyde Smith on October 01, 2009 in Arts Fashion Film, Community, Culture, Fashion, Gender | Permalink

September 22, 2009

Murs on the Obstacles in Hip Hop for Female MC’s

Murs on Why There Were No Female MC's At Rock The Bells

I think this is the most intelligent and, possibly, the only intelligent thing I've heard a male associated with hip hop say in a long time about the situation of women who want to be MC's. Or about women, in general, for that matter.

Murs is definitely operating on a higher level of consciousness than most, even most so-called "conscious" MC's.

Posted by Clyde Smith on September 22, 2009 in Business News, Community, Gender, Music Industry | Permalink

September 21, 2009

McNally Smith Announces B-Girl Be Hip-Hop Diploma Scholarship

Very cool news from the Hip-Hop Diploma Program at the McNally Smith College of Music as they announce and share application info for the B-Girl Be Hip-Hop Diploma Scholarship.

As program coordinator Toki Wright states:

"Often in the media, the many rewarding aspects and innovations of women in Hip-Hop are overshadowed by their male counterparts…The 'B-Girl Be Scholarship acknowledges that women's contributions are important and essential to sustaining and expanding Hip-Hop culture. The work of MC Lyte, Tricia Rose, Queen Latifah, and countless industry representatives demonstrate the power, talent and tenacity it takes to make it in the culture and business of Hip-Hop."

Over at Hip Hop Press:
Nation's first Hip-Hop Diploma Program seeks more female candidates

Posted by Clyde Smith on September 21, 2009 in Community, Education, Gender | Permalink

September 09, 2009

New Boyz: Tie Me Down Music Video ft. Ray J

New Boyz – Tie Me Down ft. Ray J

Noted Kardashian pornographer Ray J joins New Boyz in an adolescent celebration of the disposability of women, I mean, another fun, playful, lighthearted, youthful song about relationships!

"Cause my life is great and you ain't nothin' but a ho!"
New Boyz and Ray J love the status quo.

Posted by Clyde Smith on September 09, 2009 in Community, Gender, Music Videos | Permalink

July 31, 2009

Black Barbie on Branding: Alfamega Covers w/Lies, Drake’s Video Not The Best We’ve Ever Had

Black Barbie writes at The Rap Up about Alfamega's recent public denials regarding his well-documented snitchery.

It's a solid critical recap of a series of missteps though links out to some key pieces of the puzzle might help those who haven't been following recent developments in Alfamega's world.

BB also points to Drake & Co.'s cluelessness regarding the effects of the video for Best I Ever Had:

"Somehow, Drake and Kanye (the video’s director) managed to turn a cute love ode into a boob-filled, soft porn mini-movie. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against boobs…But the entire video took away from the song’s intended meaning. Instead of making women feel special and loved, which is why 99.9% of us loved the song in the first place, it made us feel objectified. And how could it not?"

For his part, Drake claims he learned a lesson from the negative reactions and admits he didn't really take into account the response of the women he had been winning over:

"I guess one thing I didn't consider is what the song personally means to a lot of women…To those women, I apologize. I do apologize. My intention wasn't to put anyone down. It was to make them laugh. I wanted people to see something visually different."

Given the focus of the video, I'm not sure what the visually different part was but it's a good look to apologize, despite what some folks in the rap game on and offline seem to feel.

Though Black Barbie doesn't explicitly frame her posts in terms of branding, I think they're useful discussions to consider regarding these artists' brands as well as the ongoing issues in hip hop business regarding lying about one's past and treating women as objects.

Posted by Clyde Smith on July 31, 2009 in Branding, Community, Gender, Marketing | Permalink

February 16, 2009

Señor Kaos: Girls Rock Too Music Video

Señor Kaos: Girls Rock Too

From the YouTube post:

"Music Video from Atlanta based Hip Hop Artist Señor Kaos. Featuring cameos from J Live, Slick And Rose, B Girl Severe, Dj Taj Anwar, Stahhr The Femcee, Tori Alamaze, and more."

"Directed by: Ericka Carter | Jay Quest | Mark Madison"

Blog: The Kaos Effect
MySpace: Senor Kaos
Merch: Vintage Imperial

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Señor Kaos: Adam's World Artist of the Week

Posted by Clyde Smith on February 16, 2009 in Community, Gender, Music Videos | Permalink

September 15, 2008

Women DJs in Nairobi Facing Familiar Gender Barriers

An article on women djs in Nairobi, Kenya tells a familiar story of women facing men’s resistance to their involvement in the music industry. It also does a nice job of introducing a number of djs based in Nairobi.

Posted by Clyde Smith on September 15, 2008 in Community, Gender | Permalink

December 12, 2007

WEEN on King Mag: Heightening the Contradictions?

It’s kind of a trip to see this video about an industry-oriented women’s empowerment event on King Mag’s site. I don’t see anything about it on the Women in Entertainment Empowerment site but it seems to be another kickoff event of some sort.

Not to belabor the obvious but these are King’s "Related Articles":

BALLIN’ OUT OF CONTROL
What’s the most girlfriends you’ve ever had at one time? The most—prob…

Dennis Rodman
Not the kiss and tell type, huh. That’s cool. Word is your years in Chicago were the peak of your…

King of The White Girls
If one expects revolution to, well, revolutionize then it cannot be passive. It must be aggressive…

Warning: These Girls Are Porn Stars
Wednesday’s Haps

- Kim Kardashian Stars in Sex Tape Sequel – C-Murder is getting another trial. – ‘Nappy Heade…

Oh well, let’s see what happens when WEEN really gets going next year with more concrete projects beyond the million name database.

[Note: any of you closet lefties get the joke behind the title?]

Posted by Clyde Smith on December 12, 2007 in Community, Gender | Permalink

September 25, 2007

Idolator Live Blogs the [Incredibly Tedious] Congressional Hip Hop Hearings

Jess Harvell is live blogging the Congressional hip hop hearings. I checked in around 12:30 or so and couldn’t get sound out of the video webcast but Jess’s account gives me a strong sense of gladness not to be watching that little screen.

Some excerpts:

10:29 a.m. The first 20 minutes of this thing have been one long, vigorous handjob for Bobby Rush from one Representative after another for being such a brave soul. Is this how these things normally go?

10:53 a.m. When I die, I will be forced to take notes on a congressional hearing where the opening statements never end. I just told Maura that if she hears my head hit the keyboard to come over and kick me a few times.

12:12 p.m. MTV’s "stuff as much incomprehensible motion into three-hours as we possibly can" at the VMA’s now makes a lot more sense, at least from a live-blogging perspective.

It sounds like a tedious show. Maybe Jay Smooth was right but mostly because this is so boring that no one will care.

But there is a revealing note about music industry execs:

12:25 p.m. Man, all these m[deleted]s are so hot to distance themselves from their hip-hop content/product or otherwise play it down that it’s kind of shocking.

I guess ol’ Jess is stuck in front of that monitor for the rest of the day. That’s what you get for making those kinds of programming decisions!

It’s really pretty today in Raleigh. Sunny and a relatively mild temperature. Think I’ll go for a little walk while Jess keeps track of those hearings for us.

Update:
Here’s the NY Times version.

Posted by Clyde Smith on September 25, 2007 in Community, Gender | Permalink