God save the queens : the essential history of women in hip-hop

Title:

Author:

Iandoli, Kathy, author.

ISBN:

9780062878502

Personal Author:

Iandoli, Kathy, author.

Edition:

First edtion.

Publication Information:

New York : Dey St., an imprint of William Morrow, [2019]

Physical Description:

vii, 337 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Contents:

Intro: Ladies first – Prologue: A morning in Paris – I. Girls to the front. The Bronx is burning ; Us girls ; There's a war goin' on outside ; Will the real Roxanne please stand up? ; The Class of '88 photo – II. Class acts. A new day ; Riot Grrrls ; Revenge on Roxanne ; Time for some action ; Who you callin' a bitch? ; Are we there yet? -- III. Only female in my crew. Divide and conquer ; Let your freak flag fly ; The legend of Thelma and Louise ; Southern hospitality ; Murders and misdemeanors ; Saved by the bell ; Absentee ballads ; The come up ; The tipping point – IV. So much for the afterglow. Sex (still) sells ; Chasing pavements ; Remy's shot at luck ; Where my girls at? ; Inside, out ; From Barbie to Bardi ; Giddy up ; Seasons change, mad things rearrange.

Abstract:

"For far too long, women in hip-hop have been relegated to the shadows, viewed as the designated "First Lady" thrown a contract, a pawn in some beef, or even worse. But as Kathy Iandoli makes clear, the reality is very different. Today, hip-hop is dominated by successful women such as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, yet there are scores of female artists whose influence continues to resonate. God Save the Queens pays tribute to the women of hip-hop--from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today. Exploring issues of gender, money, sexuality, violence, body image, feuds, objectification and more, God Save the Queens is an important and monumental work of music journalism that at last gives these influential female artists the respect they have long deserved."--Amazon.

Subject Term:

Rap (Music) -- History and criticism.

Women rap musicians -- Biography.

Hip-hop -- History and criticism.

Genre:

Biographies.

Document ID:

SD_ILS:2340611

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Library	Collection	Collection	Call Number	Status
Searching... Fresno Central Library (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Non-fiction Area	782.42164 IAN	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mosqueda Center Branch (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Non-fiction Area	782.42164 IAN	Searching... Unknown
Searching... West Fresno Branch (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Non-fiction Area	782.42164 IAN	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

An NPR Best Book of the Year

"Without God Save the Queens, it is possible that the contributions of dozens of important female hip-hop artists who have sold tens of millions of albums, starred in monumental films, and influenced the direction of the culture would continue to go unrecognized." --AllHipHop.com

Can't Stop Won't Stop meets Girls to the Front in this essential and long overdue history of hip-hop's female pioneers and its enduring stars.

Every history of hip-hop previously published, from Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop to Shea Serrano's The Rap Yearbook, focuses primarily on men, glaringly omitting a thorough and respectful examination of the presence and contribution of the genre's female artists.

For far too long, women in hip-hop have been relegated to the shadows, viewed as the designated "First Lady" thrown a contract, a pawn in some beef, or even worse. But as Kathy Iandoli makes clear, the reality is very different. Today, hip-hop is dominated by successful women such as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, yet there are scores of female artists whose influence continues to resonate.

God Save the Queens pays tribute to the women of hip-hop--from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today. Exploring issues of gender, money, sexuality, violence, body image, feuds, objectification and more, God Save the Queens is an important and monumental work of music journalism that at last gives these influential female artists the respect they have long deserved.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Iandoli (Commissary Kitchen) explores the role of women in hip-hop from its inception in the early 1970s up to the present in this insightful music history. Women have always struggled to get mic time, Iandoli writes: when early groups formed, "only one woman per male crew could exist," and, in the 2000s, "record labels started placing a cap on the number of female rappers they signed." Even today, Iandoli notes, feuds between stars such as Nicki Minaj and Cardi B send the message there's only room for one woman at the top. Throughout the history of hip-hop, women climbing the ranks have often been forced to choose between two archetypes: the "Sex Kitten" and the "Nubian Goddess," who "embraced pro-Black beauty." And over time, artists who found success adopting personas "who loved sex, violence, and designer fashion" forged an even narrower standard: "women now had to be sexy--the dirtier the better." Iandoli gives attention to talented women who were lost in that shuffle, to the big names who opened avenues for others (such as Roxanne Shanté, Lauryn Hill, Monie Love, and Queen Latifah), and to contemporary artists including Megan Thee Stallion who continue to evolve the genre. Music lovers will celebrate this much-needed exploration of the overlooked experiences of women in hip-hop. Photos. (Oct.)

Booklist Review

Iandoli's ""narrative homage to all the women in hip-hop ... who have pioneered movements and opened doors"" introduces a hit-parade of major players: Roxanne Shanté, MC Lyte, Monie Love, Rah Digga, Salt-N-Pepa, and on and on up to still-new artists Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. Music journalist Iandoli synthesizes ample source material (including her own interviews) in an efficient and quippy style, writing with admiration foremost but not glossing over salient matters like beefs and diss tracks. Her narrative becomes more personal with the stories of artists she experienced as a fan in real time, such as the TLC cassette brought back for her from a concert she was too young to attend and a delightful chance encounter with L'il Kim at a New Jersey TGIFridays. Occasional, brief ""interludes"" touch on subjects like Li'l Kim and Foxy Brown's epic feud and Lauryn Hill's abrupt retreat from the spotlight. While Iandoli shows how some struggles have persisted through the decades, like the constant battle to not be objectified, her outlook is heaped with gratitude and upward-trending.--Annie Bostrom Copyright 2019 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Intended to be a narrative homage to women in hip-hop, this latest work by Iandoli (coauthor, Commissary Kitchen) is that and more. Iandoli recalls the mid-1980s Roxanne Wars and traces the evolution of pioneers MC Lyte and Salt-N-Pepa along with Queen Latifah and later TLC, who incorporated singing into their rhymes. In explaining how women were the genre's greatest assets and causalities, Iandoli examines the First Lady model--for example, Eve with Ruff Ryders--in which a label wouldn't always make room for more than one. Iandoli sees 1996 as a pivotal year, with Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, and the Fugees topping the charts. The author considers the success and later noticeable absence of Lauryn Hill, especially during the music industry's transition, in the 2000s, to focusing on proven artists in a singles-driven world. Male rappers, including Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G., loom in the background, as they molded women's public personas, often as sexy or violent, to varying success. Final chapters succinctly cover the rise of stars Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. VERDICT Iandoli gives female artists the recognition they deserve, while showing that there is still work to do. Place this book in the hands of fans of Hanif Abdurraqib and Jeff Chang.--Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal