After watching a video of Queen Latifah's early material in class, I immediately thought of Amber London. She is a member of the Raider Clan, which is a group of young hip hop artists that are reviving 1990's hip hop style in both style and lyrical content. This song in particular really captures her stand-offish attitude and delivery. She is drawing from a myriad of female rap predecessor's styles to craft a unique character that is both dangerous and feminine. Amber makes it clear that she can hang with the boys, but also take care of business on her own when they're not around. Addressing the competition as "fake b*tches", it is clear that she doesn't want to be associated with any of the softer female hip hop acts of the moment. Her video is a clear tribute to the "dirty South" rappers of the early '90s such as Fat Pat and Lil Keke. Not only is she talking about the same material as the DJ Screw Southern crowd, but she is also driving a car similar to their style, as well as being dressed in very militant all black outfits. Her posse is close to her side, representing the solidarity between friends in her crew as well as discouraging new entrants to the female hip hop world. She has found her niche in the nostalgia for the golden age of hip hop, but one can only sustain for so long when the main attraction is reference to an older style.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Amber London: Referencing '90s Female Rappers
After watching a video of Queen Latifah's early material in class, I immediately thought of Amber London. She is a member of the Raider Clan, which is a group of young hip hop artists that are reviving 1990's hip hop style in both style and lyrical content. This song in particular really captures her stand-offish attitude and delivery. She is drawing from a myriad of female rap predecessor's styles to craft a unique character that is both dangerous and feminine. Amber makes it clear that she can hang with the boys, but also take care of business on her own when they're not around. Addressing the competition as "fake b*tches", it is clear that she doesn't want to be associated with any of the softer female hip hop acts of the moment. Her video is a clear tribute to the "dirty South" rappers of the early '90s such as Fat Pat and Lil Keke. Not only is she talking about the same material as the DJ Screw Southern crowd, but she is also driving a car similar to their style, as well as being dressed in very militant all black outfits. Her posse is close to her side, representing the solidarity between friends in her crew as well as discouraging new entrants to the female hip hop world. She has found her niche in the nostalgia for the golden age of hip hop, but one can only sustain for so long when the main attraction is reference to an older style.
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A great comparison! Interesting to think about how hip hop now is old enough to have nostalgic styles, and that the 90s can be the basis of that nostalgia (makes me feel old).
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