One day I sat in the office of the Dean of Research awaiting his signature of approval for my study on women in rap music. I interrupted a meeting he had with someone also wanting his permission to do a PHD on ostridges. The Dean, amazed @ my research interest starred wide-eyed @ the PHD candidate and plead me to give the ostridge expert a sneak preview of my research question: Does gender discrimination in hipop influence women's participation in rap music? Spurning with a simper look, he asked: "What is hipop?" My first response was a giggle. Silently thinking you must be joking and @ the same time estimating. He really got no clue. Then after a minute of uncomfortable silence (him being a bit embarrassed and me thinking you studying ostridges when there is sooo much to find out about your own species?!) while the Dean is attentively waiting to hear my reply I say in my experience hipop is a way of life so to research hipop is to continuously search for the meaning of life.  Life for someone who high-mindedly holds up struggle in an oppressive capitalist system powered by tyrannical isms, governed by disappointing demigods hipop becomes a form of expression for emcees, DJ's, b-girls/boys, spraycan artists and illuminating knowledge of Self reflected in the art form, of course.  Hipoppers embrace their ancestry of rock paintings, campfire dances, storytelling, drumbeats and search for identity, while others are in denial of their roots, marginalize the culture and embrace Eurocentrism and Americanization.  So, (I say rhythmically to catch a breath, while the PHD candidate looks @ me slowly loosing his grin and looking very irked).  I ask you, if hipop is life, why can't one study life in the context of people whose plight is similar to mine.  Now some may argue that hipop is something you feel and most feelings cannot be analyzed!!! True?

Think about it.

How do you come to terms with your feelings if you don't question it? If you suffer do you not ask questions to explore meaning of life? You see, so too the study of women is to dialectically follow their struggle for their voices to be heard.

Example: In Cape Town female emcees are coming up in numbers but soon phase out as there are very few female recording rap artists in South Africa or even Africa as a whole to aid as role models or to supply supportive resources as hipop's brotherhood's do-for-self slogan has very self-ish suggestions.

(eerm, the Dean clears his throat, either implying that I shouldn't male bash or I'm dominating his meeting) Then the Dean smiles and says well I see no reason why I shouldn't approve this thesis.

I smile.

I'm excited.

The PHD candidate is perspiring.

So there you have it.

Watch this space for updates on Women in Rap music!

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