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A "ride-or-die chick" is a neologism originating from biker culture, referring to a woman who is willing to support her partner and their risky lifestyle despite how this might endanger or harm her. She may even take an active role as an accomplice. [1]
The term "ride or die" originates from 1950's biker slang, [2] meaning that if a biker couldn't ride, they'd rather die. This meaning has changed over the years, and now refers to a woman who embraces the "us-against-the-world", or Bonnie and Clyde dynamic with her partner. In theory, she accepts a life being their partner in crime, willing to do anything even if doing so results in danger towards her. [3] [4]
The "ride-or-die chick" trope is used by all[ citation needed ] in hip hop music, with men stating their desire for a ride-or-die chick, and women identifying themselves as willing to ride and die. Many of these songs are duets between male and female artists and contain both of these perspectives within the same song.
The first song to popularize the "Ride or Die" trope was released in 1997, "Ride or Die" by Baby Gangsta ft. Lil Wayne and Juvenile on his 3rd album, It's All on U, Vol. 2 .
Jay-Z and the Ruff Ryders advanced the term into the mainstream in 1998 and 1999 respectively, with the songs "Ride or Die" on Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life and "Ryde or Die" on Ryde or Die Vol. 1 .
However, in June The first mainstream rap song to advance the notion of the lifestyle of a woman willing to "ride or "The Bonnie and Clyde Theme" by Yo Yo in a duet featuring Ice Cube, on her third studio album You Better Ask Somebody , released in June 1993. The popularization of the term "ride-or-die chick" did not enter mainstream hip-hop until The Lox released a duet with Eve, "Ryde or Die, Bitch," on the 2000 album We Are the Streets . The song was produced by Timbaland.
Other examples of the term in hip hop include:
This term is sometimes used to describe the lives and decisions of women in the hip hop community. In their interview with Tashera Simmons following the announcement that she was divorcing DMX, Essence magazine referred to her as "having a reputation for being the ultimate ride or die chick," citing Simmons' support of DMX despite his jail time, drug use, and infidelity. [9] Lil' Kim was also called a ride-or-die chick after she went to jail for perjury for lying to a jury about her manager regarding a shootout involving several rappers. [10] [11]
The term does not always imply drama and danger. For example, Gabrielle Union was described as a ride-or-die chick for her public and vehement defense of her husband Dwyane Wade after his talent was criticized by basketball player/analyst Charles Barkley. [12] "Ride or die" is sometimes used a shorthand for any heterosexual commitment in the hip hop community, such as in the Philadelphia Tribune 's statement that Beyoncé and Jay-Z were "ride and die" after they renewed their wedding vows. [13]
The term is frequently used negatively outside of celebrity culture. Blogs targeting young Black members of the "hip hop generation" as their demographic, such as Hello Beautiful, Hall of the Black Dragon, and Urbanbellemag.com, have all published articles that advise women to be wary of attempting to be a ride-or-die chick at the expense of their own happiness and health. These articles argue women need specific boundaries in their romantic relationships and dismiss the idea of limitless loyalty as either unrealistic myth or facilitating abuse and disrespect. [14] [15] [16] However, this negative perspective is not universal. The website https://www.singleblackmale.org, which claims to represent the "urban male perspective", tells women specific ways they can achieve ride-or-die status that vary from "being down for the cause" to "either watch sports...or get out and leave (your man) alone." [17]
Black feminist scholar Treva Lindsey claims the ride-or-die chick is a challenge to a dominant narrative in hip hop that privileges homosocial male relationships and undermines heterosexual romantic bonds between men and women. [18] Drawing on scholars Patricia Hill Collins and bell hooks, she argues this love is not only personal, it is also an act of political rebellion because "In a culture that claims black women are unlovable and undesirable, and black men are violent and irredeemable, it is considered 'rebellious' when black men and women love each other." [19] Others have also argued that the "ride or die" narrative is a recognition of the disenfranchisement these couples face because of race and class and it is because of this systematic oppression that they feel it is them against the world. [20] In this understanding by claiming to be a ride-or-die chick, a woman is not diminishing her own self-worth or inviting mistreatment, but symbolically invoking a politically aware alliance. Her recognition that committing to this relationship will require her to "ride or die" is a statement about the difficulty her partner will likely face as a Black man living an illicit lifestyle. [21]
Another favorable understanding of the trope argues its meaning is flexible and can positively evolve. For example, one definition of this term claimed "for a 30+ year old man, who has his ish together, a down ass chick is someone who is down for you in other ways...Both versions are loyal and have your back but... the 30+ DAC is not willing (nor required) to sacrifice herself or her goals for her man. They are building together." [19]
Despite these positive readings and the fact that ride-or-die chicks are often the subject of male praise or female self-identification in hip hop, they have also been critiqued as a negative and damaging ideal imposed on Black women. Critics have argued that ride-or-die chicks are a heterosexual male fantasy that privileges male pleasure and ignores the costs women must pay to fulfill this fantasy. [18] Hip hop feminist author Gwendolyn D. Pough claims the rising number of Black women in prison, currently the fastest-growing prison population, is evidence of the high cost ride-or-die chicks must pay. [22]
The ride-or-die chick can also be understood as a hip hop reiteration of the Madonna–whore complex. In this understanding the ride-or-die chick is the Madonna and her opposite is the trick/hoe. Unlike the "Madonna", the ride-or-die chick is sexualized (casting doubt on this very comparison), but unlike the trick/ho, her sexuality is praised and valued. The ride-or-die chick is not seen as sexually deviant because her partner is the only man with access to her body. Like the Madonna–whore paradigm, in this schema women's sexuality is only for male pleasure and is limited to fulfilling one of two restrictive opposing roles. [23] Also like the Madonna–whore, in this understanding the ride-or-die chick is a sexual script although, unlike Madonna–whore it is specific to Black women. [20] In an interview, hip hop activist Toni Blackman noted that it is not the sexuality of these scripts she is troubled by, but that "woman's choices are only limited to A, B and C. When a guy gets to choose between ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP." [24] In this critique the problem with the ride-or-die chick is not its specific meaning but its place as one of several stereotypes, or scripts, that supposedly represent the entirety of Black female behavior.
Bitch is a pejorative slang word for a person, usually a woman. When applied to a woman or girl, it means someone who is belligerent, unreasonable, malicious, controlling, aggressive, or dominant. When applied to a man or boy, bitch reverses its meaning and is a derogatory term for being subordinate, weak, or cowardly. In gay speech the word bitch can refer approvingly to a man who is unusually assertive or has the characteristics used pejoratively of a woman.
"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Lil' Kim for the former's fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). It was released by RCA Records on July 8, 2003, as the fourth single from the album. The track was written and produced by Scott Storch, with additional songwriting by Aguilera and Matt Morris. An R&B and hip hop song with a dancehall outro, "Can't Hold Us Down" criticizes gender-related double standards.
A video vixen is a woman who models and appears in hip hop-oriented music videos. From the 1990s to the early 2010s, the video vixen image was a staple in popular music, particularly within the genre of hip hop. The video vixen first came around in the late 1980s when the hip-hop culture began to emerge into its own lifestyle, although was most popular in American popular culture during the 1990s and 2000s. Many video vixens are aspiring actors, singers, dancers, or professional models. Artists and vixens have been criticized for allegedly contributing to the social degradation of black women. Latinas are also degraded and hyper-sexualized in hip hop music videos because they are seen as objects of sexual desire in rap music videos.
"How Many Licks?" is a song by American rapper Lil' Kim featuring vocals by American musician Sisqó from Lil' Kim's second studio album, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000). Mario Winans and Sean Combs produced the song, and wrote it with Lil' Kim and Sisqó. The hip hop song samples the Knight Rider theme song, with lyrics expressing a woman's desire for oral sex and her sexual relationships with a variety of men. The chorus is a reference to the advertising slogan for Tootsie Pops. A remix by the Neptunes has additional vocals from American artists Kelis, Lil' Cease, and Snoop Dogg. "How Many Licks?" was released as the second and final single from The Notorious K.I.M. on November 21, 2000, by Queen Bee Entertainment and Atlantic Records.
American rapper DMX released eight studio albums, seven compilation albums, three mixtapes, 47 singles and 24 music videos.
"Bitches Ain't Shit" is the final song of Dr. Dre's debut solo rap album, The Chronic, which was released in December 1992 as Death Row Records' first album. Though never a single, "Bitches Ain't Shit" was a huge underground hit. The song's popularity was a major contribution to the success of The Chronic's sales.
Brittany Nicole Carpentero, better known by her stage name Diamond, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia.
The following is a list of songs produced, co-produced and remixed by American record producer, Drumma Boy.
Misogyny in rap music refers to lyrics, videos, or other aspects of rap music that support, glorify, justify, or normalize the objectification, exploitation, or victimization of women. It is an ideology that portrays women as objects for men's ownership, use, or abuse. It diminishes women to expendable beings. It can range from innuendoes to stereotypical characterizations and defamations.
The discography of American rapper 2 Chainz, consists of seven studio albums, two collaborative studio albums, 10 mixtapes, 5 extended plays, 119 singles, 14 promotional singles and 75 music videos.
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Basic is a slang term in American popular culture used pejoratively to describe people who are perceived to prefer mainstream products, trends, and music. "Basic bitch" originated in hip hop culture and rose in popularity through rap music, songs, blogs, and videos from 2011 to 2014. Their male counterparts are usually termed "bros". Similar labels to "basic bitch" or "airhead" in other English-speaking countries include contemporary British "Essex girls" and "Sloane Rangers", and Australian "haul girls" known for their love of shopping for designer gear, and uploading videos of their purchases on YouTube.
Feminist activism in hip hop is a feminist movement based by hip hop artists. The activism movement involves doing work in graffiti, break dancing, and hip hop music. Hip hop has a history of being a genre that sexually objectifies and disrespects women ranging from the usage of video vixens to explicit rap lyrics. Within the subcultures of graffiti and breakdancing, sexism is more evident through the lack of representation of women participants. In a genre notorious for its sexualization of women, feminist groups and individual artists who identify as feminists have sought to change the perception and commodification of women in hip hop. This is also rooted in cultural implications of misogyny in rap music.
Ratchet is a slang term in American hip hop culture that, in its original sense, was a derogatory term used to refer to an uncouth woman, and may be a Louisianan dialect form of the word "wretched".
The 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards are a recognition ceremony held on October 10, 2009 at the Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The 2009 show was hosted by Mike Epps.
Joshua Isaih "'OG" Parker, is an American hip hop record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2015, he worked as an in-house producer for the record label Quality Control Music. His stage moniker is derived from his affiliation with OG Maco's collective OGG, where he became acquainted with frequent collaborator Deko. Parker has since produced for prominent artists including Megan Thee Stallion, Migos, Chris Brown, Jazmine Sullivan, Gucci Mane, Fetty Wap, K Camp, YFN Lucci and Kollision.
Sterling Leroy Pennix Jr., better known by his stage name Hoodrich Pablo Juan, is an American rapper. He is best known for his track "We Don't Luv Em".
Forbes magazine reported in 2017 that hip hop was the "dominant musical genre" in the U.S. music industry and, for the first time, outsold any other U.S. musical genre. With its cultural foundation in the South Bronx, hip hop has grown in popularity since its beginnings in 1979. Popular dominance of the genre coincided with the international #MeToo movement, which exposed the sexual misconduct of men in positions of power in the field of entertainment. Although women and men from all walks of life worldwide have shared their #MeToo stories, accounts in the music industry were few; the industry evaded public scrutiny, despite its dominance as broadcast and streaming media.
Lontrell Donell Williams, Jr., known professionally as Pooh Shiesty, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He signed with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records in 2020, he rose to prominence following his collaborations with the label's founder and cohorts. That same year, his single "Back in Blood" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It preceded the release of his debut commercial mixtape Shiesty Season (2021), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. His stage name was given by his late brother, who adapted his childhood nickname "Mr. Pooh" with the Vernacular slang term "shiesty"—referential of his lifestyle.
Ratchet feminism emerged in the United States from hip hop culture in the early 2000s, largely as a critique of, and a response to, respectability politics. It is distinct from black feminism, womanism, and hip hop feminism. Ratchet feminism coopts the derogatory term (ratchet). Other terms used to describe this concept include ratchet womanism as used by Georgia Tech professor Joycelyn Wilson or ratchet radicalism used by Rutgers professor Brittney Cooper. Ratchet is an identity embraced by many millennials and Gen Z black women and girls. The idea of ratchetness as empowering, or of ratchet feminism, has been articulated by artists and celebrities like Nicki Minaj, City Girls, Amber Rose, and Junglepussy, scholars like Brittney Cooper and Mikki Kendall, and through events like Amber Rose's SlutWalk. Many view ratchet feminism as a form of female empowerment that doesn't adhere to respectability politics.
