Feminism in R&B

It is an R&B costume convention for men to wear ‘bling’ in their music videos. Recently more and more female R&B artists wear excess jewellery which challenges this convention. Items such as large hooped earrings, rings and necklaces can be seen on stars such as Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Nicki Minaj. Jewellery is expensive and this relates to making money and success. The idea of women wearing these items shows that they are every bit as influential in the industry as men are.

Jewellery

Nicki Minaj is a female R&B artist and a feminist icon. Walking into a male dominated industry and becoming the most charted female rapper on the Billboard Hot 100 is impressive. She frequently dons the colour pink in order to make a statement. She is an ambitious motivational speaker (examples of this are below) and in her music videos and raps she frequently uses references to girl power and smashing a patriarchal society. In her music video for Anaconda there is a bit where she snaps a banana in half, chops it up and then throws it away. The banana is an innuendo for a penis.

Nicki Minaj

Even when Beyoncé was in Destiny’s Child she was still an activist for feminism, producing the single Independent Women. At the 2014 MTV VMAs she performed her song Flawless (lyric video posted below) in front of a giant screen blazoned with the word FEMINIST. This act even earned her an article in The Guardian, a reputable newspaper. The artist also wrote an article herself in support of equal pay for women.

Beyoncé