Given my last blog and props to T.I.’s latest artist of promise that is Iggy, I felt the need for a follow-up due to Forbes’ blatant pop-cultural faux pas. A writer, whose name won’t be mentioned, recently put his foot in his mouth and felt a need to retract and apologize. Forbes is a financial publication, not XXL or an authority on pop-culture, and certainly not hip-hop.
The Frobes “contributor” entered this update to his article after much upheaval on the Internet: “UPDATE: The title of this article has been changed from its original version — “Hip Hop Is Run By A White, Blonde, Australian Woman” — because it did not accurately reflect the content of the piece. The author offers sincere apologies to anyone who was offended by it. It’s now titled: “Hip-Hop’s Unlikely New Star: A White, Blonde, Australian Woman.” Just because Jay-Z and Beyonce are two of the country’s highest grossing earners recognized by Forbes, does not mean they’re now all knowing about what the latest music trends are. The editor of Forbes that let the initial title of the article fly is as much of a blockhead as the writer in my opinion. People who write about music, work in the business of music, live, eat, breathe and sleep music, are the authorities ON music. Artists convey to them their thought processes on how they arrived at a title for an album, and/ or the nature of a circumstance that inspired a hit song. In order to expand their relevance within society, Forbes allowed this contributing writer to have a voice, ideally appealing to a younger demo than the stuffed shirt/ suit on which the brand was built.
In a similar vein, although I noted XXL earlier, they too committed an offensive faux pas recently. A piece they did on their 2014 Freshman Class of 12 up-and-coming rappers, neglected to mention women. As a result, Time magazine contributing writer Melissa Locker, did an item on the subject of female MC’s http://time.com/99550/best-female-rappers-femcees-rising/. In the article, she mentions my favorite female MC of the past two years, Azealia Banks. Her one track “212”, released two years ago, is hotter than some rappers whole careers — and Iggy herself stated she’s got nothing on Banks. My thanks to radio veteran, writer/ producer and undercover rapper Kim Kane, for pointing out writer Olivia Cole’s item at the Huffington Post who spoke on the Forbes item http://www.huffingtonpost.com/olivia-cole/dear-forbes-this-is-why-i_b_5366159.html. That’s enough, you get it right?
FTR: Other Female MC’s out there include: Angel Haze, Jean Grae, Lee Mazin, Gifted Gab, Sasha Go Hard, Noname Gypsy, Nyemiah Supreme, Tiffany Foxx and Rapsody — fav’s of the aforementioned for me are Gifted Gab and Tiffany Foxx. So the question… Is the presence of the female rapper about to make greater strides than ever before??? That remains to be seen, and they’d have tough acts to follow. Props to veteran lady MC’s that put it down who still have a presence, ala Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa and Lil’ Kim, just to name a few. In the vein of Forbes, and perhaps the article they should’ve published, here’s a list of MC’s that are clockin’ lots a dollars http://www.sportrichlist.com/top10/highest-paid-female-rappers/ — you may be surprised at a few on the list we haven’t heard from in the mainstream for awhile. FYI: That’s Ladybug Mecca from Digable Planets in the photo above between Missy & Dana. All Hail the Lady MC!
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