There are events in hip-hop that stand out as major moments for the art form. These times breathe new life into the atmosphere while reminding fans what the genre was built on. These moments are one of skill, creativity and competition. They are none other than beef records and New York’s own Remy Ma is the latest to throw her hat in the ring with a song aimed at rapper-turned-mainstream darling, Nicki Minaj.
Ask any rap fundamentalist and they’ll recall the brilliant times of battle for their favorite MCs. You’ll hear infamous diss records like Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline” or Notorious B.I.G.’s “Who Shot Ya?”, perhaps deeper cuts like Pusha T’s “Exodus 23:1” or Cam’Ron’s “Hate Me Now,” might come to mind. However it was one of the most famous beef tracks, Nas’ “Ether” (aimed almost entirely at Jay-Z) that Remy borrowed from for her track “SHEther,” in both the instrumental and name.
Recently released from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Remy Ma spits vitriol for nearly seven-minutes about Nicki’s break-up with rapper Meek Mill, her alleged ghostwriting, her plastic surgery, holes in her record deal, even her brother’s recent child molestation case, and who she may or may not have slept with;And therein lies the problem.
While all of the other shots taken at Nicki were fair play, an uneasy feeling arises for many hip-hop loving modern feminists (yes, they exist) when the idea of someone’s sexual history-albeit true or not— are used as a punch line or as leverage against an artist. The Madonna/Whore dilemma appears in a complex way. In this scenario, a married Remy Ma is considered the voice of moral reason casting judgement on a promiscuous Nicki Minaj, when in all actuality, she’s been in two high profile relationships in the public eye (one lasting over a decade) and most of the men mentioned in the song vehemently denying having any sexual contact with her.
This isn’t the first time sexuality is used as ammunition against women opponents, it’s the norm. During the infamous 1987 KRS-One diss record “The Bridge is Over” he states “Roxanne Shante is only good for steady f****n.” During the famous Nas and Jay-Z beef, many of the shots were thrown at Carmen, the mother of Nas’ child, whom both men dated. This time around, it’s a bit more troubling as the critique over who Minaj sleeps with is delivered by a fellow woman.
Some say all is fair in love and hip-hop and they would be right if all things were equal. Unfortunately, had the same accusations been made toward a male artist, the record would hardly be considered a diss track and more so an advertisement for said artist. Things are very different for a woman in the male dominated industry, with hardly any women making it without a male artist co-signing their worthiness—and thus beginning new rumors about the nature of their relationship.
So, while the hip-hop fan in me loves the climate of beef records, the feminist in me wishes sexuality wasn’t a constant punchline against women.
