“Hip hop feminism in Sweden: Intersectionality, feminist critique and female masculinity”

Justina Farfan

WGST 202H

Professor Currans

Blog Topic: Women and Hip Hop

Article Review #3

Berggren, Kalle. “Hip hop feminism in Sweden: Intersectionality, feminist critique and      female masculinity.” European Journal of Women’s Studies 21.3 (2014): 233-250

          Usually when we think of hip hop, we think of hip hop in the United States; however hip hop has in fact spread all around the world. In Kalle Berggren’s “Hip hop feminism in Sweden: Intersectionality, feminist critique and female masculinity”, he analyzes 12 female Swedish hip hop artists’ lyrics focusing on the intersectionality of race, class, and gender and how gender is negotiated in hip hop. What Berggren found in the lyrics was interesting, considering that Sweden is thought of as the most gender equal. There are still gender norms currently in use, constant violence against women, and hip hop continues to be a male dominated sphere even in the most gender equal country in the world. The lyrics focused on gender inequalities, stereotypes, and one song depicted a non-gender binary which is very unusual in hip hop. The songs do reflect the intersectionality amongst class, race, and gender, but the primary overarching theme is gender.

          The inequality of class and race is a traditional theme in hip hop music. Berggren claims that in Sweden, this is a common theme even amongst the female artists. In Melinda Wrede’s lyrics she describes class inequality through several experiences such as “running out of money despite working really hard, being evicted from one’s home, rejected by the social services, and in general, getting treated ‘like dirt’” (237). Wrede’s lyrics also say that these are experiences that the elite fail to see, yet almost everyone knows and can relate to them. She explains that those considered underclass are discriminated against. Another artist that Berggren analyzes is Feven who unlike Wrede writes about racial inequality. In her song “Studza”, she says “because it’s bullshit, wacky talk about member’s cards, when half the people could enter without one” (237). In this line Feven is talking about how white people can easily enter into the club while those who are non-white are not considered members. Berggren goes on further paralleling this “club” to a “racialized nation, a nation which in turn is imagined as a white club” (237). Feven’s other song analyzed by Berggren, “Bränn bh:n” (Burn the bra), “Feven rejects a mono categorical, gender-only feminism, highlighting racism among women” (237). Her song explains that for female “foreigners” they are put at a disadvantage due to gender and race, while white women are still put at a disadvantage, but only by gender. Unlike most rap songs, there is a critique of gender that is prominent throughout the Swedish female hip hop artists.

          Berggren found that there was a universal theme of gender inequality found in most of the songs he analyzed. For example, in Nabila’s, ‘A woman’s word’, she raps about “men’s sexual violence against women” (238). The lines “but it happens every minute to a woman in this world,

The female gender is not safe in this world, pressing charges no use in this world, a woman’s words are not enough in this world” (238) depict the sexual violence commonly practiced against women. In the first line, it speaks about how much sexual violence against women occurs and in the second line it says that being a female is not safe. In other words, “the female gender is not safe” as men’s violence “happens every minute to a woman in this world” (238). Also from the song, it is understood that the judicial system is not doing all it can for women either as stated in the last line of the verse.

          In addition to critiquing the physical sexual violence that women endure, Berggren analyzes other songs critique on how women are so vulnerable to “men’s oppressive practices” (238). In Melinda Wrede, ‘Relationsteorin’, she says that “got my heart broken...been with male chauvinist pigs, nobodies caught in macho roles...never dared to make demands, been weak, put up with things and been pleasing...but now that’s over, if he’s a jerk he’s out” (238). Wrede raps about how she’s been in relationships with men who take on masculine gender roles and how degrading it feels to her. By the end of the song, she takes control of the situation. The overall message of this song is about the “feminist transformation of women’s subordination” (238) in which women are done with being submissive and take control in situations dealing with men.

          Berggren observes that there is frustration and anger about the reinforcement of gender stereotypes. In Wrede’s song ‘Han’, she is frustrated by men who treat women through gender stereotypes (239). For example, in her song she says she dislikes men who “think girls should do the dishes and make the beds” (239). Berggren also points out that they also critique women for conforming to these stereotypes. In Heli’s song ‘Heli’, she criticizes “all the girls who are rather beautiful than intelligent” (239). These women are frustrated that both men and women are contributing to the continuous use of gender stereotypes. This “hip hop feminism” is trying to change the way women are viewed in this world by empowering women to not conform to feminine norms and challenging the male perspective of women.

          Another gender equality theme that Berggren highlighted was that these gender norms are restricting women from reaching their full potential. Ayesha’s song ‘Papa’s Rules’, she says “I’m sorry mama, the world wants me to be slim, I wanted to be president and pursue my dream,

I’m sorry mama, the world wants me to give in” (240). Ayesha is pointing out that these cultural norms of how women are supposed to act are keeping her from pursuing her dreams. Moreover, in Feven’s song she says “ kick out Göran Persson and put Mona in charge …different sex, different wage for the same job” (240). Here, Feven is pointing out unequal “political representation and institutionalized wage discrimination” (240). Both of these artists are highlighting that by continuous acceptance of gender norms will continue to restrict women’s abilities.

          Unique to the other common hip hop songs, D Mutant and Y Puss wrote a song depicting a non-gender binary. This song “Gunnar the Grasshopper” is about a “who was born a hermaphrodite, given a man’s name, and who underwent an operation to become a girl” (247), but she then later changes her sex to a man to be treated better yet is still gay. This is very unique to hip hop and “queer bodies” are hardly ever referenced. This song gives some of the complexities of the fluidity of gender and because of the social norms of society makes impacts this situation heavily. For example, the “hermaphrodite” was originally given a man’s name, but felt that he was a woman. However, due to his understanding of women in society he felt he would be better treated if he stayed a man, but still feels discrimination due to her homosexual orientation.

         Kalle Berggren’s article shares multiple similarities with Marcyliena Morgan’s article “Hip Hop Women Shredding the Veil: Race and Class in Popular Feminist Identity”. Both identify the intersectionality of race, class, and gender themes presented by female hip hop artists and how women use hip hop as a way to communicate and change the way women are viewed in this world. However, the main difference is that Morgan’s observed the history of African American women while Berggren analyzed the themes portrayed in Swedish female hip hop artists. There has not been very much information on “hip hop feminism” in Europe, but it is interesting to see that hip hop is universally used as a way of communication of discrimination against women.