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Whether right or wrong, some things need to be said in order to start a conversation … that's all I try to do with my music.
Lupe Fiasco to MTV News, ahead of video premiere[1]
"Bitch Bad" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released as the second single and sixth track from his fourth studio album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (2012). It features guest vocals from American singer MDMA on the outro. The rapper told Rap Genius that it was an anecdote, and explored possible byproducts from the usage of the word "bitch."
In a 2018 scholarly analysis, they saw the video's exploration of "several performative roles," with Fiasco being the "social commentator," "male rapper," and "narrator." They continued of how the record "mobilizes mainstream hip hop discourses of raced and gendered subjectivities" and "offer[s] a blistering critique of racist and misogynist stereotypes perpetuated within the music industry." The song title subverts misogyny (opposed to "Bad Bitch") but is also used as "a reclaimed term in a post-feminist context," observing the "cause and effect relationship between [word usage] and their effects on personal interactions."[2]
Background[]
Fiasco explained how the song was to make people think and not intended to be a lesson. He told HOT 97 the idea was role models for youth, where he wrote the song because of his younger sisters. Giving kids "the benefit of the doubt" that they will not internalize the imagery in concerns to misogyny, the song was created to provide discourse on the issue.[3]
He informed Rolling Stone:
I'm not trying to say this is what's going to happen, or potentially what's going to happen. Because you don't know, the characters are fictional, based on true events. I know personally what has affected me, but that's me personally. I've talked about it before and I'm not going to talk about it again. Everybody has their relationship with how things are going to affect them. It was moreso to just get you to think. Not to teach you a lesson or tell you what to do. I don't think people thought that's what it was. I think people just felt, 'Oh, somebody's addressing something in hip-hop and pop culture at large. OK, what do we think about that?' Some people don't care, some people have never heard the song, some people haven't seen the video. Some people adore it and will write a dissertation about it. But at the end of the day I'm not really trying to tell you anything. I'm not trying to get you to do anything.[4]
Critical reception[]
"Bitch Bad" was met with controversy and mixed responses, primarily for its oversimplification of the objectification of women, neglect to hold accountability from men, and the interplaying role of patriarchy. Others have given nod to Fiasco attempting to address misogyny in hip hop, with public praise from artists including Janelle Monáe,[5] Talib Kweli, Jill Scott,[6] and Kanye West, who even posted the video on his Twitter.[7]
The Crunk Feminist Collective weighed in, "offers some hope, that there can be a cross-gender and cross-generational dialogue about the misogyny in the music." They added, "despite the sincerity and potential truths of his critique, it is Black women and girls who come off as the villains and not the victims here. […] The root of the problem becomes in Lupe's estimation, gender role confusion, wrought by Black women's failure to parent their sons and mentor their daughters more proactively."[8] The Huffington Post described it as "a complicated grappling with misogyny in popular music and culture, and its effect on children of both genders," along with Fiasco's recurrent technique of using parody to what one hears on the radio ("Dumb It Down" and "Hip-Hop Saved My Life").[9] Exclaim!'s Josiah Hughes remarked, "this is actually a very female-forward anthem, deriding the derogatory nature of the term 'bitch.' Fiasco gets mad feminist over a bass-heavy synth anthem, and it's conscious rap that doesn't really sound like conscious rap."[10]
Conversely, Spin magazine wrote a lengthy review criticizing the song and its visual, calling it "muddled, mealy-mouthed missive about rap and misogyny," "mansplaining," and "reckless social commentary." However, they acknowledged that the track "still get points and praise from people looking to celebrate anyone challenging the norms of mainstream hip-hop."[11] In response, Fiasco took to Twitter, "I see why you call yourself "Spin" cuz that's all u do. To not like an artist soooo much you sure spend an awful lot of time cooking up eloquent garbage about him…stop reaching…it's sad. Sensationalism and half-truth runs the media. Practice real journalism or put fold out boy band posters in your mag and call it a day." He urged his fans to protest with the hashtag #SpinMagazineBoycott. On BET's 106 & Park, he addressed the assigned label of being "controversial," saying, "The media kinda put that tag on me. I guess the subject matter that I choose to talk about, you know, can rub some people the wrong way. The Spin Mag review does seem to go above and beyond the merely critical—but let us know how you feel about it–and the boycott–in the comments section."[12] Ebony wrote in defense of Lupe, "[he] explains how adult women's casual re-appropriation of 'bad bitch' can scramble romantic communication for their children down the line. […] Lupe didn't get it 'right.' But he got it true. To me, at least, that's inspiring."[13]
Mychal Denzel Smith of The Atlantic opined, "We can add it to the long line of well-intentioned songs from male rappers attempting to come off as feminist but actually reinforcing the ideas that make feminism necessary. […] It's a misguided step, and one that shows us just how far we haven't gotten, but there are valuable takeaways. Chief among those is that the answer to the misogyny in hip-hop and in the broader culture in general isn't to replace it with a nice-guy-misogyny that's equally as limiting in its definition of women. For now, though, it'll have to do."[14] The Quietus named it to be "a brilliant track" and found it "pensive more than preachy."[15] Pitchfork believed the third verse to be "oversimplif[ied]," where "After all that skilled storytelling, the song winds up just another pitying, paternal "good girl lost" number. Conscious rap fans might protest that gangsta rappers' dubious messages never receive this kind of scrutiny, and it's true, there is an unfair double standard."[16] The Guardian critiqued, "confusingly tries to set up a debate around the use of the B-word; fortunately the chorus […] is there to set us straight."[17] Sarah Godfrey from The Washington Post took note of its controversy, where it is a "well-intentioned message track," though his use of the word "lady" caused many women to take offense. They concluded, "Hip-hop heads know Lupe has spoken against misogyny and seemed inclined to give him a pass on the gaffe, but those less familiar with his work eviscerated him."[18] Mic's Andy Boyd assessed, "it ends up reinforcing the very dynamics of oppression it intends to tear down […] The problem with this song is that, by portraying its principal characters as powerless to the forces of media surrounding them, it objectifies them. It defines them as purely sexual objects, negating any motivations women might have to be involved in hip hop culture that do not have to do with getting laid."[19] Fact critiqued, "Fiasco's deconstruction of the way in which hip-hop objectifies women is by turns naive, academic, pedantic, ironic and furious—we won't be surprised if he develops carpal tunnel syndrome from all the finger-wagging."[20]
In October 2012, American rapper ROES (fka Angel Haze) created a remix of the song from their mixtape, Classick. The Guardian penned of this version, "Haze flipped the narrative, detailing exactly how boys and men are shaped by, and end up perpetuating, anti-female attitudes." Haze exclaimed to the publication, "I had to embarrass Lupe Fiasco because he did it all wrong. He did the woman-shaming, 'It's your fault, bitch' thing. The feminist in me wouldn't let this live. For me, it was important to portray what he couldn't."[21] Pitchfork wrote of ROES version, "While Fiasco's somewhat muddled message blames hip-hop for fueling the sexualization of young girls and sees women as disempowered victims of its influence, Haze's version flips the script, asking us to consider men as potential victims too."[22]
Music video[]
Background and release[]
The official music video premiered to MTV's RapFix Live on August 22, 2012. Directed by Gil Green, it was filmed at the Miami-Dade Auditorium and dedicated to Paul Robeson and the "many Black actors who endured the humiliating process of blackface in America."[23] It was noted of its allusion to the 2000 satirical film directed by Spike Lee, Bamboozled, which featured Black actors donning blackface makeup.[14] Fiasco told MTV News, "I just wanted to have a conversation. It was more to just put it out in the world and see what happens."[11] With Green's idea of blackface, Fiasco added that the visual will shed light on the minstrel period and relate it to modern times. Green reported to Miami New Times, "Being in this era of poppin' bottles and sexuality taking over hip-hop, it's refreshing to get a record like Lupe's who's actually trying to say something. That's a dream for me, because it's like, 'Oh wow. Now I get to be impressionable towards kids.'"[24] He explained of the premise, "this video is told through the perspective of two black actors who are frustrated to always be casted as the video 'gangster' and video 'hoochie'. We parallel their frustrations of having to portray these monotonous characters with African American actors of the Minstrelsy age, who were subjugated to perform in 'blackface.'"[25]
After the video's premiere, Fiasco, alongside host Sway Calloway and a few industry panelists, discussed the term "bitch," where Fiasco noted, "I think it's something that's very subtle—the idea of it, the 'bad bitch'—it's very subtle but it definitely has some destructive elements to it. It has some troubling elements to it. Especially when you look at who it's being marketed towards. That's why we put the children in the video."[26]
When asked if he was referencing to anyone specifically, Rolling Stone dropping the name Nicki Minaj, Fiasco responded, "OK. Nicki Minaj isn't the only girl with pink hair. Lady Gaga I think had pink hair at one point. To tell the story, that's what a hip-hop video looks like. The general hip-hop video looks like that. […] It's not taking shots at anybody, it's not meant to be a diss record. I don't want to get off into the distractions. That's a distraction, to be like, 'Oh man, are you dissing Nicki Minaj?' That's a distraction from the point of what the video's about. […] If you feel that way, make sure you say you feel that way. Or Rolling Stone feels that way. Don't say Lupe said that."[4]
Synopsis[]
The video is split into a three-act play, where Fiasco adopts the role of the narrator, delivering his lyrics at the mic in respect to each presented scenario. The opening scene depicts a working Black man at the 'Tower Theatre,' which is guessed to be set in the 1950s-60s, based on architecture. The show advertised on the marquee reads 'Sugarwater Presents Lupe Fiasco Bitch Bad.' Interspersed throughout the visual are clips of the white male theater owner who counts his money. This can be interpreted as his gain of profits from exploitation of Black performers, or overall, cultural consumption that partakes in stereotyped and racialized media. This relates to when Fiasco stands in front of the moving images of blackface throughout cinematic history, and a young man and woman prepare themselves into their respective roles—a gangster rapper and a video girl.[27]
In conjunction with the lyrics, the first scene shows a mother and son listening to the car radio. The young boy hears his mother sing along to "N-ggas, I'm a bad bitch…" connecting the word "bitch" with his mother, thus becoming confused by its connotation and representation of women. The second scene introduces three young girls who consume gangsta rap with its misogynistic lyrics and imagery. Being young and impressionable, they don't realize the video girl is a "paid actress," and are influenced by her behavior towards the rapper ("acquiescent to his whims"), who likes "bad bitches." The third and final scenario shows the boy and girl, now older, and the impacts of "bad bitch" music—the boy regards the girl disrespectfully, as he's been taught to see women in a certain way; meanwhile, the girl takes this to be sexual because of what she has associated "bad bitch" with.
Personnel[]
Song
- David Kutch – masterer
- Dominic Jordan – writer
- Jason "MDMA" Boyd – additional vocals, writer, producer
- Jaycen-Joshua Fowler – mixer
- Jimmy Giannos – writer
- Sasha Sirota – recording engineer
- Simon "Simon Sayz" Morel – additional recording
- The Audibles – producer
- Trehy Harris – assistant mixer
- Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – lead vocals, writer
Video
- Gil Green – director
- Judd Allison – executive producer
- 305 Films – production company
- Joseph Labisi – cinematographer
- T. David – editor
- Jim Gaynor – art director
- Labuda Management – representative
- Emmanuelle Cuny-Panicker – commissioner
Charts[]
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | 11
|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) | 62
|
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Lupe Fiasco]
Yeah, I say, bitch bad
Woman good, lady better
Hey, hey, hey, hey
[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]
Now imagine there's a shorty, maybe five, maybe four
Riding 'round with his mama listening to the radio
And a song comes on and a not far off from being born
Doesn't know the difference between right and wrong
Now, I ain't trying to make it too complex
But let's just say shorty has an undeveloped context
About the perception of women these days
His mama sings along, and this what she says
"N-ggas, I'm a bad bitch, and I'm bad, bitch!
Somethin' that's far above average."
And maybe other rhyming words like "cabbage" and "savage"
And "baby carriage" and other things that match it
Couple of things are happenin' here
First he's relatin' the word bitch with his mama, comma
And because she's relatin' to herself
As most important source of help
And mental health, he may skew respect for dishonor
[Hook: Lupe Fiasco]
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
(I'm killin' these bitches)
Uh, tell 'em, bitch bad
Woman good, lady better
They misunderstood
They misunderstood
[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]
Yeah, now imagine a group of little girls nine through 12
On the Internet watching videos, listening to songs by themselves
It doesn't really matter if they have parental clearance
They understand the Internet better than their parents
Now, being the Internet, the content's probably uncensored
They're young, so they're malleable and probably unmentored
A complicated combination, maybe with no relevance
Until that intelligence meets their favorite singer's preference
"Bad bitches, bad bitches, bad bitches
That's all I want and all I like in life is bad bitches, bad bitches"
Now, let's say that they less concerned with him
And more with the video girl acquiescent to his whims
Ah, the plot thickens: high heels, long hair, fat booty, slim
Reality check, I'm not trippin'
They don't see a paid actress, just what makes a bad bitch
[Hook: Lupe Fiasco]
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
(I'm killin' these bitches)
I say, I say, I say, I say, I say, I say
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
(I'm killin' these bitches)
[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]
Disclaimer: this rhymer, Lupe, is not using "bitch" as a lesson
But as a psychological weapon
To set in your mind and really mess with your conceptions
Discretions, reflections, it's clever misdirection
'Cause while I was rappin' they was growin' up fast
Nobody stepped in to ever slow 'em up, gasp
Sho' enough, in this little world
The little boy meets one of those little girls
And he thinks she a bad bitch and she thinks she a bad bitch
He thinks disrespectfully, she thinks of that sexually
She got the wrong idea, he don't wanna fuck her
He think she's bad at being a bitch like his mother
Momma never dressed like that
Come out the house, hot mess like that
Ass, titties, dressed like that, all out to impress like that
Just like that, you see the fruit of the confusion
He caught in a reality, she caught in an illusion
"Bad" mean good to her, she really nice and smart
But "bad" mean bad to him, "bitch" don't play a part
But "bitch" still bad to her if you say it the wrong way
But she think she a bitch – what a double entendre!
[Hook: Lupe Fiasco]
Tell 'em, bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
I say, I say, I say, I say, I say, I say
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
They misunderstood
[Outro: MDMA, Lupe Fiasco]
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
You're misunderstood
(I'm killin' these bitches)
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, greatest motherhood
(I'm killin' these bitches)
References[]
- ↑ Markman, Rob (August 21, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco's 'Bitch Bad' Premiere to 'Start a Conversation'". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012.
- ↑ Woods, Alyssa and Burns, Lori (August 2018). "Conscious Hip Hop: Lupe Fiasco's Critical Teachings on Raced and Gendered Representations". Journal of Popular Music Education, Vol. 2, No. 1-2, pp. 29+.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco Discuss' Why He Created Bad Bitch and His Feelings About Nicki Minaj". YouTube. July 26, 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Trammell, Matthew (August 27, 2012). "Q&A: Lupe Fiasco on Tupac, Album Leaks and Leaving the Game". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ "Janelle Monáe (@JanelleMonae)". Twitter. August 23, 2012.
- ↑ "Jill Scott (@missjillscott)". Twitter. September 13, 2012.
- ↑ Frydenlund, Zach (September 2, 2012). "Kanye West Goes on Twitter Rant". Complex.
- ↑ "Thoughts on Lupe's Bitch Bad". The Crunk Feminist Collective. June 27, 2012.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco's "Bitch Bad" and the Art of Parody". HuffPost. July 2, 2012.
- ↑ Hughes, Josiah (June 25, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco "Bitch Bad". Exclaim!.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Soderberg, Brandon (August 23, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco Mansplains Some More in the Video for 'Bitch Bad'". Spin.
- ↑ Butan, Christina (August 24, 2012). "OKP News: Lupe Fiasco Boycotts Spin Magazine + Talks "Bitch Bad" on 106 & Park". Okayplayer.
- ↑ Solomon, Akiba (June 29, 2012). "In Defense of Lupe Fiasco's "Bitch Bad"—and Inspiration". Ebony.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Smith, Mychal (August 28, 2012). "Rap's Long History of 'Conscious' Condescension to Women". The Atlantic.
- ↑ Bennun, David (October 31, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco — Food & Liquor II The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1". The Quietus.
- ↑ Greene, Jayson (September 27, 2012). "Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 by Lupe Fiasco". Pitchfork.
- ↑ MacInnes, Paul (September 27, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco: Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt 1 – Review". The Guardian.
- ↑ Godfrey, Sarah (September 24, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco, 'Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1' Album Review". The Washington Post.
- ↑ Boyd, Andy (October 10, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco Bitch Bad: Sexist Single Makes Hip Hop Women Look Bad". Mic.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco Unveils Bewildering New Anti-Misogyny Screed 'B**ch Bad'". Fact. June 26, 2012.
- ↑ Macpherson, Alex (January 31, 2013). "Rapper Angel Haze on Religion, Rape and Survival". The Guardian.
- ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay (November 2, 2012). "Classick by Angel Haze". Pitchfork.
- ↑ Alexis, Nadeska (August 17, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco Bringing 'Bitch Bad' Video to 'RapFix Live'". MTV News.
- ↑ Bein, Kat (August 26, 2015). "The Music Video Is Still Alive, and Miami's Gil Green Intends to Keep It That Way". Miami New Times.
- ↑ "Gil Green News - Lupe Fiasco Video". us5.campaign-archive.com. August 27, 2012.
- ↑ Markman, Rob (August 22, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco Sparks 'Bitch' Conversation After Video Premiere". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015.
- ↑ Haupt, Adam (December 17, 2013). "Citizenship Without Representation? Blackface, Misogyny and Parody in Die Antwoord, Lupé Fiasco and Angel Haze". South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research.
External links[]
- Bitch Bad on Apple Music
- Bitch Bad on YouTube
- Behind the Scenes on YouTube
- Rap Genius on YouTube
- Bitch Bad on SoundCloud
- Bitch Bad on Spotify
