Pimps up Hoe'S Down

        Pimps Up, Ho’s Down by T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting explains many different difficulties that young black women experienced while being apart of the hip hop music industry. She questions the complexities of young black women’s engagement with a culture that is macho, sexist, and frequently unfathomable. The book has been broken down into five different sections with its own issues, however I found one main theme throughout the entire book. Sharpley-Whiting wants her readers to see what it takes for young black women to be successful in the hip hop music business and the difficulties that result from it. With that main theme, I identified three particular issues regarding image in the video industry, groupie love, and black women and abuse. In this paper, I will provide claims to each issue, evaluate and explain them individually.

        The first issue that I found is about the image within the hip-hop industry is just as important as the skills and beats, which in the long run has negatively affected this generation as a result of a more frequent sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse. Although this claim doesn’t seem relevant, the author’s evidence makes the significance of this issue more apprehensive.

        Sharpley-Whiting uses women in hip hop videos as the main source for evidence. These women she describes are singers, professional models, dancers, and aspiring actresses. In addition, she explains that they might be earning their rent, tuition or using this for exposure for something bigger. Some could be dancing and shaking for their five minutes of fame for free. According to Atlanta hip hop industry insider and videographer Tiona McClodden, “Mandy of the background video models use their bodies as demos because they know that much of what is shot will be left on the floor of the editing room. They have one opportunity. If they do something provocative enough to stand out, they anticipate that the shot just may remain in the final video,” (26).

        The author uses more evidence to explain that there is a particular look that the industry is looking for when they are casting for the music videos. Historian Tiffany Patterson calls “ascriptive mulattas,” (27). Which means those whose physical beauty transcends characteristics such as darker hues, full lips, and the like, historically prefigured as less than ideal (non-European). Its noted that this look is appealing to both white and black men, which makes the fan base for the hip hop videos even broader. As these videos rack up the views, the frequency to STDs and abusing drugs and alcohol becomes. This outcome explains how the image of hip hop is negatively affecting this generation of people and especially women.

        Sharpley-Whiting’s evidence for this claim, in my opinion, was supported. She couldn’t have done a better job. Facts cannot be altered and she was able to exemplify the facts to her readers. These women that are allowing themselves to participate in these videos are running into drug and alcohol abuse along with STDs because of their behavior.

        This claim leads into the second issue that I’ve found from this book. The author claims that there is a rise of groupies in the hip hop culture and that the relationship between hip hop celebrities are a tenuous one. The hip hop celebrities use the women just as much as the women use the celebrities. Even though this, again, doesn’t seem relevant, the author’s evidence and explanation to why groupies are so important makes this issue significant.