From Jay-Z to Wiz Khalifa: Is domestic bliss now 'dope' in hip-hop?
OPINION - Hip-hop has become much more of a balanced genre. It’s like hip-hop went from being that teenage boy going through puberty to that late 20-something looking to settle down...
Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa have also joined the ranks of soon-to-be-married/married men in hip-hop recently. Some have called their relationships everything from “odd” to “ridiculous” to “a publicity stunt.”
Many have questioned Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa’s decisions to be in relationships with women who have had very public relationships and connections to multiple men. But there may be a lesson for hip-hop and the larger society here.
Should a woman be judged on her past and not on her character, how she treats her partner, how she makes that partner feel and the like?
Shouldn’t we all be judged on who we are and not who we have a past with? When talking about his relationship with Amber Rose in 2011, Wiz Khalifa said, “I’m young and in my past before I wasn’t always with (just) one girl, or usually rappers aren’t, you know what I’m saying? It’s not really regular for a rapper to be like, ‘This is my girl and this is the only woman that I’m going to be with.’ But it just makes sense to me, and that’s how I really feel. And I just put that out there and everybody who embraces me, they have to embrace that as well.”
When sarcastically asked, “Who are you?” He responded, “I’m an example.”
When I think about Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa, there is something they all have in common when it comes to not only this topic but their music and their lives: They are all comfortable with who they are as men and do not mind being leaders in everything that they do. Going to back to Nas’ line in “Bye Baby,” they’ve decided to “make an honest woman” out of the women in their lives. That is something we all should embrace.
Having Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West, and Wiz Khalifa being public about their relationships, their experiences, and their love for their women is a big deal for hip-hop for multiple reasons. They all touch different sub-groups within rap, they all have a level of crossover appeal, and they all have core followers who admire what they do and do what they do.
In a culture known (rightfully or wrongly) in mainstream America for being anti-women and inherently violent, this will ultimately help change perceptions not only within the culture of hip-hop but outside as well.
Just a fad?
Some say this all may just a fad within hip-hop just like jerseys, FUBU, and Hummers. I disagree with that notion and believe that we have moved into a new era.
With the emergence of the term “Power Couple,” the culture and the people understand the importance of that partnership.
Hopefully this cultural change permeates into mainstream culture as well.
Marriage has seen a steep decline in the United States over the last 50 years. According to the Pew Research Center, only 55 percent of whites, 48 percent of Hispanics, and 31 percent of African-Americans are married today. All have seen drastic declines since 1960. Studies have consistently shown that married couples are more likely not to be in poverty and are more likely to raise children who succeed academically and economically.
If anything, for the future of America, everyone should embrace this new era. Hip-hop consciously and subconsciously has increasingly had an effect on mainstream America. Time will tell where we net out.
One thing is certain: in the words of Oscar Wilde, “Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.”
If we learn anything from Jay, Nas, Kanye, and Wiz, remember no one wants to be a sunless garden with dead flowers. It’s OK to love! It’s cool!
Rashad Drakeford is a sports & entertainment marketing consultant based in New York City. Follow Rashad on Twitter @RDrakeford.
