«Consumed Alive by the Gaze of Others» (Chadia 2020)

Misoginy and Female Trap

Abstract

Misogyny constitutes a central theme in trap music lyrics, both in Italy and internationally, alongside other recurring motifs such as self-celebration and the promotion of consumerism, luxury goods, and psychoactive substances. This article aims to examine how female artists in Italian rap and trap have responded and continue to respond to such controversial content, both through their lyrics and the images they convey of themselves and other women in music videos. Following an analysis of the few women active in the rap scene during the 1990s and the early 2000s, this study focuses on the lyrics of female artists from the past fifteen years. Selection was based on YouTube view counts, revealing how the persistent self-celebratory stance, also evident in female trap, reflects and responds to male misogynistic stereotypes. The study considers mainstream artists with at least one track exceeding twenty million views (Madame, Chadia, and Anna), artists surpassing ten million views (Big Mama, Beba, and Myss Keta), and less prominent but nonetheless influential figures in the national scene (Priestess, Comagatte, Ele A, Tokyo, Shark). Both passive conformity to patriarchal stereotypes and active forms of resistance emerge, sometimes mediated by dynamics of sisterhood. Hypersexualization and the objectification of one’s own body can be expressions of self-determination, but also indicators of potential personal downfall, reflecting a complex negotiation between self-celebration and self-destruction. In some cases, these reactions take on a provocative character, challenging traditional gender roles and social inequalities in a dynamic interplay between empowerment and vulnerability. Such psychological dynamics underscore the complexity of the trajectory women are gradually navigating with their recent entry into this musical domain. The study is complemented by excerpts from an interview with an emerging young rapper, Ira, originally from Naples, who has chosen her native dialect as her primary expressive medium, despite residing in the peripheral district of Paolo VI in Taranto.