WAP: It’s political, obviously
To say that “WAP” by Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion has been the most controversial piece of media published in the year 2020 would be an understatement. It has shaken the very foundation of American media, divided opinions and exposed a detrimental double standard in the Hip-Hop industry. People and influencers alike were shocked out of their dormant states upon their very first listen, and despite the backlash and relentless censorship of the song it shot up to the top of the charts while the music video garnered multi million views within the first few days of its release. Whether you approve or disapprove of its existence, it has managed to be an anthem for female sexuality while challenging the status quo. “W.A.P.” Women Are Powerful.
Plenty of incredible new music has come out in the past 9 months. Artists have been working on overdrive competing for plays and streams, hoping to catch our full undivided attention while we’re isolated in our homes. Many artists tried to stand out amongst all this by bringing back topical rap, like Lil Baby, while others have tried pushing the limits of experimentation, see Rico Nasty’s “Own It”. Yet no other single has caused so much concern. Cardi’s record label Atlantic Records expressed their hesitation, and nearly had it re-recorded. The major streaming platform Youtube has chosen to censor the music video as it does not align with their “community guidelines”. Not to mention the dance it inspired on Tik Tok has been deemed too inappropriate for underage influencers to replicate… at least on camera. Looks like this is one trend Charli D’amelio won’t be dominating.
Why is there so much hate from something that brings millions so much joy? Just look at this Instagram post from Christina Aguilera, she credits the song for a blissed out day in her pool at home. What is the big deal?
Their problem can’t be with the word because the song has been censored to smithereens, on radio and Youtube. The problem can’t be with a woman being sexually explicit to commodify her attractiveness, just watch any music video for Madison Beer! Art and media has been selling sexy women since the dawn of time! Quite literally, the oldest known piece of art was a small statue of the female form, The Venus of Willendorf.
It’s political, obviously.
As I mentioned, the WAP controversy has actually gotten political with Ben Shapiro making headlines commenting on the song via Twitter. To be frank the comments he made are too degrading to repeat here, but he infers that Cardi should visit her doctor. An article released in response to his tweet interviewed an actual gynecologist who indicated that Shapiro demonstrated a lack of knowledge about female anatomy. Yikes, burn, I feel sorry for Mrs. Shapiro, really. But he’s not alone, James P. Bradly, a Californian congressional candidate also gave his two cents, going as far as to say his ears needed holy water cleansing. Since when do Republican Party members with influence like them somehow have the green light to verbally attack these women of pop culture? Is it just because they expressed autonomy?
This wasn’t just a clear show of Republican solidarity for these men, it was a strategic attack at the Democratic party. Back in July of last year, Cardi B actually met Bernie Sanders to show her sponsorship for his candidacy, a meeting for which she dressed very appropriately, in case you were having a hard time imagining them in the same room together. The Republicans are actively pushing the narrative that Democrats are not only corrupt but also the party is riddled with pedophiles. (Thanks Hollywood, looking at you Harvey) They used the release of WAP as fuel to their fire, and they jumped on the opportunity to demean a Democratic Supporter in hopes of hurting our chances in the November 2020 election.
It's clear the issue about this is the timing, but this theory is only further enforced by the fact that Cardi and Megan are not the first women to use this style. Their sound evolved from the original raunchy queen of the east coast, Lil Kim. She was rumored to have been steered in this direction by Biggie Smalls, even though she had already started off with less sensual lyrics and a low hardened voice. Since then we’ve had T.L.C. and loads of R&B queens, pop stars like Britney Spears and of course Missy Elliott. A wide range of dignified and sexy women, all coming from different backgrounds and singing about a very particular subject.
In terms of the Hip-Hop industry, what makes WAP different? Hip-Hop for the most part has been in turmoil. With many fans saying true hip-hop is dead, the conflict of mumble rappers vs. articulate rappers, and major icons and chart favorites losing their lives way too early in their careers (at least more than usual).
Rap used to serve a higher purpose of informing folks on the goings on within a specific community between gangs or individuals. Since then they serve little purpose, but to bolster the ego and status of the artist. With so much ego stroking going on in the men’s Hip-Hop department, you’d think they’d be a little more open-minded to Cardi’s brand of egocentrism. The brilliance of WAP is in its innuendo, where she is of course talking about her heightened state of arousal, but she’s also in a way talking about her power and ambition.
Let’s look at “Lights Please” by J. Cole, in which he uses the extended innuendo of having sex with a girl who inadvertently stands for the Hip-Hop industry as a whole. One particular lyric reads “She wet enough to get drowned slow,” sound familiar? The song is regarded as one of his best, and some would even say the best of it’s era. Now we’ll compare another club favorite, Get Low by Lil John, in which he describes just how wet his private parts are, so wet in fact that there is a sweat drop down h- well you know the line. Even more recent, industry sweetheart Mac Miller in Dang! describes his prowess as a cunnalingus-eterian, in the chorus, “I just eat p**sy, other people need food”, and this is considered easy listening!
The truth is, the record labels and powers that be, think that we’d rather hear about men and their escapades because, as a society, we would! Their job is to put out music that fits with our cultural ideals and we tend to all agree that men are allowed to be more promiscuous. This fact has been hardwired into nearly every written song lyric, and I dare you to find me more counter examples (no really, please, looking to build out my WAP playlist). Men can brag about how long their.. Uh.. “Money” is, looking at you Kevin Gates, and how good they are at “dicking a girl down”, but often when a female expresses the same kind of pride in their sexual agency, we feel threatened instead of emboldened.
Then comes a woman, with all the confidence and self assuredness that comes with being a chart topper, combined with her rap capability along with a catchy melody and boom, you have a hot girl summer.
I think women everywhere can agree that the first time they heard Cardi B’s new anthem “WAP” it was like feeling the sun on your skin for the first time in months. It felt like a wave of fresh cold ocean sprayed us head to toe and drenched us in gall. For a brief moment in history the world was mesmerized and/or intimidated by the power and potential of a woman with full agency over her body and the drive and bravery to express it. We can only hope that the next generation continues to foster women with the same courage.
Kay is a Los Angeles resident DIY girl. Her creative streak runs through many mediums. When she is not writing or crafting custom furniture, she is making music or Etch-a-Sketch art. She hopes to one day write comedy in Hollywood or New York, but for now she just makes memes.
