No Hands

 I decided to write this blog on the song “No Hands” by Waka Flocka Flame featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale in his debut album Flockaveli. It was released in 2010 and was on the Billboard Hot 100. I choose this song because there are many times when hyper-masculinity is connected with money and derogatory terms for body parts. There are also many times when women are regarded as strippers as in the chorus Waka says “all I wanna do is sit back and watch you move and I'll proceed to throw this cash”. Even in the music video, the three rappers are surrounded by women in short dresses dancing suggestively around them. The hyper-masculinity and degrading of women are seen throughout this song and is an example of what sells records in the music industry.

In the song, the girls are highly sexualized and treated as strippers. In the chorus, Waka raps “you gon' lose those pants and imma throw this money while you do it with no hands”. It is an obvious reference to strippers and that women will do whatever the man wants if he pays enough. Wealth is a sign of masculinity and gives men a sense of empowerment and authority. The more wealthy have higher status and thus more authority over individuals including women. In the 1^st verse he raps “well I'm tryna hit the hotel with two girls that swallow dick”. The act of engaging in sexual intercourse with multiple partners will further enhance a male's masculinity. The strive for this pushes aside monogamy and the idea of one sexual partner. This strongly reinforces the present day attitudes and the constant belittlement towards women seen in the music industry.

In the modern music videos, women are dressed in tight fitting shorts, pants or dresses. They are also mostly seen in the background while the male rappers are rapping. They dance suggestively around them. These are all ways of sexualizing them. This is what is popular today and the music industry feeds off this by constantly portraying women in this manner. It is a marketing scheme for the artist and industry that produces millions of dollars from record albums.

In the song “No Hands”, there is constant rapping about throwing money around like it is nothing and having women strip and dance for it. There is also constant emphasis on sex. The use of wealth and characterizing women as strippers further emphasizes male dominance and represses female empowerment. But this is a constant theme in modern songs and the music industry. The constant emphasis on money, sex and women produces millions of dollars for the music industry and it will continue in this society.

Aaron C