New Publication: Cardi B and Bisexual Erasure Chapter
My chapter, “‘I’m a Whole Bisexual’: Cardi B, ‘WAP,’ and Bisexual Erasure” has been published in the book Hip Hop Studies and Queer Black Feminism edited by Elaine B. Richardson, Gwendolyn D. Pough, and Treva B. Lindsey. I’m absolutely thrilled and honored to be included in this collection and to have had the opportunity to think and work with the editors and fellow authors.
In this chapter, I argue that the reception of “WAP” and the media’s framing of Cardi B constitute a form of bisexual erasure that contributes to the continued invisibility of Black queer women rappers. Drawing on Savannah Shange’s notion of strategic queer performance of the “femmecee,” I trace Cardi B’s continual coming out in response to accusations of queerbaiting, particularly in the reception of the music video for Rita Ora’s “Girls” (also featuring Bebe Rexha and Charlie XCX) and her appearance in the video for Normani’s “Wild Side.” Despite Cardi B’s repeated assertions of her bisexual identity, media attention has focused on her relationship to rapper Offset and continues to situate her as straight. As a result, the praise for “WAP” has focused on women’s heterosexual pleasure, closing off additional possibilities for other, queer forms of sexual liberation.
From the University of California Press website: “Hip Hop Studies and Queer Black Feminism presents a dynamic and much-needed fresh analysis of Black gendering and racialized sexualities in the sphere of Hip Hop. Editors Elaine B. Richardson, Gwendolyn D. Pough, and Treva B. Lindsey bring together established and rising scholars to examine the work of Hip Hop creators and practitioners, using the genre as a lens to address the crises of this historical moment, marked by attacks on bodily autonomy, LGBTQ+ rights, education, and Black studies. Tracing legacies of queer Black feminist activism and expression through Hip Hop culture and music, this timely anthology recenters queer Black feminism and cements its place in (Black) culture, liberation movements, and education.”
You can purchase a copy in hardcover, paperback, or eBook from the University of California Press website.
