I'm a "Savage": Exploring Megan Thee Stallion's Use of the Politics of Articulation to Subvert the Androcentric Discourses of Women in Hip Hop Culture

Hip hop music is understood to be a tool that promotes equality for a group of people who were previously marginalised and discriminated against. However, misogyny and sexual exploitation of women remain dominant characteristics of hip hop culture. When exploring research on women in hip hop culture, scholars tend to focus on misogyny and the hypersexualising of women, thus disregarding the fact that women can express and enjoy their sexuality purely because it is their prerogative to do so. This article highlights how Fairclough's (1995) model of critical discourse analysis can be used as a lens and tool to introduce alternative perspectives on these discourses and ideologies. Specifically, this research interrogates how Megan Thee Stallion applies the politics of articulation through her rap lyrics to subvert the androcentric discourses of hip hop culture, which objectify and sexually exploit women-specifically, Black women who have been historically subjected to the politics of respectability that positions Black women in inferior position to White women.