The 8 Books Every Hip-Hop Feminist Should Read

"When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down" by Joan Morgan ($18)

Joan Morgan coined the term "hip-hop feminism" with the publication of this book in 1999. "When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost" explores the complexities of being a Black woman in the modern world, traversing the contradictory messages that can stem from modern feminism and the pressures it puts on women.

The book has since been critiqued, as modern understandings of feminism have grown more sophisticated and terms like misogynoir have emerged — a fact that Morgan celebrates. "I'm excited there are women who have moved past it, who have added to my original theorizing, and people who disagree with it," Morgan told Vibe in 2019. "The book gave a generation of young women who needed it a way to connect to feminism as clearly — or even more clearly — than their connection to hip-hop, which for a lot of us came first. That's the thing I'm most proud of."

"Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes From a Trap Feminist" by Sesali Bowen ($16)

Written by entertainment journalist Sesali Bowen, this book is a mix of memoir and analysis. It follows Bowen from her early years falling in love with hip-hop on Chicago's South Side to profiling major artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Lizzo. When Bowen realized that much of the complexity and nuance she was observing in the women she was writing about wasn't being reflected in mainstream feminism, she decided to coin her own term — "trap feminism" — which explores the boundaries between feminism and hip-hop while also reflecting on queerness, fatphobia, and capitalism at large.

"God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop" by Kathy Iandoli ($16)

If you're looking for an overview of women's presence in hip-hop, look no further than this read. "God Save the Queens" explores early hip-hop pioneers like Cindy Campbell, Debbie D, and Roxanne Shanté, who paved the way for stars like MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Salt-N-Pepa. Following the evolution of women's first contributions to hip-hop all the way to the rise of present-day stars, it explores issues like objectification, sexuality, finances, and more and also interrogates how women in hip-hop have had to balance competitiveness with female solidarity. Ultimately, it pays tribute to the women who made hip-hop what it is today.

"Wish to Live: The Hip-Hop Feminism Pedagogy Reader" by Ruth Nicole Brown and Chamara Jewel Kwakye ($30)

This compilation of academic essays views hip-hop feminism through the lens of its relationship to activism and explores how hip-hop feminism can become a force of radical change. Focusing on hip-hop feminism and its ability to foster local education and community activism efforts, it ultimately is dedicated to showing how hip-hop feminism can be used in readers' everyday lives to make the world better.

"Home With Hip-Hop Feminism: Performances in Communication and Culture" by Aisha S. Durham ($30)

In this book, Aisha S. Durham challenges the worlds of white-dominated feminist theory, insular feminist academia, and the masculine-dominated world of hip-hop. Using a combination of autobiography and ethnography, Durham explores the history of women in hip-hop while also showing how hip-hop feminism can challenge overarching and institutionalized systems of oppression.

"Her Word Is Bond: Navigating Hip-Hop and Relationships in a Culture of Misogyny" by Cristalle Bowen ($13)

Chicago-based rapper, educator, and journalist Cristalle Bowen — better known as Psalm One — recounts her life story in this memoir, exploring her upbringing and work as a chemist, teacher, and groundbreaking rapper. Telling the story of the ups and downs of Bowen's life, it's ultimately a paean to the importance of radical self-acceptance.

"The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop" by Clover Hope ($14)

"The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop" is a deep dive into the lives and work of more than 100 women who helped hip-hop become what it is today, from Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott to Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. It showcases the vast variety of experiences that women hip-hop artists can have in the industry; some of these artists found themselves pigeonholed by restrictive sexism, some had to fight hard to be heard, some were able to break through the noise, some became massive successes, and others earned respect but not stardom. Ultimately, this beautiful collection, illustrated by Rachelle Baker, is a loving tribute to the many incredible women who have defined hip-hop over the years.

"Ride or Die: A Feminist Manifesto For the Well-Being of Black Women" by Shanita Hubbard ($17)

"Ride or Die: A Feminist Manifesto For the Well-Being of Black Women" interrogates the "ride or die" trope that expects Black women to give much of their labor to others without limits or reciprocity. Shanita Hubbard, a former therapist and academic, argues that this mentality, which often appears in hip-hop, has left Black women burned out and exhausted. Ultimately, Hubbard suggests that reclaiming one's energy, divorcing self-worth from labor performed, and losing the ride-or-die myth can be immensely healing and powerful.