our mission.
theKEEPERS Collective is a Black womxn-led collective of artists, activists, and scholars that amplifies
the voices of womxn and girls across Global Hip Hop culture. Through a range of publicly-accessible
resources, events, and programs we seek to undo the systematic erasure and silencing of womxn and girls.
SAMMUS | U.S.A
Azmera Hammouri-Davis | U.S.A
our collective.
Malkia Mutiri | BELGIUM
Kyra D. Gaunt, Ph.D | U.S.A
Mel Duarte | BRAZIL
Loreal Bell | U.S.A
Afia Akosah Bempah | SOUTH AFRICA
Rachida Aziz | BELGIUM
Jessica Balbino | BRAZIL
Across 8 countries and counting, we galvanize along the artistic, academic, & political spheres to reclaim and honor womxn's herstory in Hip Hop music/culture.
Nasir Marumo | U.S.A
Aysha Upchurch | U.S.A
Ina Thiam | SENEGAL
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Dr. Matthew Morrison | U.S.A
Yugen Blakrok | SOUTH AFRICA
Our goal is for theKEEPER Digital Archive to become the premier destination for fans, scholars, and other cultural workers, including researchers, and activists, to discover and actively engage with the rich legacy of womxn in Hip Hop.
Jölle Pettke | GERMANY
Preta Rara | BRAZIL
Karen Eaddy | U.S.A
C. Lionel Spencer | U.S.A
Gabriel Bryant | U.S.A.
Tassia Reis | BRAZIL
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Axel Zielke | GERMANY
Hadit Montero | VENEZUELA
We are currently developing of theKEEPER Digital Archive; the first of its kind resource to visually map & document the vast worlds of womxn & girls throughout 5 decades of Hip Hop.
Dr. Ayla Güler | GERMANY
Marie Umuhoza | BELGIUM
Tati Villela | BRAZIL
Beà | BRAZIL
why we need to be looking at the works of womxn & girls in Hip Hop?
According to BuzzAngle’s 2018 annual report, Hip Hop accounted for 24.7% of all music consumption in the United States, surpassing all other genres. Hip Hop is the most listened to music in the world, as confirmed by digital streaming service Spotify in 2018.
Despite the global dominance of Hip Hop music and culture, these numbers have not translated to widespread success nor recognition for most womxn and girls who work or have worked in Hip Hop. Sexism, misogyny, and racism have always intersected to devalue and silence womxn's contributions in the public sphere; within Hip Hop, womxn and girls are frequently objectified and rarely considered to be serious producers of thought and culture.
*These gender disparities have persisted throughout Hip Hop's history, and in some regards have become more widespread since the 1980s and 1990s
peep these stats
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Of the 1,067 number-one singles recognized by the Billboard charts since its establishment in 1958, only two had been obtained by women rap artists as of 2018: Lauryn Hill’s 1998 classic “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” in 2017;
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As of August 2020 only seven women rap artists have achieved a number one single on the Billboard charts, and of those, only three have done so without featured artists.
