On August 7, 2020 Atlantic Records released rapper Cardi B's lead single "WAP"

featuring fellow hip hop star Megan Thee Stallion. "WAP" is an acronym for Wet Ass

Pussy; which the artists utilize recurrently throughout their verses. This single is

comprised of uncensored, sex positive lyrics sung by women who are performing in a

traditionally male dominated and often misogynistic genre. Cardi B (Belcalis Marlenis

Almánzar) and Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Jovon Ruth Pete) together adopt the

vulgarity that men within the Hip Hop genre have perpetuated for years in a non-

derogatory manner. They challenge the double standard of men being praised for

rapping graphically about sex while women are looked down upon for even beginning

to do the same. In the two months since its release, "WAP" has broken streaming

records and even debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics have been

praised by many but have also drawn negative attention from more conservative

individuals according to Rolling Stone. The polarizing nature of the lyrics and overall

controversy surrounding the song serves to increase its cultural significance, pushing

boundaries and branding "WAP" as a powerful female anthem and social rally.

The success of "WAP" can be attributed greatly to its composition. The song was

written by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion as well as Austin J Owens, Frank

Rodriguez, James II Foye and Jorden Thorpe. The lyrics these songwriters included

have been described as risky and attention-grabbing with memorable lines such as

Megan Thee Stallion's "Gobble me, swallow me, drip down inside of me / Quick jump

out 'fore you let it get inside of me", Cardi B wrote and re-wrote her verses numerous

times before finding just the right combination of lyrics. She incorporates an assortment

of sexual metaphors and allusions in an effort to convey to the listener that she is not

afraid to fully embrace her sexuality, as women should be free to do without fear of

judgement both within hip hop and the rest of society. An example of an allusion made
within "WAP" is "Macaroni in a pot / That's some wet ass pussy". The line "macaroni in

a pot" is an allusion to a 2014 viral video by then 16-year-old Mohamad Zoror who

suggests in the video that the sound of macaroni and cheese being stirred is akin to the

sound of "good pussy". Cardi B plays off of that here to add another creative layer to the

song and further establish herself as extremely sexually confident. Megan Thee Stallion

also composed her lyrics to establish sexual confidence. She raps "Your honor, I'm a

freak bitch, handcuffs, leashes / Switch my wig, make him feel like he cheating / Put

him on his knees, give him something to believe in /Never lost a fight, but I'm looking

for a beating" In addressing "Your honor" Megan is admitting in effect to a court that

she is a "freak" and is proud of it. When she states "never lost fight, but l'm looking for

a beating" she is also acknowledging that she is seeking out taboo sexual experiences

entirely of her own volition. Overall, the lyrics of "WAP" challenge the notion that

women in hip hop should avoid being overtly sexual.

In addition to the lyrics, musical characteristics and features play a large role in the

success of "WAP”. For example, the songwriters and engineers utilized a deep bass

throughout the entirety of the song. This deep bass is catchy for the listener but does not

overpower the rappers themselves. There is also a heavily repeated sample of "Whores

in this House" un older Baltimore Club Single by Frank Ski. The inclusion of this

sample further exaggerates the sexual nature of the song and empowers Cardi B and

Megan Thee Stallion by allowing them to reclaim the word “whore" which is often used

derogatorily toward women who enjoy sex, dress in a "sexual/revealing" way, or

frequently engage in sexual acts. The word "whore" can also have no root in or

reflection of a woman's actual appearance or actions, it can be used solely to objectify

and demean a woman. By pushing the lyrics of the song to the forefront while including
repeated catchy musical features, the songwriters and engineers have employed yet

another effective method to highlighting the sex-positive message of "WAP".

The song "WAP" has already found great social significance since its release date,

especially within Generation Z. The single quickly shot to number one and has been

remixed with a wide range of songs from Dominic Cooper's "Lay All Your Love on

Me" to John Williams "The Imperial March". According to The New York Times, a

popular video sharing platform, TikTok, has featured over a million videos and dances

inspired by both the original version of "WAP" and the aforementioned remixes. One

trend, inspired by Megan The Stallion's lyrics "If he fucks me and ask 'whose is it?

/When I ride the dick, I'ma spell my name" led TikTok users to dance along to the verse

while spelling out their own name with their hips. This trend began a conversation

regarding how society has overtly sexualized women to the point that the engaging in

snack trends is assumed to be solely for the purpose of entertaining the opposite gender

rather than for self-appreciation and as a display of confidence. In essence, "WAP" has

begun conversations and trends socially that allow other women, not just Cardi B and

Megan Thee Stallion to reclaim their sexuality. This has angered many of the more

conservative TikTok users who have taken offence to both the lyrics and the dances

accompanying "WAP" trends. There have been rebuttals in the form of remixes by

church leaders who sanitize the lyrics and choose alternative dance moves. It is my

working theory that those with more traditional and conservative values who look down

upon and/or disallow premarital sexual acts feet as though songs like "WAP" will push

youth, specifically Generation Z to act out of alignment with their values. This is a large

contributor to the controversy of "WAP" and why its cultural impact is so important.

Politically, "WAP" itself does not make as much bold commentary with its lyrics as

it does socially and culturally. However, the song is still politically relevant as it has
boosted Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s platforms and political influence. As

celebrities, the two are likely to make a difference in their listener's knowledge and

action in politics. For example, with 2020 being an election year, after the release of

WAP Cardi B conducted a virtual interview via Elle with Democratic Presidential

Nominee Joe Biden. According to The Glow Up, during her interview, Cardi B was able

to present her political ideals in detail to the nominee and her fans. Biden also expressed

an interest in what Cardi B's fans care most about and what changes they have told her

they would like to see politically. All in all, a song like WAP which boosts an artist's

platform can also create connections and conversation like the interview with Biden and

can express and push political action.

Despite the importance of the social, political and cultural contexts of the song

"WAP", the cultural impact and context is certainly the largest. To begin, running a

quick Google search for "Hip Hop Artists" yields 51 results, only 6 of whom identify as

women. This is just a small testament to the lack of representation women have seen in

Hip Hop despite their past contributions, increasing female representation in

traditionally male dominated spaces is an important step to tackling widespread

misogyny. For example, rapper Kanye West's music has featured lines such as "F--k

you and your Hampton house/ I'll f-k you Hampton spouse/ Came on her Hampton

blouse/ And in her Hampton mouth". Kanye West's lines appear to be more of a loosely

veiled and jarring threat than a reclamation of sexuality. Kanye suggests that because he

is upset, he will have sex with someone's wife to prove a point. This is a bold statement

that essentially tears women down and reduces them to sex objects to empower Kanye

West and establish his superiority. When female rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee

Stallion rap about their bodies and sexualities in "WAP" they are rapping about

consensual sexual actions that they enjoy participating in. Despite the vulgarity, at its
core "WAP" is empowering for women and does not aim to demean men to achieve that

empowerment.

"WAP" has had a positive influence on the cultural view of women rapping about

their own bodies and about women rapping in general. Widespread exposure to this

song was necessary to further challenge those who do not believe that female artists

should speak as freely as male artists are able to. While there is still work to be done,

"WAP" has helped to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Overall, "WAP" and its attendant controversy have in a very short period of time

generated large amounts of content and numerous conversations regarding the overt

sexualization of women and the comparatively small number of women in Hip Hop

versus men. Through the platform TikTok alone "WAP" has reached and influenced

individuals across all 50 states and in a large number of countries. That reach and

influence will continue as Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and other female rappers

continue to release music that features women speaking openly about sex. As that music

is released, listeners will begin to internalize the idea that their lyrics are progressive

and with time hopefully: normal.