Kodak Black’s harassment of Lauren London reveals how pervasive misogyny still is in hip-hop

On March 31, rapper Nipsey Hussle was gunned down in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles outside of the clothing store he owned. At just 33, the California rapper had made an indelible mark on both the hip-hop industry and his community: Hussle was known for funneling his success and influence back into his own neighborhood. Nipsey Hussle’s passing not only leaves a crater in hip-hop but also illuminates a far more pervasive dilemma within hip-hop as well: the endurance of misogyny as a cultural norm and the understanding that a rapper’s legacy and artistry is always considered more important than the treatment of women who surrounded him.

In the days following Hussle’s death, rappers and fans alike offered an outpouring of condolences and love, for both the memory of Hussle and his family (he was survived by two children and his girlfriend, Lauren London). Much was said about his legacy as a businessman and community activist, including Marathon, a clothing store he opened in 2017 in Crenshaw to promote commerce in the impoverished community, and the science and technology center he co-founded in 2018 for underprivileged and at-risk youth in the same neighborhood.

There was one notable exception to these well-wishers, however: Kodak Black, a 21-year-old rapper from Florida and perhaps hip-hop’s most polarizing figure. Black is arguably as well known for his criminal activity, most of which has victimized women, as he is for his music. Since 2016, Black has been arrested on four counts of sexual assault and misconduct, and was more recently indicted by a grand jury in South Carolina on charges of first-degree criminal sexual misconduct that stemmed from an incident in December of 2018. Despite his long rap sheet, the rapper has had no problem maintaining a fan base and has continued to collaborate with his peers. That is to say, both groups condoned his past transgressions in the name of his music. But Kodak’s comments aimed at Lauren London following Hussle’s death apparently crossed a line.

Six days after Hussle’s death, Black said on Instagram Live that he would give Lauren London about a year to grieve before courting her. No matter the circumstances, taking to social media to publicize one’s intentions to pursue or claim a stranger is distasteful, but to do so days after that person’s partner was murdered is deplorable. After the Internet got wind of Kodak’s comments, prominent rappers like The Game, T.I., and others in the hip-hop community expressed their disgust and anger at Kodak Black. But, crucially, instead of expressing disgust at this treatment of Lauren London, most rappers’ grievances boiled down to disrespect for Nipsey Hussle’s legacy. The Game’s response video, for example, never once mentioned the actual issue of Black’s public harassment of London herself, but was motivated by his respect for another man. “Stop speaking on Nip name,” The Game said.

This phenomenon represents hip-hop’s enduring blind spot for the welfare of women. The Game, for example, released an explicit song earlier this year detailing his sexual exploits with Kim Kardashian — mostly in service of referencing her marriage to the rapper Kanye West. In the weeks following the death of rising artist Megan Thee Stallion’s mother, rapper Trey Songz took to Twitter to euphemistically ask the female rapper to sleep with him. J. Cole has offered his sympathy to both Kodak Black and fellow controversial rapper 6ix9ine in the past year, despite their respective, alleged histories of abusing women. And then there’s the controversy surrounding the now-deceased artist XXXTentacion who allegedly beat his then girlfriend to near blindness amongst other horrid crimes, yet who was supported by fellow artists and still appears posthumously on both merchandise and in songs with the likes of Lil Wayne and Kanye West.  

It’s clear Black’s comments, therefore, would not have been publicly criticized had London had no connection to Nipsey Hussle. After all, Black’s allegations of and charges related to rape have been public knowledge for years, yet few within the hip-hop community denounced him for that. They also said nothing when Kodak publicly harassed New York rapper Young M.A. in mid-March by going on Instagram Live and stating, “I’m talking about, how you a girl but don’t want your ***** penetrated? How? Don’t be mad at me, ’cause I want you.”

It’s unfortunate, but not entirely surprising, that an industry so heavily comprised of men and premised on masculine bravado would have such a deeply misogynistic response to an already misogynistic incident. Hussle’s legacy is indelible in the streets of Los Angeles and in the annals of hip-hop history, but London’s personhood isn’t inextricably tied to Hussle. As her own person, she deserves the same kind of care and well-being afforded to the memory of her boyfriend simply because she’s undeserving of harassment and not because of her proximity to a man.