The Erotic and the Pornographic in Chicana Rap: JV vs. Ms. Sancha

The discourse on gender and sexuality in rap music is dominated by the pornographic. Women of color contending with demeaning pornographic images have entered the discourse though many routes. JV and Ms. Sancha exemplify the two predominant approaches to discussing gender, sexuality, and power by female rappers of Mexican descent. The concepts of "the erotic" and "porn" are used to describe and examine the work of these two artists. Like feminists of color before her, JV invokes the power of the erotic to challenge male-centered discussions of sexuality. Comparison of the works of each artist helps clarify the difficulties women encounter when attempting to intervene in male-dominated cultural spaces. Each artist contends with the misogyny of the dominant culture that largely sanctions pornography and denies the erotic.