Since its emergence in the South Bronx in the 1970s, hip hop has spread to both urban and suburban communities around the world. Once an underground music genre, it is seen in commercials, films, television programs, etc. It transformed from music and expanded into a complete culture. It has also made its way into fashion and art. Men have always been at the forefront of hip hop. However, the texts and images have changed enormously. Texts and images that once spoke of the injustices and empowerment of African-American people are now filled with money, cars, jewelry and, of course, women. Today's hip hop generation is criticized for its negative portrayal of women. Every music video produced features scantily clad women dancing sensually. Feminists speak out against them because they continue to sexualize the female form, degrade women by using terms like “bitch” and “hoe” to describe them, and overall continue to make them second-class citizens. Radical feminism focuses on such oppression in society and the existence of patriarchy/male dominance. This is evident in hip hop. Patriarchy creates a social division. It is often used to describe power between a male and a woman. This idea is important in radical feminism. Considered the root of women's oppression, radical feminists recognize that patriarchy is everywhere. Radical feminism came about because they were unhappy with the course of action taken by the first wave of feminists. Radical feminists wanted a revolution, not just reform; they wanted to do things their own way instead of following “the system”. So they came up with their own theories that suited their way of thinking and were often at odds with feminist reformers… half of paper… lackademics.org. Word Press, 2006. Web. 01 May 2012. .Burke, Colleen. "Women and militarism". Women and militarism. International Women's League for Peace and Freedom. Network. 05 May 2012. .Hooks, bell. “Sexism and Misogyny: Who Gets the Rap?” Race and ethnicity. Network. 06 May 2012. .Hooks, bell. We're really cool: Black men and masculinity. New York: Routledge, 2004. Mgadmi, Mahassen. “Black Women's Identity: Stereotypes, Respectability, and Passionlessness (1890-1930).” LISA E-Journal. Network. 06 May 2012. .Zieber, Maureen. “Defining Radical Feminism.” Suite101.com. Network. 08 May 2012. .