Misogyny and the degradation of women are present in almost every musical genre, yet the only genre that completely revolves around the humiliation of women is rap. Over the years, rap and rap music videos have become increasingly sexual and degrading towards women. Rap has been criticized numerous times for this reason, and this is because rap is one of the most popular musical genres among younger generations. It's more than a music genre, it's a complete industry full of clothing and other products. The reason this constant humiliation of women exists is because rap is a genre that rewards the objectification of women. The excuses used to justify rap's misogyny are incomplete and lack accurate support. The most effective way to end this continuous cycle is for the struggle and protest to come from women themselves. Men are the problem in the objectification of women, but for this to stop, women need to step up and take control of the situation. Women need to act sooner rather than later because the rap industry has become increasingly sexual in recent years. . Rap is criticized so harshly because many rap artists take the exploitation of women to the next level. In the music video for “Tip Drill,” Nelly swiped a credit card across a woman's backside. Rap crosses the line more than any other genre. Not only are women portrayed sexually in music videos, but also in rap songs themselves. The lyrics are explicit and usually go into great detail when describing sexual acts. Nelly was asked during an interview why rap receives such harsh criticism and he responded, “Part of the reason rap artists get criticized more than any other group is because people don't respect what we do as art. When actress Halle Berry... center of paper... homeschooling, workshops, protesting, and supporting positive artists, women can make bigger strides to change the representation of women in the rap music industry. CitedKeyes, Cheryl L. “Empowering Self, Making Choices, Creating Space: Black Female Identity I Through Rap Music Performance.” American Folklore Society 113 (2000): 255-69. JSTOR. November 29, 2009 .McLune, Jennifer. “Hip-Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women.” Perspective on contemporary issues. 5th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengag Learning, 2009. 247-51. Print.Thrash, Rodney. “Women say rap videos belittle, not define.” St. Petersburg Times June 14, 2005. November 29, 2009. Williams, Dana. “Beyond Rap: Musical Misogyny.” Teaching Tolerance (2003): 213-15. Tolerance in the news. August 12, 2003. November 29 2009 .