As we progress deeper into Womyn’s History Month, it is time for us as people to appreciate the progression and growth of womyn empowerment and equality in America throughout the decades. Do not ignore this introduction as a mere spelling error: it is a UW-Madison-originated grassroots movement delivering tools and methods of female empowerment with a firm base in music culture. This collective is called Not Enough Mics, and on Saturday, March 10, the first annual NEM conference will be held on campus in celebration of this collective’s success and the success of “womyn” in music.
Started one year ago by First Wave student artists Blaire White, a senior, and Sofia Snow, a graduate student, NEM serves as a base of collaboration and promotion of womyn hip-hop artists across the United States. The name was adapted from a lyric from rapper L-Boogie of The Fugees: “Too many emcees, not enough mics.” The quote resonated enough with the founders to not only serve as a moniker, but as a concept to further and embody their own work and message. Though this movement was rooted in a context of hip-hop, it is inclusive of all genres of music.
With NEM present, there will be too many artists and too much talent represented for the American music landscape to handle. In a male-dominated American music culture driven by sexist and classist ideals, the womyn of NEM are dedicated to changing the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of womyn in music through their presence and activism.
Why the ‘y’? NEM identifies itself as an all-inclusive movement with the ‘y’ in “womyn” symbolizing acceptance and collaboration for those underneath the movement. The artists affiliated are known as “SuperWomyn”. This includes any and all sexual and gender orientations, cultural and racial identities, and so forth. Furthermore, the ‘y’ can be self-defined by the artists and allies within the movement as well; it is emphasized that there is no pressure to conform to any standard of womanhood or femininity.
Since NEM’s 2011 inception, there have been two volumes of its self-titled mixtape series released for free via the Internet as promotional tools for the artists affiliated with the movement. Some of the artists in the movement include, but are not limited to, K.Raydio, FM Supreme, Pyro, Bonnie, Jasmine Mans, and DJ BlaireBlanco. Other works from the members noted and more are available at http://NotEnoughMics.com.
The upcoming conference will be in conjunction with the Multicultural Student Coalition and sponsored by WUD Music, WSUM 91.7FM, the UW-Madison Department of African-American Studies, the Associated Students of Madison and more. It will consist of a screening of the film “Revival” in Grainger Hall, several workshops on womyn in hip-hop and tools such as promotion and filmmaking, and will conclude with a concert in The Sett at Union South featuring Invincible and Tamar-Kali as artists currently on the “Born in Flames Tour.” Many NEM artists and affiliates will be in attendance, and it is open to the public.
Be sure to check it out and show your support for womyn in music.
