Popular Culture Review 30.1
Unlike the few female artists who came before her , Lady Laistee was able to sustain her fame for a few years . Her follow-up album to Black Mama was entitled “ Hip-hop Therapy ” and this new release featured several songs promoting the empowerment of women , as well as discussing the lack of rights concerning females of color in general . The two most popular tracks of this new album were the songs “ Diamant noir ” (“ Black Diamond ,” a track where she reflects on the nostalgia of growing up in as a woman of color in the downtrodden Paris suburbs ) and “ Un peu de respect ” (“ A little bit of respect ”). Both songs received considerable airplay in French radio . The track “ Un peu de respect ” was intentionally modeled after the famous 1960s feminist anthem “ Respect ” by Aretha Franklin , even going as far as to sample its background music and beat . This enabled Lady Laistee ’ s single to be immediately recognizable to listeners . Moreover , lyrics from “ Un peu de respect ” follow the exact same trajectory as the earlier empowering song by Aretha Franklin . In other words , respect for females is both demanded and expected in a society where women should be treated as equals . Throughout the entirety of the track , female listeners are instructed to stand up , speak loudly , and believe in one another , as shown here :
We ’ re asking for a little respect
Come on , we ’ re going to teach you how to stand tall
In our world , don ’ t expect us to wait any longer to be heard
Because we believe in ourselves ( ... )
The stone age is over , we ’ re precious gemstones ,
That will break things apart , we hit hard ( ... )
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