SEXISM, OR DISCRIMINATION against women, is a term found in numerous articles, books, and other reports on rap music. Rap has a long history of lyrics that critics found to be sexist, and an equally long history of being taken to task for those lyrics. Rap music was not the first—or the last—form of music to be cited as exhibiting this particular type of prejudice. Indeed, most other forms of popular music have been criticized for sexist lyrics. However, since the days of its inception, rap music has received an unprecedented amount of media attention for lyrics that some found offensive to women.

All about attitude

In the chorus of Ice Cube's "Don't Trust 'Em," the rapper insists that "bitches" can't be trusted. Since the derogatory term seemed to imply all women, such lyrics caused a great deal of debate both inside...