Debates over “the current state of hip hop” are—and will continue to be—heated “whodunit” conversations that get fans, artists, parents, and even lawmakers hot under the collar.

We all have our favorite moments in hip hop history, and can easily pinpoint when and why we think the artistry and industry began its spiraling nosedive. Many of us speak out about it. Most of us just sigh and turn down the radio volume. Meet a woman who walked away from her job. Aliya Ewing, writer for HipHopDX.com, posted a touching farewell this week, citing family, skewed understandings of feminism, and the degradation of an art form, as some of her justifications.

“My son has tons of scribbled drawings and paintings, but I’ve only actually framed a few that really are visually interesting and appealing.  If we frame every scribble it becomes a lose/lose situation. The child is under the very comforting delusion that they’ve reached a meritable level of talent, making it harder for them to push through to their actual full potential, and the viewers are left confused by artwork that falls short of the frame it’s been placed in. In the same way, I’ve learned to think about rap music. There has never been a genre to fall so gleefully, albeit tragically, short of its full potential because of what we as a society have chosen to frame.“

Although her letter only graces the surface of this discussion, her tone reflects a deep disappointment that I think most women fans can relate to. The idea that women are so blatantly ignored (unless of course, it’s some dude assuring that he can—and will—provide his penile services to every woman in the world if need be), that eventually, we kinda just have to throw in the towel, or spend time doing major research on quality lyricists.

“…a friend of mine once said how he noticed that most rap music on the radio/TV is solely focused on what occurs between the nighttime hours of Friday and Saturday…Judging by most popular rap lyrics, it’s as if life is nothing more than one big, expensive, intoxicated, violent, commercially-endorsed, sex-filled party. What happens on Sunday? Or Monday?”

What do you think about Aliya Ewing’s farewell? Have you drafted a farewell of your own?

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