Women YouTube rappers in Tunisia: neither manly nor sluts but rap lovers

Like the field of rap worldwide, Tunisian rap is male-dominated. The male dominance in the Tunisian rap scene has marginalized women artists in terms of funding, production, reception, and even academic research. Consequently, Tunisian women's rap represents an understudied topic. Only one recent study has very recently focused on four Tunisian feminist rappers. They are Medusa, Queen Nesrine, Tuny Girl, and Sabrina. All the other feminist artists remain unmentioned in academic publications. This chapter advances the scholarly engagement with Tunisian women's rap by focusing on two other non-studied female artists. These are ALTAF and F.B.K. These rappers use YouTube as their main channel for disseminating their dissident songs to the public. Focusing on the Tunisian rap scene, this chapter shows how the preponderance of violent lyrics has led to the association of rap with men. This association has led to the rejection of female rappers as “masculine” and/or unworthy of respect. Using Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity, I analyze F.B.K and ALTAF's interviews and lyrics to explore the difficulties these artists face in Tunisia's masculine rap world. I stress the agency of Tunisian female rappers who insist on succeeding in the misogynist rap domain despite the opposition, sexism, and marginalization they face. The analysis demonstrates women's determination to challenge these androcentric stereotypes. It is divided into two main sections. Each section focuses on one of the aforementioned artists, highlighting their commitment to rap despite the marginalization they face and the “masculine” and loose/immoral label attached to their art.