Historically, women have been victims of oppression in the music industry. Regardless of gender, women have often found themselves in a world of patriarchal domination. Two genres, punk and hip hop, are particularly known for their male dominance. The two articles I will compare are: The Expansion of Punk Rock: Riot Grrrl Challenges to Gender Power Relations in British Indie Music Subcultures by Julia Downes, and The Spirit Is Willing and So Is the Flesh: The Queen in Hip-Hop. Cultivation by Leola A. Johnson. The articles focus respectively on the Riot Grrl movement and the "Queen" of hip hop and its accompanying culture. Queens and the Riot Grrl movement challenged political, social and sexual norms. They both had similar goals but somewhat different backgrounds and approaches. Both articles examine how each group of women fought for gender equality and how they challenged and rejected traditional roles in music. The Riot Grrl movement began in the 1990s in the United States in response to the male domination of punk music. It was characterized by strong ideals of feminism and assertive protests by women. The figure known as "Queen" has been a stable figure in hip hop and African-American culture for many years. Queens are women who, like those in the Riot Grrl movement, have defied various conventions “associated with white capitalist male supremacy.” I chose to compare these two articles because they both discuss and examine the role of women as a minority in their respective genres, as well as the actions they have taken to be taken seriously and respected. Downes and Johnson make similar claims in their articles. The first assertion I will explore is that women were expected to assume certain roles within their...... middle of paper ...... inherited the ideas of men initially, deciding instead to "oppose and to take away their power.” men'. It's the different ideas behind the movements that make the articles interesting. The two groups of women had similar goals but different approaches. Both of these articles are important for the study of popular music in terms of genre. Genre plays an important role in how people perceive and respond to popular music. So it is important that we understand different aspects of it. Both articles provide insight into important eras and movements in popular genres. They encourage reflection and discussion about gender in popular music. Downes and Johnson write with specific examples and clear motivation, which leaves the reader informed, interested, and aware of how women fought for gender equality and how they questioned and rejected the traditional roles in music..