Session 316: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Women In Hip Hop

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip hop, a genre that has transcended time, age, and language barriers. As we celebrate some of our favorite artists – from the Lauryns, to the Missys, to the Cardis – we also want to spend some time highlighting the Black women executives who work behind the scenes, changing the game one move at a time. 

Joining us for today’s conversation is Tracey Waples, a former senior music executive who has architected the sale of over 100 million albums and the success of a host of major stars. Her resume includes names like Rihanna, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Method Man, and more. In 2014, she founded the music consulting firm DNA Creative and continues to mentor young women in music. During our conversation we discussed how she kicked off and navigated her career in the music industry, reconciling with hip-hop’s complicated relationship to sexism and misogyny, and the importance of including women’s stories and contributions in the history of hip-hop. 

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