Ratchet feminism emerged in the United States from hip hop culture in the early 2000s, largely as a critique of, and a response to, respectability politics.
[4] In 2017, University of Georgia professor Bettina L. Love wrote that the word was "messy, meaning it has no straightforward definition; it is contradictory, fluid, precarious, agentive, and oftentimes intentionally inappropriate.
"There's an emotional violence and meanness attached to being ratchet, particularly pertaining to women of color," says Vibe editor Michaela Angela Davis.
[9][5] Originating in the Southern United States, particularly in cities like Atlanta and Houston, the subgenre of ratchet feminist music challenges traditional gender norms and amplifies the voices of female artists.
Ratchet feminism has gained popularity within Hip Hop culture especially in the 2010s with artists like Nicki Minaj, City Girls, and Megan thee Stallion.
Scholars have argued that ratchet feminism in music, offers black women and girls a space to be seen and depicted within pop culture.
From the flamboyant to the provocative fashion choices of artists, ratchet feminism also acts as a visual manifesto that empowers black women to express themselves unapologetically.
These artists include Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Cardi B, City Girls, Taraji P. Henson, and Spain's La Zowi.
[10] In reference to Tamar Braxton's reality show, Theri A. Pickens says that "ratchet" has also been seen as "a performative strategy that secures a liberatory space for black women.