In new book, researcher and dancer shows that hip-hop culture is matriarchal

Summary
Kika Souza, a researcher and dancer from northern São Paulo, launches a book that highlights the fundamental role of women in hip-hop culture, bringing together 50 interviewees to dismantle the historical machismo of the movement.

It’s 2025 and in the hip-hop scene, we still talk a lot about brothers and little about girls. But women conquered their space and showed that peripheral street culture not only has space for the feminine, but was and is also shaped by the hands of many women.

An example of this is Kika Souza herself, 34 years old, dancer, producer, MC and author of the book Women in hip-hop – Historical erasure and other violence. The researcher has dedicated herself in recent years to highlighting the stories and achievements of women within this movement.

With preface by Leci Brandaopresentation of b-girl Cris, and recordings of photographer Cristhiane Evangelista, the book contains interviews carried out 50 women representing the five elements of hip-hop. This shows that culture, although sexist, has never been “just for men.”

The trajectory of a woman who represents hip-hop

Kika Souza is a constant presence in urban dances and knows the hip-hop scene very closely. She has a degree in advertising and marketing (UNIP), is a dance technician from ETEC of Arts in São Paulo and studies a diploma and a bachelor’s degree in dance at UNICAMP.

In practice, she acts as master of ceremonies – yes, it’s an MC – during scene events, she participates in and judges hip-hop battles and gets involved in evenings, conversation circles and documentaries on urban culture, always emphasizing the promotion of women in hip-hop.

She is also one of the creators of Urban Rangers Collectivewho researches creation and improvisation in urban dance and music, and creator of the Mercedes Ladies project, which aims to promote urban dance events with an emphasis on promoting the female lead role.