Sisters in the Name of Rap (1992)

To paraphrase those immortal words of James Brown, hip-hop has always been a man's man's man's world. At its worst, rap can encompass moronic, ''yo, baby''-style sexist rants that see women as little more than whores or golddiggers. But the distaff side has slowly been gaining ground, as this new video demonstrates: Hosted by the ultra-perky Dee Barnes of Fox TV's Pump It Up (who, incidentally, was brutally beaten in public by N.W.A's Dr. Dre last year and has since filed for damages), Sisters in the Name of Rap presents no gangstas, no Uzi-toting militia, no scantily clad sex kittens. The acts range from established artists like Salt-N-Pepa and MC Lyte to newcomers like Tam Tam. A 75-minute extravaganza of live performances taped at the Ritz in New York last fall, this revue preaches self-reliance and demanding respect from guys, even if that means — as one rapper says — ''kicking them in the b---s.'' You see: Sometimes, all a thing needs is a woman's touch. A-