The City Girls Completely Corrupt The Male Gaze In "Millionaire D*ck"

When the City Girls said “I’ll show you how to network. Fuck that Netflix and chill; what’s your net worth?” on Drake’s viral single, “In My Feelings,” I felt that. It’s a line that embodies everything that I love about the Miami-based rap duo: a different kind of connection to pop culture, a commitment to their hood roots, and a bold insistence that neither of the aforementioned should stop them from getting a piece of the cash pie. All of these elements are on display in the new visuals for their single, “Millionaire D*ck,” which is an anthem for women who know exactly what they want in a man.

To the untrained eye, “Millionaire D*ck” looks like it was made for men. The 3-minute, 20-second-long clip includes all the trappings of a male fantasy sequence: women in various states of (un)dress, seductive dancing, and free-flowing cash. But lyrics like “Got him working over time, just to fuck my pretty ass,” tell a different story. With the help of director Gabriel Hart (also known as Video God), JT and Yung Miami — the two young women who make up the City Girls — manage to completely subvert the male gaze by playing up the intoxicating power of female sexuality. They use some familiar imagery to do it.

In JT and Miami’s world, women of color get to be the desired prototype, encouraging men to spend it all in hot pursuit of them. The classic peep show — where viewers pay to watch women perform from a distance — gets an edgy update as two Black women act out a kinky scenario for suited men throwing money through an actual hole in the wall. And if Sharon Stone can be unforgettable for using her vagina to sway investigators 1992’s Basic Instinct, then so can a cigar-smoking Miami as she recreates the iconic scene in the video. In the “Millionaire D*ick’ version, the space between Miami’s thighs shines bright as a bunch of professional white dudes try to keep their composure.

“Millionaire D*ck” is more than a braggadocious bop. It’s a call to action. The City Girls urge other women to set their sights high when considering to whom to give their intimate goods. In the video the pair host a ‘Bread Talk’ — like a TED Talk, but exclusively about securing the bag — and instead of clapping in support, their all-girl audience twerks enthusiastically to show their approval. I’d subscribe to this channel any day.

Refinery29 asked Miami why it was important for the City Girls to address women embracing their sexuality with this track. “We are all about girls getting what they need," she said. "Me and JT know that a man gotta support you in every way. And that includes getting the bag. We like to think that we say what lots of girls want to say. City Girls are everywhere, and City Girls ain’t scared. Know what you want and makes you feel good. And know we look good!”

This response echoes the sentiments found in most of the City Girls discography: Black women from the hood (other city girls) deserve their shot at social mobility and capital gains, too. They should ask for what they want, and they can count on JT and Miami to provide the soundtrack. This emerging groups taps into the same enterprising spirit applauded in male rappers when they wax poetic about selling drugs or pimping to escape bleak financial circumstance. This female version is just as inspiring. The male gaze only succeeds in objectifying women when the sole outcome considered is male gratification. That is not the case in “Millionaire D*ck,” where women set the terms of engagement for a payday they've orchestrated.

The City Girls’ brand of female empowerment may require some translation for feminists who “stay woke” by reading thinkpieces over avocado toast after yoga. But for around the way girls — like myself — the message is perfectly clear: There is no ceiling when it comes to having standards. And the barrier between the male gatekeepers of wealth and ambitious women is easily traversed when desire comes into play.

Be the first to check out the full video for "Millionaire D*ck" below.