Miley Cyrus had been criticized by some as appropriating ratchet culture.

Juicy J, Lil Debbie, Cam'ron, Future, and Lil' Boosie are some other artists who have also used the term in their music. In December 2012, Beyoncé posted a picture of herself wearing earrings that contained the word 'ratchet'. In November 2012, LL Cool J released a single called 'Ratchet'. Numerous musicians have used the term 'ratchet' in their songs. The term has also been reappropriated to describe a mode of intersectional analysis associated with African-American LGBT culture. Some African-American women have reappropriated the word and embraced the meaning, including to describe ratchet feminism, whereas others point to how the term reinforces the negative portrayal of African-American women in the media. The word has evolved to have many different meanings, and it can have either a positive or negative connotation. 'Ratchet' can be used as an adjective, noun, or verb. It has been used in ways similar to the word 'ghetto'. The term gained popularity in 2012 through music artists and celebrities. In its original sense, the term referred to an uncouth woman, and may be a Louisianan dialect form of the word 'wretched' or a variation of the word 'ratshit.' The term has since been extended to have broader meanings and connotations and is no longer strictly bound by race or gender. The CD liner notes define ratchet as: 'n., pron., v, adv., 1. In 2004, Lil' Boosie in conjunction with Mandigo, recorded a new version of 'Do the Ratchet'. Mandigo reportedly learned the term from his grandmother. The word also appears in publication in 1999, with the song 'Do the Ratchet' on the album Ratchet Fight in the Ghetto by Anthony Mandigo from Shreveport, Louisiana. Aug in rapper E-40's 'Lieutenant Roast a Botch' track from his album The Element of Surprise. Usage of the term is recorded early as 1992 by Pimp C of UGK, on the song 'I'm So Bad' from the Too Hard To Swallow album. Ratchet is a slang term in hip hop that, in its original sense, was a derogatory term used to refer to an uncouth woman, and may be a Louisianan dialect form of the word 'wretched' or a variation of the word 'ratshit.' The term has since been extended to have broader meanings and connotations and is no longer strictly bound by race or gender.

Definition of ratchet urban dictionary