Although the mid to late 1990’s gave rise to the era of female rappers such as Miss Elliot , Da Brat, Lauryn Hill and MC Lyte to name a few. The last decade has been abysmal in terms of prominent female rappers like Nicki Minaj, however rap itself has risen to mainstream status in American entertainment. Rap has always been a male dominated genre, partly due to many of its founders and most iconic artists being gangsters, drug dealers and involved in other criminal activity. Rap often times is very aggressive with masculine themes and aesthetics. However, artists like Queen Latifah were able to make a name for themselves and open doors for many African American women who lack to have a platform in the rap industry.
My favorite female rappers are Lauryn Hill, Eve, Missy Elliot, Lil’ Kim. I always felt as though female rappers had more versatility in terms of style and motifs. They could be more vulnerable, unrepentant, and sexy and intimate. It felt as though there was more raw emotion in their music as many use rap as a medium to really express feelings they otherwise would not. I always felt that these women brought a lot of color and glamour to rap. They were very empowering to me during my early adolescence as I was struggling with my self-esteem and image. These women were unapologetically confident, fierce and sexy and I was naturally drawn to them. In the late 2000s I started seeing less and less female MCs. It was disappointing to say the least as rap was becoming very homogenous in demographics and style.
Only recently have I seen a revival of female artists in Remy Ma, Cardi B and Young MA. Even Lil’ Kim has released a new song called “Took Us A Break.” She’s even collaborating with Remy Ma to release a new album. While Cardi B is the first female rapper since Lauryn Hill to have a #1 Hit on the Billboard Hot 100. I hope these accomplishments lead to more female rappers entering the industry and revitalizing this often times unappreciated demographic.