Who Run the Game? Girls: 2018 the Year of Female Rap
Women in the rap game has been a monopoly for almost as long as I can remember. Of course, I remember a little bit of Trina’s “Look Back at It” as a middle schooler and one hit wonders that were few and far in between, but for the most part, Nicki Minaj has been leading the female rap game for as long as I can remember. However, Summer 2017 changed the rap game forever. Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” had taken over the airwaves. EVERYBODY was talking about how they were making money moves and EVERYBODY had on bloody shoes.
It was this moment when the general public realized, “Oh my god, there’s another female rapper besides Nicki?” Many rap enthusiasts were doubtful that she could create another hit like “Bodak Yellow”, so what did she do? She made a whole album of them.
Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy did numbers on the Billboard charts with 5 singles on the Hot 100 and broke multiple streaming records.
Cardi B’s seemingly overnight success made it ten times easier for other up and coming female rappers. A duo named the City Girls made their big break about 2 months after Invasion of Privacy was dropped. The rap duo based out of Miami dropped their debut album Period which currently has two radio singles, “I’ll Take Your Man” a new spin on a classic, and “Not Yo Main” a rap song with a refreshing pop flair. They were also featured on Drake’s “In my feelings.” The City Girls and Cardi B have brought exposure to up and coming female rappers like Molly Brazy, Meg the Stallion, and Rico Nasty.
Female rap is on the come up and it is because of black women. Black women are finally realizing that listening to music deemed as “ghetto” and “ratchet” does not take away from their intellect or poise. Versatility is a gift we’ve been given, and we must use it to our advantage.
As women it is our social responsibility to support these up and coming artists and to nip divisive conversations about these women in the bud. No, we will not compare Cardi and Nicki. There is enough room for everyone in this industry to shine. When was Jay Z ever taking the spotlight from Kanye? Who was ever comparing them? Nobody. We should demand the same respect for our sisters. PERIOD!