Hip Hop has a reputation for being something of a boys-club, but there are some very talented and influential female emcees that would take umbrage with this male domination of the rap game. Lauryn Hill, Lil’ Kim, Da Brat and Queen Latifah all proved that female rappers could absolutely hold their own and surpass the talents of their male counterparts on many occasions. Even with these amazing emcees paving the way for a cornucopia of amazing female rappers, a common problem always seems to present itself to many casual hip hop listeners, “Why are there so few female rappers?” While any average wine-mom can tell you who Nicki Minaj is, you’d be more hardpressed to find any other female rappers that even rival Minaj’s current notoriety. Compared to the sheer number of male rappers that are household names, there just doesn’t seem to be many slots in the public’s collective consciousness for women rappers relative to the men. So I suppose the correct question isn’t, “Why are there so few female rappers?” but rather, “Where are the great female rappers?” If you’re asking yourself this very question than you’ve come to the right place. Now, allow me to blow your mind with some of the best female emcees just under the radar and who may soon be tearing up the charts.
Tink
Bio: Our First artist, Tink, is arguably one of the most commercial emcees on the docket for this article. This Chicago-area rapper is only 20 years old and has already put out six mixtapes and is now working with the legendary hip hop producer Timbaland on her debut studio album, Think Tink.
Stengths: Tink can switch between delivering tight flows to a beautiful vocal ride with her incredibly dynamic, multitalented vocal style. She’s not just a rapper, she blurs the lines with R&B in a very successful and pop-friendly way.
Don’t take my word for it, watch her music video for her song ‘Millions’, and yes, that is an Aaliyah sample.
Download Tink’s latest mixtape here
Little Simz
Bio: Our next act hails from North London. Little Simz is a 21-year-old rap artist whose debut studio album, A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons, just dropped a few weeks ago to critical aclaim. One particularly weighty accolade Little Simz can boast is her recent co-sign from Kendrick Lemar, who is arguably the most respected rapper working today.
Strengths: Little Simz possesses a ferocious and hungry flow that makes her music an intense listen. Her sonic aesthetic is simultaneously experimental and house-party ready. Whether it’s a braggadocious track like the one below or a serious heartful track about hardship such as ‘Gratitude’ on her debut album, Little Simz always goes in and puts 110 percent into every song she puts out.
Check out some of Little Simz work here
Chelsea Reject
Bio: Chelsea is a Brooklyn rapper by way of St. Lucia. She is a relatively new emerging rapper, but her most recent mixtape, CMPLX, was greeted with some sizable fanfare fully equiped with jazzy but hard-hitting beats and features from members of New York’s much-buzzed-about Pro Era collective.
Strength:What Chelsea lacks in body of work within her two mixtapes, she makes up for in spades with her rapid fire flow. She is a spitter in the traditional sense of the word. She’s got bars for days and typically likes to apply her fierce verbage to a variety of topics that range from relationships, heartbreak, smoking, burning bridges and essoteric/spiritual subjects.
Download CMPLX here
JunglePussy
Bio: JunglePussy is a Brookyln emcee who’s been rapping since high school. She’s been lauded by legends such as Erykah Badu and has performed with one of her influences, Lil’ Kim.
Strengths: As the name suggests, JunglePussy is nothing if not charismatic. Her attitude and personality are the majority of her appeal. When she rhymes, she’s funny, wry and evocative. There are rappers on this list that have more technical skills, but JunglePussy is the queen of flavor. Her strong messages of female sexual empowerment and self-love of her dark skin and natural hair texture are joyous and infectious. Her name may be vulgar, but don’t write her off, because you’d be doing yourself a disservice.
I implore you to download her mixtape here
Kate Tempest
Bio: Kate is an English artist with an intimidating poetic background. She’s won the Ted Hughes Award and has worked hand in hand with Yale, The BBC and The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Strength: Tempest’s strength is her incredible ability to craft a story in her work. In her debut album, Everybody Down, the entire album flows into itself, one track after another. It follows a cast of characters that interact and all have arcs and progression. Her ability to introspect within not only herself, but her character, gleans deeper themes and implications into her music.
Visit Kate Tempest’s website here
Rapsody
Bio: Rapsody is a North Carolina rapper who’s possibly one of the most decorated artists on this list. While she hasn’t really broken through the mainstream, she’s one of the most highly respected lyricists in the game.
Strengths: As I’ve mentioned above, Rapsody is known for her lyrical ability. Her rhymes are complex and her wordplay is top-notch. That’s really all I think I have to say. She’s simply incredibly rounded and adept. She hits hard. She’s incredibly skillful. She’s one of the strongest out right now.
Check out Rapsody’s website here
It’s unfortunate that this list needs to be written. There are so many female rappers out there right now, but the general public never hears about them. Why is that? Many have speculated on why that might be. Karlie Hustle, a notable feminist hip hop comentator and radio personality, said on the subject, “The facilitators are generally men. As a result it’s not suprising that women are either overlooked or ignored, as we are absent from the process from the beginning.” Whichever way you slice it, one thing is clear. These women are talented and deserve recognition, not just as female emcees, but as emcees in general.
Tell ’em, Queen!