For a long time, the rap scene was predominantly occupied by male rappers. In retrospect, the radio mostly played music by male rappers and hip-hop artists. Today is a different story. In recent years, female rappers have taken the music industry by storm and are making waves in rap culture. It is not only a “hot girl summer”, but a hot girl era.
“Real Hot Girl Sh*t”
Talk about breaking the glass ceiling! Female rappers are breaking records and topping charts. In the past three years, female rappers like Megan Thee Stallion, Saweetie, City Girls, Flo Milli, and Rico Nasty have amassed a huge following by putting out music containing positive messages about body image, female sexuality, and sex positvity.
Rewind The Track
The rap genre has long been dominated and run by male artists in the music industry. Of course there were female rappers in the hip-hop scene, but they did not have the same creative freedom as their male counterparts. Back in the day, female rappers, like Missy Elliot, Mrs.Lauryn Hill, Foxy Brown, and Lil Kim, were reduced to two categories: “the tom boy” or “the sexy vixen”.
At the time it was rare to see these artists collaborate due to the pressures of having to be alone at the top to be deemed as relevant or popular. But all of that went out the window once Nicki Minaj entered the scene.
“Nicki The Boss”
The myth. The legend. “The Pinkprint”. Onika Tanya Maraj -Petty a.k.a Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj. Inspired by the women who came before her, Minaj entered the rap game and proved to be a true force of nature. She surpassed this notion of having to be branded as “the tom boy” or “the sexy vixen” in order to be recognized as a rapper.
Minaj brought something different to the table and did things her own way. In her music, she expresses her multidimensional personality and style. She showed the rap industry that women should not be put in a box in order to succeed in their careers or appease their male counterparts. What makes her different from those who came before her is that she is unapologetically herself in her music, which motivated her listeners and other female rappers to do so in return.
The Female Rap Renaissance
At this moment in time, female rappers are experiencing tremendous popularity and commercial success. They are known to be singular acts and are dominating the media as listeners stream their songs on a loop. Female rappers are opening up the conversation about female sexual liberation and how we as women should not be subjected to what society thinks how a woman should act. Most importantly, all of these rappers rap about similar subject matter but they all do it in different styles and sounds.
Through their clever lyrics and stage presence, female rappers challenge gender norms by not conforming to society’s idea of how a woman should act. Instead, they express their individuality and empowerment through being unapologetically themselves.
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