The Best Female Rappers of All Time in a Male-Dominated Industry

For the longest time, the rap industry has been highly male-dominated. Even though women have been a part of rap music from its beginnings, whenever a female rapper makes waves in the industry they are seen as “heroines” or the exception to the rule. 

Everyone seems to be aware of the gender disparity- which is present in many, if not every other industry- but it seems that no one is doing anything to change it. This gender gap has been present for decades. Billboard recently released a list of the “50 Greatest Rappers of All Time,” where the first woman appears at number 10, and there are just five in the entire article.

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In 2018, the University of Southern California released the results of a study that found that, from 2012 to 2017, women represented less than 23% of artists whose songs made Billboard’s Hot 100 list and more than 90% of Grammy award nominees between 2013 and 2018 were male. Moreover, out of 651 music producers, only 2% were women.

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During the past years, women have had one role in rap: being sexually objectified and dismissed from the genre. The music was characterized by macho defiance and rebellion, along with misogyny, sexual references, homophobia, sexism, and patriarchal themes. Women were discounted and underrepresented, only being present in music videos with little to no clothes on.

As with most mainstream music, the target audience for rap and hip-hop focuses on what appeals to men. This is because this genre was mainly marketed by and through male artists, therefore using sexualized images, degrading lyricism, and stereotypical normative behaviors. Meanwhile, female artists in this genre tend to be more self-righteous, confident, and uplifting. 

However, female rappers have evolved over generations to acquire almost the same status as men. Women have constantly risen beyond societal stereotypes to create new forms of empowerment.

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In the 80s, the first female rappers started to appear, mainly due to girl groups. But it wasn’t until the next decade that women effectively started to make a name for themselves, not only by establishing themselves as important musical artists but also by challenging a male-dominated industry with empowering lyrics, femininity, and feminism.

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Male rappers are expected to focus on one specific topic: the ability to show off their wealth and power with their multiple cars, houses, jewels, and beautiful women. Women who started in the business had to dress like “one of the boys” to fit in, although, in most recent years, it changed to them showing off their bodies and oversexualizing themselves.

Even though the most-listened-to rappers and hip-hoppers right now are still men, women are stepping up to the plate, with artists such as Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Cardi B, and Doja Cat running the business.

Top 10 Most Popular Female Rapers

1. MC Lyte: Her groundbreaking music career spans 30 years. The hip-hop legend was the first female rapper ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award, the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall, and the first female artist to earn a gold single. She’s also one of the first female rappers to point out sexism and misogyny.
2. Queen Latifah: She was the first female rapper to be nominated for the Academy Awards. She made her mark in the hip-hop genre by rapping about issues of black women. Her songs covered topics including domestic violence, harassment on the streets, racism, misogyny, and relationship problems. Her debut album All Hail to the Queen sold more than 1 million copies, and the single “U.N.I.T.Y” earned Latifah her first Grammy Award.
3. Lizzo: singer, rapper, and flutist, Lizzo attained mainstream success with the release of her third studio album, Cuz I Love You (2019), which peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200, and included the single Truth Hurts, which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the longest-leading solo song by a female rapper.  Lizzo received eight nominations at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, the most for any artist that year, winning three of them. Her fourth studio album Special (2022) was preceded by its lead single “About Damn Time,” which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
4. Missy Elliott: She made a mark on the male-dominated hip-hop world with her talents for writing, rapping, singing, and music production. Her big breakthrough came when “The Rain,” a single from her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly (1997), became certified platinum. In 1999, after the release of her album Da Real World, she said: “It’s a build-a-self-esteem album, ​’cause it’s still a male-dominated world… And I feel like it’s time for us to get our own, set our boundaries and goals.”
5. Nicki Minaj: Her unique voice and rap style have made her popular both as a solo artist and as a featured cameo voice on other albums. Minaj has received several music awards and 10 Grammy Award nominations. She’s also one of the best-selling music artists, with more than 100 million records sold worldwide, making her one of the best rappers of this century. Billboard has named her the best female rapper of all time.
6. Cardi B: She is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper whose commercial debut single, “Bodak Yellow,” surged to the top of the music charts in 2017. From a very young age, she turned to strip, calling it an escape from the poverty and domestic violence she went through with her then-boyfriend. Her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy (2018), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It broke several streaming records, was certified triple platinum by the RIAA, and was named by Billboard the top female rap album of the 2010s. Critically acclaimed, it won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, making Cardi B the only woman to win the award as a solo artist, as well as the first female rap artist in 15 years to be nominated for Album of the Year.
7. Megan Thee Stallion: She is a Grammy-winning rapper best known for songs such as “Savage,” “WAP,” and “Hot Girl Summer.” The Houston rapper rose to worldwide superstardom with her confident flows and sexually charged lyrics, while studying for a degree in health administration. She made it to the top 100 list on Billboard Hot charts with the single ‘Big Ole Freak’ and has won three Grammy Awards.
8. Lauryn Hill: She is credited for breaking barriers for female rappers, popularizing melodic rapping, and for bringing hip-hop and neo-soul to popular music. She is known for being the frontwoman of The Fugees and for her 1998 solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Hill has won many accolades, including eight Grammy Awards, the most for a female rapper to this day.
9. Lil’ Kim: She found success as a female rapper starting in the mid-’90s, with her explicit lyrics and sexy persona under the guidance of hip-hop icon Biggie Smalls. Always provocative, with gritty and vulgar lyrics, she released her debut album Hard Core in 1996 which earned her a large fan following. 
10. Ivy Queen: This Puerto Rican singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress is considered one of the pioneers of the reggaeton genre, and is commonly referred to as the Queen of Reggaeton. She also performs in several other genres including hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and bachata. Queen Ivy has said that to stand out in the male-dominated world of reggaeton, she would have to deliver a strong point of view from a female perspective, saying, “God blessed me with a powerful voice. It is not feminine. It is not masculine. It is just a thick voice.”

Check our Women’s Special Mujeres In Charge to hear some amazing latinas sharing their journey!