All Hail the Queens: Here Are 10 of the Most Influential Female Rappers to Touch the Mic

In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, it's only right we celebrate 10 of the most influential female rappers that formed the culture.

Cheers to hip-hop. In case you’ve been out of the loop, the ever-influencing music genre has grew to become 50 years outdated. What started as a cultural movement and sound birthed in the Bronx, N.Y., has now grow to be one of the top-selling genres in music.

Some hip-hop lovers argue that men are the explanation why for the genre’s luck. However, from the song style’s infancy to now, there were ladies who've made a stamp on hip-hop and ushered in a culture the place the whole lot from rapping about social issues to "p-ssy rap" is acceptable. From Queen Latifah to Nicki Minaj, femcees as I really like to name them have single-handedly changed the look of a once male-dominated style and made it a female’s playground.

So, in light of hip-hop’s anniversary, it’s handiest proper that we pay homage to the girls who have shifted the tradition and laid the blueprint for the femcees of today and the following day to shine vibrant and showcase female harmony. Here are 10 of the most influential female rappers to touch the mic.

Note: The female rappers in this checklist appear in no particular order. There’s little need to tussle. Enjoy the list.

Of route, we have now to kick things off with Queen Latifah. The Queen (actual name: Dana Owens) is one reason female rap has transform robust. The skill first stepped on the scene in the past due '80s with a focus on problems Black ladies face — from domestic violence to slurs in opposition to ladies in hip-hop culture.

Additionally, Queen Latifah stands as one of the first MCs who was in a position to reinvent themselves via transcending her status as a rapper. Queen has added quite a lot of titles to her resume since the late '80s including actor, author, movie producer, jazz singer, and extra. Queen’s versatility as an entertainer has influenced the lots and cemented her as a dwelling legend.

One name, 3 syllables: Lauryn Hill. This woman has dropped only one solo studio album — 1998’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” — which stands as one of the Top Five largest hip-hop albums of all time. It additionally received the rapper, singer, and songwriter 5 Grammy awards. Iconic!

Aside from L-Boogie’s solo success, lovers watched her shine as a member of the rap supergroup the Fugees with Pras and Wyclef Jean. Her musicality, distinctive voice, and socially mindful bars that allow you to take a minute and suppose are what make her one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop artists to touch the mic. Salute!

It’s very seldom that you simply discover a rapper who has been ready to ruin data 15 years into their profession. Nicki Minaj is the standard. Nicki broke into the trade in the 2000s, but it surely was her 2009 EP "Beam Me Up Scotty" that put all eyes on the versatile femcee.

In the years to follow, Nicki confirmed off her versatility, cadence, distinctive taste, and hard-hitting bars with double and triple entendre on options equivalent to “Bed Rock,” “Five-Star Chick,” “Hello, Good Morning” and extra. Not to mention, Nicki won over the hearts of hip-hop fanatics due to her function on Kanye West’s “Monster Remix,” a monitor for which hip-hop fanatics credit her for besting the hip-hop greats Kanye, Jay-Z, and Rick Ross. And on top of it all, Nicki stands as the highest-selling female rapper of all time.

Aside from Nicki’s abilities on the mic, the Harajuku Barbie has redefined what it manner to be a businesswoman. Nicki has secured partnerships with Myx Moscato, Fendi, Maxim, Mac Cosmetics, Apple, AMP, and more. Nicki’s fan base continues to grow and her influence on the rap sport follows go well with. All hail the Queen!

There is not any influential female rapper listing with out Salt-N-Pepa being included. One of the innovators of the sub-genre "p---y rap," the trio included Salt aka Cheryl James, Pepa aka Sandra Denton, and DJ Latoya Hanson who was later replaced via Deidra Roper aka DJ Spinderella. The trio showcased the power of ladies unapologetically expressing their sexuality in track with hits to fit — from “Push It,” “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “Whatta Man,” and many more. Give it up for the women!

Talk about any person who screams affect. Baby… Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott is the epitome of impact in female rap. Missy has all the time showcased that she is 10 steps forward of the sport. Throughout the '90s and beyond, she has set the usual for what it method to be a visionary. The femcee has at all times delivered show-stopping level performances and eclectic music videos that all the time showcased the genius of her artistry. As for her lyricism, Missy has risen to the instance with bars about subjects starting from gender issues to frame positivity.

Speaking of frame and sex positivity, we don’t know the place the female rap recreation would be without Lil Kim. Miss Kimberly gained over our hearts as the First Lady of that overdue Notorious B.I.G’s Junior Mafia with raunchy, hard-hitting lyrics that never fail to do something to our spirit. Just give Kim’s debut '96 album “Hard Core” a spin or check out her celebrated function run on tracks equivalent to “Crush On You,” “Magic Stick,” “Money, Power, Respect” and extra to see her lyrical prowess shine.

Aside from dominating the mic, Kim is revered as one of the godmothers of type in the rap sport from her colorful wigs to her street-meets-provocative aesthetic that driven the envelope while showcasing her femininity. And of path, the new wave of rappers have all credited Kim for influencing their careers. In different words, Lil Kim will all the time be that lady.

The North Carolina local is in a league of her own. Rapsody, born Marlanna Evans, is one femcee who has occupied a place in the Top 5 female rappers list of all time for myriad causes. The ability has long been praised for her complex wordplay, socially mindful themed song, and storytelling talent that are true to her sound with influences of MC Lyte and Lauryn Hill peeking via. Although she doesn't fall into the class of p-ssy rap, Rapsody’s abilities on the mic reveal the girls that they can occupy any lane of song and still go away a long-lasting influence.

Foxy, Foxy, Foxy! Hip-hop lovers know the Trinidadian attractiveness to be Jay-Z’s protege, others know her to be one of Nicki Minaj and Lola Brooke’s largest musical influences. From the hit albums “Ill Na Na” to “Broken Silence,” Foxy Brown cemented her place in the rap international throughout the '90s thanks to her rough-yet-sexy cadence, distinctive waft, and storytelling style. Like Lil Kim, Foxy’s taste stuck the eye of model homes, even leading to the good looks scoring a 1999 Calvin Klein marketing campaign. Give the girl her 10s!

MC Lyte is so a lot more than a female rapper. The ability is a pioneer that broke obstacles for all ladies in hip-hop. Since her start in the '80s, the icon has been praised for distinctive musicality that spoke on topics starting from drug culture, sexism in hip-hop, misogyny, and extra that aroused from sleep the masses and influenced extra ladies to make their voices heard by means of track. Like Queen Latifah, Lyte has been able to pivot from hip-hop and grow as a businesswoman. She has made strides as an actress, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, and once in a while rocks the mic at award presentations.

All it takes is one cleverly written diss observe to have all eyes on you. And the lady who has only if blueprint is none as opposed to Roxanne Shante aka Lolita Gooden. At the comfortable age of 14, Roxanne set hip-hop on hearth with her 1984 observe “Roxanne’s Revenge,” which was a response to U.T.F.O’s “Roxanne, Roxanne.” Aside from the iconic diss report, Roxanne constantly held her personal as a struggle rapper taking the males on left and proper. As a end result, Roxanne’s spot as a changemaker and female influencer in hip-hop has been etched in stone.

Thank you, Queens! The rap sport would be nothing with your skill and persistence.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbXSramam6Ses7p6wqikaKhfqbyxeZBpZKano6l6qrrFpayepqSerq15xZ6kmqSVYr%2BivM%2Beqaw%3D