I want to talk about five female Hip Hop artists I LOVE...
To celebrate International Women’s Day, I want to talk about five female Hip Hop artists (and I’ve only limited it to five otherwise we’d be here all week!) I LOVE and why.
Disclaimer: The list is in no particular order and my choosing of these artists by no means they are the most critically acclaimed rap bitches in the game, but these are the ones I think of fondly when I think of womxn in Hip Hop.
Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah is a Hip Hop trailblazer. Queen was talking about women’s rights and the objectification of women in the early 80s, looong before these topics became the status quo for discussion. She is also the trifecta - a woman, a person of colour and queer. We all know of the struggles each of these communities face on a sectional level and yet Queen has never shied away from who she truly is. It is these characteristics all of which has contributed to the talented yet humble person she is today. She is also the creator of my favourite one-liner “WHO YOU CALLIN’ A BITCH?”
Disclaimer: The list is in no particular order and my choosing of these artists by no means they are the most critically acclaimed rap bitches in the game, but these are the ones I think of fondly when I think of womxn in Hip Hop.
Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah is a Hip Hop trailblazer. Queen was talking about women’s rights and the objectification of women in the early 80s, looong before these topics became the status quo for discussion. She is also the trifecta - a woman, a person of colour and queer. We all know of the struggles each of these communities face on a sectional level and yet Queen has never shied away from who she truly is. It is these characteristics all of which has contributed to the talented yet humble person she is today. She is also the creator of my favourite one-liner “WHO YOU CALLIN’ A BITCH?”
Lauryn Hill
Oh Lauryn, I love her but I hate her too. She is supremely gifted but does that justify her problematic behaviour…? Probably not. Ever since her debut with The Fugees on 1994’s Blunted Reality where she undeniably outshined fellow emcees Wyclef Jean and Pras Michael, Lauryn has been a certified star. And when her solo debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill dropped, it solidified her as a music icon. Never mind a Hip Hop icon, a Music icon. Graced with the voice of an angel (you saw Sister Act 2 right? That church piano scene. Oof. My eyes well up. Every. Damn. Time.) and the fire and passion to write powerful rap bars, Miseducation showed how versatile and insightful Lauryn is, bear in mind she was only 23-years-old. No doubt that album became the go-to for many young ladies’ emotions and relationships. You just Lost One!
Oh Lauryn, I love her but I hate her too. She is supremely gifted but does that justify her problematic behaviour…? Probably not. Ever since her debut with The Fugees on 1994’s Blunted Reality where she undeniably outshined fellow emcees Wyclef Jean and Pras Michael, Lauryn has been a certified star. And when her solo debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill dropped, it solidified her as a music icon. Never mind a Hip Hop icon, a Music icon. Graced with the voice of an angel (you saw Sister Act 2 right? That church piano scene. Oof. My eyes well up. Every. Damn. Time.) and the fire and passion to write powerful rap bars, Miseducation showed how versatile and insightful Lauryn is, bear in mind she was only 23-years-old. No doubt that album became the go-to for many young ladies’ emotions and relationships. You just Lost One!
Missy Elliott
Missy might not be the tightest of lyricists but her creativity and vision is unmatched. Coming up in the game when the commercialisation and materialism in Hip Hop was at the forefront, as well as the sexualisation of female Hip Hop artists, Missy took cues from those elements but flipped it on the head. Missy’s music videos were extravagant with high-production values, demonstrating the evolution of the genre and the investment Hip Hop was being granted by record labels as it was now a viable business (positives and negatives with this point but that’s a whole other blog post!) featuring epic scenes and backdrops, outlandish characters and outfits and bizarre motions and graphics. And her outfits were eye-catching and unforgettable, casual but glam and never overtly-sexual. She always looked fly.
Missy might not be the tightest of lyricists but her creativity and vision is unmatched. Coming up in the game when the commercialisation and materialism in Hip Hop was at the forefront, as well as the sexualisation of female Hip Hop artists, Missy took cues from those elements but flipped it on the head. Missy’s music videos were extravagant with high-production values, demonstrating the evolution of the genre and the investment Hip Hop was being granted by record labels as it was now a viable business (positives and negatives with this point but that’s a whole other blog post!) featuring epic scenes and backdrops, outlandish characters and outfits and bizarre motions and graphics. And her outfits were eye-catching and unforgettable, casual but glam and never overtly-sexual. She always looked fly.
Lil Kim
The opposite end of the scale to Missy Elliott was Lil Kim. She was fine, she knew it and she had no qualms flaunting it. Kim could go bar-for-bar with the men and then be coming out with the coloured wigs and bright revealing outfits. Who could forget the 99 MTV VMAs purple jumpsuit with the nipple pastie? Kim is/was a gangsta. She was from the streets and lived what she preached, sadly resulting in her incarceration in 2005. A shit situation but you gotta respect the realness, not much of that around in Hip Hop these days. Unfortunately Kim’s keeping it real policy doesn’t extend to her appearance, as she continues to alter her once naturally-beautiful face with plastic surgery.
The opposite end of the scale to Missy Elliott was Lil Kim. She was fine, she knew it and she had no qualms flaunting it. Kim could go bar-for-bar with the men and then be coming out with the coloured wigs and bright revealing outfits. Who could forget the 99 MTV VMAs purple jumpsuit with the nipple pastie? Kim is/was a gangsta. She was from the streets and lived what she preached, sadly resulting in her incarceration in 2005. A shit situation but you gotta respect the realness, not much of that around in Hip Hop these days. Unfortunately Kim’s keeping it real policy doesn’t extend to her appearance, as she continues to alter her once naturally-beautiful face with plastic surgery.
Rapsody
Rapsody steady stays on her grind and still - I think - doesn’t have the shine she truly deserves. I remember in the mid-2000’s there was all this talk about Hip Hop, the art of rap and the lyricism being lost, then Rapsody came to the forefront and it was evident that with the changing of the Hip Hop guard, not all was lost. Rapsody was representative of the new school of rappers who carried the torch for Hip Hop traditions. Whilst she may be considered new school, as I said she steady stays working, Rapsody has been active since 2007 - 13 years! - but it's only been since around 2012-ish that she started to get some real recognition. She can outrap almost anyone and her lyrics are dense with wordplay and metaphors. Her latest album Eve was an ode to influential black womxn and the perfect playlist for International Women’s Day.
Rapsody steady stays on her grind and still - I think - doesn’t have the shine she truly deserves. I remember in the mid-2000’s there was all this talk about Hip Hop, the art of rap and the lyricism being lost, then Rapsody came to the forefront and it was evident that with the changing of the Hip Hop guard, not all was lost. Rapsody was representative of the new school of rappers who carried the torch for Hip Hop traditions. Whilst she may be considered new school, as I said she steady stays working, Rapsody has been active since 2007 - 13 years! - but it's only been since around 2012-ish that she started to get some real recognition. She can outrap almost anyone and her lyrics are dense with wordplay and metaphors. Her latest album Eve was an ode to influential black womxn and the perfect playlist for International Women’s Day.