In today’s world, women are steering the helm in every field in the world. So, when we talk about the rap world, it will simply be impossible to ignore the names of these powerful women who are remodeling the pop music industry with zeal and precision.
Let’s learn how these queens turned the tides and used their dynamic rhymes and skills to win the game in the male-dominated world of rapping.
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Cardi B
Known for her bold flow and outspoken lyrics, Cardi B started as an internet personality. Using the power of social media, she transitioned to become the number #1 “hip-hop icon” who revolutionized hip-hop singing.
Her music is full of vibrancy, and she likes to incorporate hip hop, trap, and elements of R&B. Her bold and arousing visuals and glamorous looks made her the Pop Queen in no time.
She is credited as “the female rapper with the most number-one singles” on the Billboard Hot 100. She became the first female rapper to earn “multiple Diamond-certified songs by the R.I.A.A.” Her name shines on the list of the most influential rappers globally.
Nicki Minaj
Earning the rank as “one of the best-selling artists of all time” with 100 million records sold worldwide”, Nicki Minaj tops the industry with the crown of “Queen of Rap” and the “Queen of Hip Hop” by various media critics.
Her career boomed at the start, and she became the highest-charting solo song by a female rapper at the very beginning of her singing career. Minaj’s playful rapping style and “distinctive” outpour grabbed people’s attention, and she went viral for her exceptional speed and the mix of alter egos and accents.
Her career is an inspiration for female rappers as she became the queen of their hearts in no time.
- Instagram Account : @nickiminaj
- YouTube Account: Nicki Minaj
- Spotify Account: Nicki Minaj
Doja Cat
Her strong melodic sense, genre-bending artistry, bold visual presence, and versatility in music style make her stand out on the list of Rap queens. She is an impressive mix plate with the ability to rap, sing, and produce, along with acting, performing, and dancing.
Winning the awards for “Female Rapper of the Year,” “bestselling female artist,” and “Performer of the Year,” she is the new hit sensation of the industry.
Starting as a self-taught musician, her song “So High” gained worldwide attention and rose her to the height of success. This put Doja on the label’s radar, and she signed a record deal with R.C.A. Records at the age of 17. Since then, her career graph has kept showing an upward trend.
Besides the music industry, she is equally famous on the YouTube and TikTok communities as an e-girl fashion inspiration.
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan The Stallion offered a new defining face to the Pop music industry with a refreshing and soulful performance that you can sense through the screen. Her freestyling and cyphering videos were simply impossible to ignore and quickly attracted millions of views on YouTube and reposts on social media.
This marked her rise to stardom, and from there, Megan’s career in the Southern rap scene was further pursued.
Driving inspiration from her mother as a kid, her list of awards goes on with three Grammy Awards, six B.E.T. Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, five B.E.T. Hip Hop Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Award, and four American Music Awards.
- Instagram Account: @theestallion
- YouTube Account: Megan Thee Stallion
- Spotify Account: Megan Thee Stallion
Missy Elliott
With four Grammy Awards and over 30 million record sales in the US, Elliot is a hip-hop performer who loves challenging the boundaries of rap music. Her name shines as “the biggest and blackest female rap star that Middle America has ever seen.”
A complete unknown at the start of her music career, Elliot’s first solo album, “Supa Dupa Fly,” proved her undeniable talent, and she became the “highest-charting debut for a female rapper” at the time. She is credited as the “best-selling female rapper in Nielsen Music history.”
She became the first to assimilate gender equality, feminism, sex, and body positivity themes into R&B and hip-hop. This move revolutionized the Pop music culture and gave a new meaning to the Pop music language.
- Instagram Account: @missymisdemeanorelliott
- YouTube Account: Missy Elliott
- Spotify Account: Missy Elliott
Saweetie
From performing in talent shows in Southern California to establishing her name as one of hip-hop’s hottest artists. Saweetie likes to experiment and spin the music with her fiery vocal depth and creative content that will surely bring you along for the ride.
Grabbing meteoric rise through social media, her song, “Icy Grl,” got the media’s attention with more than 100 million views on YouTube alone. The song topped on “Billboard’s rhythmic songs airplay chart” and was certified “Gold.” Her song, “Tap In,” is her second single to reach Billboard’s Hot 100.
Aside from her confidence, her steering verses and ability to swap flows make her a rising star in the Hip Hop game.
- Instagram Account: @saweetie
- YouTube Account: Official Saweetie
- Spotify Account: Saweetie
Kash Doll
Turning social media stardom into a successful rap career, her music instantly sizzles and simmers in the ears of her fans. Her headstrong and charismatic personality, along with her upbeat music style, is what makes her shine out.
Kash Doll became a strip club dancer to escape poverty but soon left to pursue her passion. Her song “For Everybody” turned her into a global sensation with more than 25 million views on YouTube.
She has collaborated with some of the most famous artists like Meek Mill, K. Michelle, Big Sean, and Iggy Azalea during her career.
Latto
Writing her rap songs since the age of 10, Latto’s extraordinary lyrical skill with comical and raw rhymes has proven her “unmatched” in the rap game.
After winning season one of “The Rap Game,” Latto decided to continue as an independent artist. She hits her peak in 2019 with the single titled “Bitch from da Souf.” Her popularity grew further with her brief appearance in Cardi B’s music video “W.A.P.” in 2020.
Latto got nominated for “Best New Hip Hop Artist.” She was also titled MTV’s “Global Push Artist of the month” in Feb 2021.
Iggy Azalea
Receiving 4 Grammy nominations for her debut album, The New Classic, Azalea made a headline entry into the pop mainstream. She also became the “first non-American female rapper” to top the “Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” chart.
Iggy Azalea’s debut track, “Fancy,” made her the fourth solo female rapper ever to top the Billboard Hot 100″. With earning more than 3.4 billion views with 15 music videos on “YouTube” and receiving 100 million views on “Vevo.”
Her music career yielded multiple nominations, including three Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, four Grammy Awards, a People’s Choice Award, an MTV Video Music Award, and four Teen Choice Awards.
- Instagram Account: @thenewclassic
- YouTube Account: Iggy Azalea
- Spotify Account: Iggy Azalea
Queen Latifah
In a discussion about hip-hop, one cannot overlook Queen Latifah as she is one of the industry’s most iconic and prominent female M.C.s, who has been at the helm for nearly three decades.
Her hit single titled “U. N.I.T.Y.” received a Grammy Award and ranked # 23 on the “Billboard Hot 100”. She is titled one of the first crossover female rap artists who shattered barriers and established new bars in hip-hop music.
Latifah’s music has become a hip-hop legacy that has inspired the next generation of female hip-hop MCs to redefine the role of women in hip-hop.
In tribute to her legendary music and novelty, she is referred to as the “Queen of Rap” and “rap’s first feminist.” She is also credited as the first hip-hop artist to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- Instagram Account: @queenlatifah
- YouTube Account: queenlatifah
- Spotify Account: Queen Latifah
