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While the rap world is a male-dominated industry, an ardent generation of female rappers has emerged in recent years with their impeccable vocal delivery that incorporates complex rhymes, rhythmic language and street slang. Rappers broke away from the realms of traditional rap sounds and broke new ground in a sonically crafted rap movement that has become the new flavor of entertainment. Several young female rappers combined influences from different genres to aesthetically embalm elements of modern sounds with old school and create a new dynamic in rap.
The following list shows the best female rappers from different decades. If you have a view, opinion or suggestion, rap in the comments section.
Top 10 female rappers of all time
1. Nicki Minaj
2. Cardi B
3. Missy Elliot
4. Stallion Megan Thee
5. Little Kim
6. MC Lyte
7. Lauryn's Colina
8. Queen Latifah
9. Fuchsiges Braun
10.
The dominance of women in hip hop
While the rise of white female rappers is palpable in modern times, it is female rappers of color who hold the reins of the rap realm. The dynamism in rhythmic technique exhibited by certain black rappers is phenomenal by any measure. The rhyme schemes and lyrical flow of ghetto rappers are accompanied by an intimate aesthetic of pain and suffering. From social messaging to empowerment, sex, drugs, money, love, lust, hardship, pain, suffering and death - female rappers have expressed it all in their songs.
Aided by their natural instinct for the rhythmic poetry of spoken words, several rappers in African American neighborhoods have shown an exceptional talent for using complex vocabulary in their raps. The devilish humor and dark sarcasm displayed by the female rappers during freestyle battles stirred the spirit to a whole new level. Although women have been active in hip-hop since the 1980s, it was the 2000s that saw a new beginning for women with a unique rap identity. Women's dominance in hip-hop began and has been unstoppable ever since.
WOMEN 11–20
11. Remy Ma
12. Doja-Katze
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13. Eva
14. M.I.A.
15. Iggy Azalee
16. Lizzo
17. Saweetie
18. Trinity
19. Azealia Bank
20. Lisa Lopez
The female rap movement in the 80s and 90s
The '80s laid the groundwork for women in rap. As the girl group trend turned manganese during this decade, a number of black hip-hop groups emerged from the east and west coasts with their dance-oriented R&B infused with eclectic hip-hop styles. Although several female R&B hip-hop groups emerged in the 1980s, few of them managed to make a mark with their music. While it's been an uphill battle for women in hip-hop to gain recognition in a male-dominated industry, it was the women of this decade who paved the way for female rappers of the future.
A number of female R&B hip-hop groups that began their journey in the late 1980s began to gain recognition through airplay on local radio stations and their live performances in the 1990s. all-female bands, with the support of their talent scouts and managers, signed deals with major labels. These artists were well managed by their respective labels and enjoyed considerable success around the world with their singles and albums. Thanks to the MTV music television network, several female hip-hop groups and artists rose to prominence with their music videos in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
WOMEN 21–40
21. Young MA
22. Rhapsody
23. Estelle
24. Stationer
25. Little Simz
26. Sha Rock
27. Lady Leshurr
28. Rich Bad
29. Lacto
30. eu
31. John Gray
32. Sal
33. Forgive
34. Sovereign Lady
35. It was
36. Rah Digga
37. Efeukönigin
38. Flo Milli
39. Yoyo
40. Bhad Bhabie
female rappers in the 2000s
In the early 2000s, electronically generated sounds became more important. Several hip hop groups began to incorporate electronic elements into their scheme to create a club-friendly rap sound. Female hip hop artists also released critically acclaimed albums during this decade. Dance songs and R&B songs with slick rap productions became the decade's aesthetic. The stylish R&B dance songs, infused with hypnotic rap flows from young rappers, have become epics among youth across the world.
Experimenting in the areas of tradition and modernity led to the Trap movement becoming his own. Collaborations became very popular in the 2000s. Numerous rappers have earned the distinction of being lead artists on projects. As collaboration trends grew, more and more young rappers found their way into the music industry, regularly appearing as featured artists on songs by established dance-pop and synthpop artists of the decade.
Club songs with EDM sounds featured rappers rapping their aggressively charged anthem lines in the chorus or verse. This trend caught on in mainstream genres and became the quintessential dance flavor of the decade. The rappers' lyrical rap gymnastics, infused with polished production, became the pivotal element of the decade's dance movement.
WOMEN 41–60
41. Coi Leray
42. Roxanne Shante
43. The Lady of Rage
44. Monie amor
45. That
46. Bias
47. Sleepy
48. Factor
49. Tarrie B
50. Lakeya
51. Erica Banks
52. Boneca Kash
53. Lisa
54. Mia X
55. Gangsta-Boo
56. Kl
57. Stefflon Don
58. Earthstroke
59. JT
60. Bahamadia
female rappers in the 2010s
The trap movement, which gained momentum in the 2000s, became popular in the 2010s. An increasing number of female trap artists enjoyed tremendous success during this decade. Flashy hip-hop productions became the musical mantra of the decade. As the 2000s DJ trend took off in the 2010s, various house and dance productions began to combine the creative sounds of DJs with various styles of rap. This unique combination of acoustically triggered magical sound and poetic rap flows caused a sensation in the party scene across the world. Female rappers associated with melodic rap, mumble rap, trap, crunk, drill and bounce have had significant success on mainstream music charts with their singles and albums.
Complex rhyme and rhythm structures, accompanied by a hypnotically mesmerizing flow, gave female rappers of the 2010s a unique identity. Melodic rap verses in R&B songs, dance-pop songs, synthpop songs, electro songs, nu-disco songs and EDM songs became the decade's defining identity. The mastery of certain rappers coupled with delivery, flow, and clarity has become the epitome of new-age rap. Both slow rap styles and chopper-style fast rhymes and rap have become very popular in various dance genres.
FEMALE 61–80
61. Chia
62. Jeon-So-yeon
63. Baby Tate
64. Debelle Network
65. Rainha Herby
66. Princess Superstar
67. Shawna
68. Alesha Dixon
69. Brooke Doces
70. Princesa Nokia
71. Cat Dahlia
72. Complete
73. Raschida
74. Tay Money
75. Produto Snow Tha
76. Ladybug Mecca
77. KenTheMan
78. Mrs. Dynamite
79. Young Mom
80. Jessica
New wave of female rappers after 2020
After 2020, the female rap movement has grown significantly. As American female rappers continued to dominate the entertainment industry, a new wave of female rappers with styles distinct from other countries emerged, contributing to a diversely creative hip hop environment.
Currently, the Asian rap movement led by female K-pop rappers is taking the world by storm, and this is just the beginning of bigger things to come. The future is unpredictable, but one thing is for sure, the female rap world is only going to grow in the coming days.
#81-100
81. Angie Martinez
82. Michie Mich
83. Hyuna
84. Nadia Rosa
85. West Coast by Chanel
86. Kreayshawn
87. Suga-T
88. Mommy
89. Roggen Roggen
90. Tommy Genesis
91. Sylk-E. fine
92. Jenny Kim
93. Lisa Mafia
94. Jucee Froot
95. Yoon Mi-rae
96. Lady Luck
97. Ninja
98. Lumidee
99. The Floacist
100. Rosa Rubi See More
Other notable female rappers
- enny
- dream doll
- Justina Valentine
- water gang
- honey cocaine
- Little sister
- Magical
- BbyMutha
- Thank you very much
- Cleo.
- Joseline Hernandez
- haviah mighty
- Tanya "Sweet Tee" Winley
- kitten
- So K
- ChaCha
- Backxwash
- In mal
- hurricane G
- Elli
- Bktherula
- Lexi for Alia
- Nova Rockafellar
- Tiffany Fuchs
- Kali
- JB dies first lady
- strange MC
- GloRilla
- Jacki-O
- cute shirt
- Eva Alordiah
- Right Crush
- LightSkinKeisha
- Tymee
- Sarahmee
- mau rodriguez
- jungle pussy
- eternity
- Small bell
- Blau MC
- Moonbyul
- diamond the body
- Bernstein Liu
- Masia Eins
- Sharaya J
- Lost Bishops
- Vita
- Gripsta
- Sra. Banks
- Renni Rucci
- queen pen
- Rhea Major
- Chaeyoung
- you Bri
- Nadia Nakai
- tokyo jetz
- Chika
- Kellee Mas
- Amanda Blank
- A page
- Lizzy Parra
- Ice cream
- Chelsea Jane
- Lega-C
- One step
- Doechii
- mapei
- Dama6
- Quietly
- saiten
- Maja Jupiter
- Kinnie Starr
- unnamed
- Let's Rock
- cuban doll
- future pearl
- Heida B.
- IAMDB
- Natina Schieed
- Shy
- canary diamonds
- OMB bloodbath
- Monaleo
- Brianna Perry
- Shay
- K-Mil
- queen key
- Baby Blau
- Sasha goes hard
- Swift Flower
- ivory doll
- Women. melody
- kari is wrong
- Akua Naru
- david's plane
- add the mafia
- MISSSPSTAR
- Lil Debbie
- Juju
- MC Trey
who is your favorite rapper
© 2022 Ansel Pereira
FAQs
Who was the first best female rapper? ›
Sharon Green (born 1962), considered the "first female rapper" or emcee, known by the rap moniker MC Sha-Rock. Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, she grew up in the South Bronx, New York City during the earliest years of hip hop culture.
Who are the top 3 female rappers right now? ›- Megan Thee Stallion. The 26-year-old rapper is on the top of our list who is currently ruling the rap world in 2022. ...
- Doja Cat. ...
- Saweetie. ...
- Nicki Minaj. ...
- Cardi B. ...
- Mulatto. ...
- Kash Doll. ...
- City Girls.
Today, The Queen Of Rap is considered to be Nicki Minaj, who has been the most famous female rapper for more than a decade. She has won plenty of awards, released countless hit songs, and inspired and still inspires many new artists, making her one of the most famous faces in music.
Who is the OG female rapper? ›Although Sha-Rock was born in North Carolina, she grew up in New York and began rapping in parks and at parties. She was a part of the group, Funky 4 + 1. She was the plus one. In 1979, they became the first rap group to sign with a record label, making Sha-Rock the first female rapper to record a song.
Who are the top 5 female rappers? ›- Nicki Minaj.
- Missy Elliott.
- MC Lyte.
- Lauryn Hill.
- Da Brat.
- Queen Latifah.
- Foxy Brown.
- Rapsody.
Lauryn Hill was the first female artist to win in this category, when she won in 1997 with the Fugees. Cardi B became the first solo female rapper to win for Invasion of Privacy.
Who was the first female rapper to sell a million records? ›Da Brat's debut album Funkdafied was released in 1994 and entered the rap albums chart at number 11. The album went platinum, making her the first female solo rapper to sell one million copies.
Who is the fastest rap? ›The fastest rapper in the English language is US artist Ab-Soul, rapping 8.31 seconds per second on average. The fastest Italian artist is Shiva, who raps an impressive 6.33 syllables per second on average. Puerto Rican artist Kendo Kaponi is the fastest in Spanish, rapping an average of 6.11 syllables per second.
Who are the big 3 of rap? ›Ranking the 'Big 3' (Kendrick Lamar, Drake, J. Cole) Every Year Since 2010 | Complex.
Who is the godmother of rap? ›The Rise and Fall of Hip-Hop's First Godmother: Sugar Hill Records' Sylvia Robinson. From the first rap single to sell a million to the first scratching on record, Sylvia Robinson created the template for hip-hop's world domination.
Who is the best selling female artist of all time? ›
Madonna is believed to have sold the most records among any female music artists in history, with 335 million records sold worldwide, recognized by the Guinness World Records and other major media outlets while the best-selling Latin artist of all time is Shakira with more than 80 million records sold.
Who was the first female rapper to go platinum? ›Da Brat Was the First Female Solo Rapper to Go Platinum.
Who was the first female rapper to earn 6 platinum albums? ›Hip-hop icon Missy Elliott has reached yet another milestone for her contribution to the music industry. The legendary artist, songwriter, and record producer is officially the first female rapper to have six albums certified platinum or higher, according to Chart Data.
Who holds the record for most Grammy wins by a woman? ›Beyoncé holds the record for most Grammy-awarded female artist, receiving 28 awards throughout her famed career. She is the most-nominated female artist in Grammy history with 88 career nominations and is also tied with her husband Jay-Z for the most Grammy nominations in history.
Who was the female rapper with No Limit Records? ›Mia Young (born January 9, 1970), better known by her stage name Mia X, is an American rapper and songwriter. She was the first female emcee to get a contract with rapper and entertainment magnate, Master P on his successful record label No Limit Records.
What female rapper has the most Billboard entries? ›The most Billboard Hot 100 entries by a solo female artist is 110, and was achieved by Nicki Minaj (b.
What is the most successful female rap album? ›Salt 'N' Pepa – Very Necessary (1993)
Salt 'N' Peppa achieved Gold and Platinum statuses thanks to their debut album Hot, Cool & Vicious. However, let's not forget their fourth record, Very Necessary, which sold over seven million copies worldwide and became the highest-selling album by a female rap act.
The top 100 most-streamed artists of 2022 is experiencing a rap takeover. Sitting at number one is Drake, who is now this year's top-streamed artist so far with at 6.7 billion in streams.
What is the fastest song ever? ›...
Thousand (song)
| "Thousand" | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Techno hardcore speedcore |
| Length | 4:24 |
| Label | Equator |
| Songwriter(s) | Moby |
Who is the most respected rapper? ›
| No. | Rapper | The Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nas | 2 |
| 2. | Rakim | 1 |
| 3. | The Notorious B.I.G. | 3 |
| 4. | 2Pac | 5 |
- KENDRICK LAMAR. ...
- EMINEM. Masked Wolf: The way he sets up his lyrics and punchlines is unmatched. ...
- ICE CUBE. Baker Boy: He is lyrically insane. ...
- J. COLE. ...
- LIL WAYNE.
- LAURYN HILL.
- AMINE.
- DAMIAN MARLEY.
She's surpassed Missy Elliot
She may still be waiting for official confirmation, but yesterday Nicki Minaj announced on Instagram that she has become the most awarded female rapper in history.
Cardi B Is the First Female Rapper With Three Diamond Records | Hypebeast.
Has any female rapper won a Grammy? ›Prior to the female and male categories, she received the award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2002 for "Get Ur Freak On". This marked the second time a female had received the award for Best Rap Solo Performance (Queen Latifah was presented the honor for "U.N.I.T.Y." at the 37th Grammy Awards in 1995).
Who has 10 Grammys female singers? ›As of 2019 there are 4 female artists that have won 10 Grammy awards to date. They are Chaka Kahn, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, and Taylor Swift.
Who is the biggest winner of Grammy? ›Sir Georg Solti, an orchestral and operatic conductor, is the most Grammy Award-winning individual of all time with a total of 31 Grammy Awards won for recordings of works as diverse as Bach, Bartók, and Wagner.
Who won a Grammy at 14 years old? ›Country-pop sensation LeAnn Rimes made history in 1997 when she, at just 14 years old, became the youngest person ever to win a GRAMMY, taking home Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance (for her rendition of "Blue," a cover of Bill Mack's 1958 track).