Women in Hip Hop
These female MCs have shaped hip hop in their own way.
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DJ Spinderella - Every great hip hop duo has an iconic DJ. Run DMC had Jam Master Jay, EPMD had DJ Scratch, and Salt-N-Pepa had DJ Spinderella. The Brooklyn native helped solidify the femcee's place in the history books as one of the first pioneering girl groups in rap. (Photo: Jesse Grant/WireImage)
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Nicki Minaj - This talented female rapper has taken the industry by storm over the last two years. With the release of her platinum debut, Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj revived female MCs in hip hop and catapulted herself to pop icon status. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Queen Latifah - All hail the queen. Though most know Queen Latifah for her Hollywood career these days, she got her start back in 1989 as a rap artist. This singer, actress, model and executive has become one of the most successful females in hip hop. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)
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Remy Ma - After female rap took a turn for the sexy, Remy Ma burst onto the scene with her then crew the Terror Squad and put hardcore rap back on the map for women. Unfortunately, not too long after going solo, Remy was sentenced to an eight-year prison bid and is currently doing time at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in upstate New York. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
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Lil Kim - In 1996, a couple of girls changed the face of hip hop, especially for female MCs. Lil Kim was one of those women. With her sexually-tinged rhymes, Lil Kim proved that sex sells in hip hop too. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Missy Elliott - Missy Elliott is a trendsetter. The hip hop singer/songwriter/dancer/visionary is known for her creative spin on the music. Blending hip hop, R&B and a little bit of pop, Missy has sold over seven million records in the US. (Photo by Scott Gries/ImageDirect)
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Foxy Brown - Despite her recent troubles, rapper Foxy Brown helped to change the game for female MCs. As the young protege of Jay-Z, her debut album Ill Na Na went platinum. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Eve - After the emergence of Foxy Brown and Lil Kim, hip hop needed a new female perspective. Enter Eve, the Ruff Ryder from Philly who softened up hip hop females just enough to cross over. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
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Left Eye - Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes added just enough hip hop to the multiplatinum selling R&B trio, TLC. Along with Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, the three girls introduced a different side of fashion to the hip hop arena, complete with baggy jeans and condom-eye patches. (REUTERS/Gary Hershorn /Lando)
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Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill is widely considered the most talented female rapper to ever do it. As one third of the Fugees, her lyrical talent arguably surpassed that of her male counterparts. Then, when she embarked on a solo career, she unleashed one of the most beautiful singing voices hip hop has ever heard. Her debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won her five Grammys. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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Salt-N-Pepa - The legendary hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa is the best-selling female rap group of all time. Breaking down barriers in hip hop as early as 1985, these show-stoppers were very necessary. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
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Trina - Miami native Trina first shocked hip hop audiences with her guest appearance on Trick Daddy's popular "Nann N*gga" single. It was downright raunchy, and we loved it. Over the years, the diamond princess has cleaned up her image and emerged as one of the most consistent female artists in the game. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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MC Lyte - It would be negligent to talk about female rappers without mentioning MC Lyte. Lyte was one of the most trailblazing rappers of her time, leaving the hip hop community with classics like "Paper Thin," "Lyte as a Rock" and "Ruffneck." (Photo by Michael Caulfield/Getty Images)
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Da Brat - Shawntae "Da Brat" Harris linked up with Jermaine Dupri back in 1994, and he helped her to introduce a new "Funkdafied" sound to hip hop. Brat became the first female MC to ever go platinum. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
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Rasheeda - Southern rap femcee Rasheeda has been putting it down on the independent scene for quite some time. She has already released five albums and collaborated with Petey Pablo, Toya Carter and Kandi Burress, among others. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Garner Circle)
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Vita - During the height of Murder Inc., music executive Irv Gotti signed Vita, a female rapper with a hardcore sound and New York style. She quickly rose to fame after being featured on the hit Ja Rule single "Put It on Me." (Photo by Lawrence Lucier/Getty Images)
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Charli Baltimore - Before he died, the Notorious B.I.G. talked about a rap group called The Commission. Just imagine a group consisting of Biggie and Jay-Z. But what some don't know is that Charli Baltimore was supposed to be a member of that group as well. Still, she was able to continue a rap career, which was given a boost when she was picked up by Murder Inc.'s Irv Gotti. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Yo Yo - Introduced to the game by Ice Cube, Yo Yo was one of the first West Coast females to rise to success in hip hop. The Grammy-nominated rapper dedicated much of her career to denouncing sexism in hip hop. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BET)
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Shawnna - The slick-tongued rapper on the Ludacris song "What's Your Fantasy" was none other than Shawnna, DTP's first female rap signing. Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, Shawnna brought a Midwestern feel to the game. But what many may not know is that she began her rap career even before Ludacris, as one-half of the rap duo Infamous Syndicate. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Lady of Rage - While Yo Yo opened the door for West Coast femcees, it was the Lady of Rage who stomped her way through it. Her career got an incredible jump-start with guest appearances on Dre's The Chronic and Snoop's Doggystyle. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BET)
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Jean Grae - The South African–born Jean Grae is one of hip-hop's most notable underground females. She has released six albums and an EP, all of which have garnered her critical praise. (Photo by Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Belvedere)
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JJ Fad - It doesn't matter that you couldn't understand the last verse of JJ Fad's "Supersonic," this trio of female MCs rose to fame off the success of the hit song.
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Khia - If Lil Kim and Foxy Brown ushered in a "sexual revolution" for female MCs, then Khia took it to a whole other level. With the independent single "My Neck, My Back," Khia was downright naughty.
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Finesse & Synquis - Salt-n-Pepa weren't the only female rap duo back in the 80s. Finesse & Synquis were two "Soul Sisters" who became famous for their MCM suits and wedge hair styles.
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Mia X - As the first female rapper signed to No Limit, Mia X emerged onto the rap scene in the late 90s to help rep New Orleans, way before some members of Young Money were even born.
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N-Tyce - Hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina, N-Tyce was a female rapper that came out in the early to mid 90s on the legendary Wild Pitch Record label. At the time, she was affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan and had a relatively popular hip hop single called "Hush Hush Tip," which featured Method Man.
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N-Tyce - Hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina, N-Tyce was a female rapper that came out in the early to mid 90s on the legendary Wild Pitch Record label. At the time, she was affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan and had a relatively popular hip hop single called "Hush Hush Tip," which featured Method Man.
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Ms. Melodie - As the former wife of the blastmaster KRS-One, Ms. Melodie had some knowledge that she too wanted to share with the hip hop community. Although her stint as an MC didn't last too long, she had a classic verse on "Self Destruction."
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Roxanne Shante - Ask any female MC who they were inspired by, and so many times you will get the answer, Roxanne Shante. At the tender age of 14, Roxanne Shante released "Roxanne's Revenge," a response record to UTFO's "Roxanne, Roxanne." The Queensbridge MC was one of the first commercially successful females in hip hop. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Antoinette - Some may not remember female rapper Antoinette, but se debuted with an album entitled "Who's The Boss?" back in the late 80s. If nothing else, she inspired some of Lyte's best work, and was a part of one of the first female rap beefs ever.
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Monie Love - The fast-rapping Monie Love teamed up with Queen Latifah in the early 90s for "Ladies First," proving that ladies could come together and make great hip hop too. As part of the Native Tongues posse, Monie was the female voice on classics such as "Buddy." She had her own success with "It's A Shame" and "Monie In The Middle," and is currently a radio personality on Sirius/XM's "Backspin" station.
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MC Sha Rock - MC Sha Rock, of the Funky Four +1, is one of the first female rappers to ever do it. In fact, when it comes to firsts, she's got a lot of them. The group, formed in 1976, was the first group from the Bronx to receive a record deal. They were also the first to feature a female rapper, and the first rap group to be featured on "Saturday Night Live."
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Boss - The Def Jam label was at the forefront of the female hip hop movement. In 1993, Def Jam West signed this Detroit-native to the label and released her debut album "Born Gangstaz," which was led by the breakthrough single "Deeper."