Ladies First: Women's Hip Hop Milestones

Women who broke through boundaries and defied doubters.

Ladies First: Women's Hip Hop Milestones - Hip hop may be male-dominated, but the women who've made a mark on the culture are legends, heroes who broke boundaries and defied doubters. Here, in celebration of Women's History Month, we take a look at the biggest milestones for women in rap and the icons who established them. —Alex Gale(Photos: CSM/Landov Scott Gries/PictureGroup; Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

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Ladies First: Women's Hip Hop Milestones - Hip hop may be male-dominated, but the women who've made a mark on the culture are legends, heroes who broke boundaries and defied doubters. Here, in celebration of Women's History Month, we take a look at the biggest milestones for women in rap and the icons who established them. —Alex Gale(Photos: CSM/Landov Scott Gries/PictureGroup; Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

Lady Sha Rock - Lady Sha Rock, of Bronx pioneers the Funky Four Plus One — she was the titular add-on — is widely considered to be the first female rapper. (Photo: Enjoy Records)

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Lady Sha Rock - Lady Sha Rock, of Bronx pioneers the Funky Four Plus One — she was the titular add-on — is widely considered to be the first female rapper. (Photo: Enjoy Records)

Lady B - Philly's Lady B — now a local radio personality — became the first solo female rapper when she dropped "To the Beat Y'all" in 1979.(Photo: TEC Records)

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Lady B - Philly's Lady B — now a local radio personality — became the first solo female rapper when she dropped "To the Beat Y'all" in 1979.(Photo: TEC Records)

MC Lyte - 1988's acclaimed Lyte as a Rock made MC Lyte the first solo female rapper to drop an album. Classics like "Paper Thin" and "10% Dis" established her outright as one of rap's best, male or female.(Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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MC Lyte - 1988's acclaimed Lyte as a Rock made MC Lyte the first solo female rapper to drop an album. Classics like "Paper Thin" and "10% Dis" established her outright as one of rap's best, male or female.(Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"None of Your Business," Salt-N-Pepa  - Salt-N-Pepa's "None of Your Business" is one for the nosy folks with heavy opinions. The song hit the charts, making it to the Top 40, and comes straight off the group's fourth studio album, Very Necessary, which went five-times platinum!  (Photo: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Salt-N-Pepa - Backed by hits like "Push It" and "Shoop," Salt-N-Pepa were the first female rappers to become true pop stars. Their debut album, 1986's Hot Cool & Vicious, was the first by a female rap act, group or solo, to go platinum (or gold for that matter). They were also the first female rappers to win a Grammy, for 1995's "None of Your Business."(Photo: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Her Story - “I’m just ‘gon give you Brat,” the rapper tells us of her mission on her forthcoming album. “I can talk about the things I’ve been through, the things I’m going through, where I’m at now and what makes me different [post-prison].” (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

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Da Brat - Da Brat became a star overnight with her 1994 debut Funkdafied, which made her the first solo femcee to hit platinum.(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

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Sylvia Robinson - Hip hop's boardrooms are now dominated by the likes of Diddy, Birdman and Jay-Z, but back in its early days, rap's most powerful exec was Sylvia Robinson, the head of Sugar Hill Records, the label behind Sugar Hill Gang, Crash Crew, Funky Four Plus One, Treacherous Three, Grandmaster Flash and other old school icons. Robinson passed away last September at the age of 75.(Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

She's Really, Really Hot! - Missy is responsible for some of the hottest party anthems to ever come from the world of hip hop. She's the voice and brain behind the hit singles "Get Ur Freak On," "One Minute Man," "I'm Really, Really Hot" and more. You haven't clubbed unless you've sweated to a Missy Elliott song. (Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect)

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Missy Elliott - Missy's far-out sound and visuals broke boundaries and expectations, but that didn't stop her from being the first — and only — female MC with six platinum albums. Yes, we said six.(Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images)

Eve - She's been quiet of late, but Eve dominated the late '90s and early 2000s, becoming the first female rapper to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts with her inaugural effort, 1999's Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady.(Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images)

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Eve - She's been quiet of late, but Eve dominated the late '90s and early 2000s, becoming the first female rapper to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts with her inaugural effort, 1999's Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady.(Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images)

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Nicki Minaj - Nicki Minaj is carrying the torch for woman in hip hop in 2012, becoming the first female MC to have seven — count 'em — songs chart in the Billboard 200 at the same time.(Photo: Kevin Winter/DCNYRE2012/Getty Images for DCP)

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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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Lauryn Hill - Ms. Hill's solo benchmark, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, broke records at the 1999 Grammy Awards, where she became the first female act — rap or otherwise — to be nominated for 10 Grammys, and win five.(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

From the Throwback Files - In the spirit of classic hip hop, check out one of the Queen’s early career performances of “U.N.I.T.Y.,” which is a prolific song that still rings true today. (Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images) 

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Queen Latifah - Queen had already captured hip hop's hearts and minds with her first two albums, but her third, 1993's Black Reign, was the first by a solo femcee to go gold. Latifah is also the first female rapper to make a successful transition to actor and the first to be nominated for an Oscar, for her supporting role in 2002's Chicago.(Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images) 

Lil' Kim - The Queen Bee had already taken over hip hop by the time she became the first female rapper to have a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with the 2001 remake of "Lady Marmalade," which also featured Christina Aguilera, Pink and Mya. (Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

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Lil' Kim - The Queen Bee had already taken over hip hop by the time she became the first female rapper to have a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with the 2001 remake of "Lady Marmalade," which also featured Christina Aguilera, Pink and Mya. (Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)