Big Poppa, Nuthin' But A G Thang, O.P.P., Flava in Ya Ear, and California Love. Those are most likely some of the songs that come to mind when you think of Hip-Hop. But even if it's not specifically those songs that remind you of what hip-hop means to you, especially hip-hop from the 80's and 90's, I can guarantee your list doesn't stray too far from this. And, that's because when you think of hip-hop you think of a male dominated industry. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of notable male hip-hop artists, but it's important to recognize and pay homage to the women in hip-hop who make hip-hop what it is.
1. Queen Latifah
2. Salt-N-Pepa
The hair styles they rocked were iconic. Their outfits were fly. They were the girls that everyone wanted to be. Ya'll know that they have made it big when they are featured in a commercial for Geico that ran during the Superbowl in 2015. This girl group was a pioneer for being open about female sexuality. They had us starting off conversations like Let's Talk About Sex, which ultimately transformed into a conversation about AIDS, a conversation that needed to be had at the height of the AIDS epidemic. They were notably unapologetically Black women.
3. Missy Elliott
Missy has given us way too many hits. Probably more hits than we deserve. She not only raps her own hits, but she creates hits for other artists. Sometimes we may forget that she has blessed us with songs that aren't even under her own name. Without her, your fav may not even be your fav anymore. Her outfits and visuals in her videos were stunning and before its time, but she still ventured outside of the box. She made wearing a trash bag cool. And even for Missy, we still see Diddy all up in the video. Check out this video of spoken word inspired by Missy Elliott, which is titled, "For Colored Girls Who Don't Need Katy Perry When Missy Elliott Is Enough."
4. Lil Kim
She was much more than someone to be discussed only in reference to Biggie. She made her own lane and showed us that female sexuality was more than just acceptable; it was something to be proud and confident about. Her verses were so tough that it's crazy that we don't give her enough credit. Her outfits were so legendary that she has me considering bringing back her iconic style. I'm waiting for one of her outfits to make it to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
5. Foxy Brown
We hear about Foxy for things like her feuds, such as with Lil Kim or Queen Latifah, or her assault charges against two manicurists, but she is so important when discussing hip-hop, especially women in hip-hop.
6. Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill might not scream Hip-Hop to you, but we can't forget that Lauryn Hill was a crucial part to the Fugees. We also need to recognize that hip-hop doesn't all have one identified sound. There's so much more to hip-hop than just rapping.
7. MC Lyte
Ya'll know the voiceovers done at the BET Awards? Yeah, that's her. MC Lyte is the first solo female rapper to release a full album, making her one of the pioneers of women in hip-hop. Everyone who has seen Love and Basketball knows the song Lyte As A Rock.
8. Eve
Eve was that girl that was bold and confident. Whenever her and Gwen Stefani teamed up, it was bound to be something great. She is known as Ruff Ryder's First Lady. Eve has also been caught in a feud with Foxy.
9. Trina
She's Still Da Baddest. Enough said.
10. Left Eye
Anyone who knows me enough knows that I couldn't leave out Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. She was the crucial piece in TLC that gave us the raps. She also had features on other artists' tracks. Don't even bother playing U Know What's Up if it's not the version with Left Eye. Her story was cut too short, but even in her short amount of time with us, she gave us something memorable. Her persona and spirit will never be forgotten.
In no shape or form is this an exhaustive list of all the notable women in hip-hop. This goes to show that sometimes we can overlook these hip-hop artists for various reasons, whether the reason be simply because they are women or because we subconsciously categorize them in a category that seems more stereotypically fitting. Although we make the joke that behind every strong black man, there is Diddy bopping around everyone's videos, the reality is behind every strong black man in hip-hop, there is typically a strong black female hip-hop artist.. and probably still Diddy.
