39 Female Rappers That Will Elevate Your Playlist
Photo Credit: Christopher Baker
Over the last five years, the rap industry has been shifting to unlock doors for more women and subsequently elevating the genre’s ever-evolving sound.
Infectious rapper Tierra Whack self-released her debut studio album, Whack World, in 2018 and received critical acclaim for her compelling storytelling and vivid imagery. Little Simz has garnered a sizable fanbase worldwide since 2019’s stunning Grey Area, even pulling in admiration from two of her musical idols— Kendrick Lamar called her “one of the illest doing it right now” and Lauryn Hill also took her out on the Diaspora Calling! Tour.
Big trend setter Coi Leray has been dropping hits left and right with viral tracks like “No More Parties,” which is platinum-certified, and “Twinnem” among others. Lady Leshurr’s breakthrough ‘Queen’s Speech’ series brought her into the limelight with crisp, bitting jokes delivered in a freestyle rap while celebrating black womanhood and independence. Side note— she’s one of the best out there and continues to release incredible tracks.
In 2021, a number of women in hip-hop made waves with Grammy award nominations, including Chika, Doja Cat, and Megan Thee Stallion, with the later taking home awards for Best Rap Song, Best New Artist, and Best Rap Performance. This year Saweetie pulled in a nomination for Best New Artist with additional recognition for her collab with Doja Cat on “Best Friend” while Megan Thee Stallion accrued two more nominations.
Despite recent momentum and acknowledgment from the Recording Academy, breakout female rappers have been largely left in the dark for nearly two decades— a whopping 7,300 days. “Bodak Yellow” by Cardi B reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2017, making her the first female rapper in 19 years to have a solo song reach No. 1 status.
When Nicki Minaj broke through in 2010 with her debut studio album Pink Friday, it paved the way for her becoming the wealthiest female rapper to date with $100 million in the bank. Nominated for ten Grammy awards in total, Minaj has been passed up every time for other artists. Indie folk band Bon Iver snatched the Best New Artist accolade the year Minaj was up for the award, leading many to perceive the entire institution as inherently biased. Reaching Billboard’s Top 10 chart with twenty-one hits thus far, Minaj continues to break records with three songs debuting at No. 1 in 2020 alone.
In the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, check out our list of 39 female rappers that will bring something new to any playlist rotation. There is no shortage of talent across the multi-faceted ladies, not to mention the many additional women that exist in hip-hop but are not included on this list. Looking for more artists? Go to our highlight of 65 female rappers from 2019 here.
