Never underestimate the power of music.
Throughout time, hip-hop artists have broken records, set trends, added an indelible stamp to fashion and even given a voice to the voiceless. Now, almost 50 years after the notoriously male-dominated genre first found its roots in the Bronx in the 1970's, women in hip-hop are innovating the rules of the game.
It's been a long journey for talented female artists. Beginning with Lil' Kim to Lauryn Hill in the late ‘90s, females have had to break barriers to even be recognized by the industry. But as hip-hop evolves and the roster of female rappers grows, women have become an unbeatable force.
Aside from dominating the charts, we can't forget these women are showing the world that they're also capable of doing so much more than rap. Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Yung Miami are among hip-hop's trailblazers balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, all while setting a new standard for successful rappers.
Keep scrolling to see the woman of this generation rewriting the rules of rap and becoming household names.
Full-time hottie, part-time student! If you didn't know, the Houston native is still enrolled in college and will graduate this upcoming fall from Texas Southern University. She is studying health administration and is determined to get her degree with the goal of opening an assisted living facility in her hometown. Her music career took off as a college student and she has managed to achieve major accomplishments since her breakthrough.
Despite the highs and lows of 2020, Megan did not let that define her because it is also the same year she was featured on Time's 100 Most Influential People. Hot Girl Meg also had some of the biggest collaborations including "WAP" with Cardi B and the "Savage" remix with Beyoncé, which both inspired viral TikTok dances.
Best friends turned rap duo Yung Miami and JT started in 2017 and sparked mainstream hip-hop's interest with their uncredited feature in Drake's 2018 #1 single "In My Feelings." The City Girls then went on to take the Internet by storm with their summer anthem "Act Up."
The City Girls did have to put their rap careers on hold for a bit due to JT's prison sentence that took place from 2018-2020 for fraudulent credit card charges. But this did not stop Yung Miami, who continued to promote their debut album Girl Code all while also expecting her second child. Yung Miami kept working on behalf of the group and didn't break the baby news to her label executives over at Quality Control up until she was five months pregnant. She documented the news in a YouTube video titled "Yung Miami's Secret." In the video, the rapper talked about proving that she could indeed be a successful mother and rapper.
Once Young Miami gave birth in late 2019 and JT was released from behind bars in early 2020, the City Girls did not waste any time before hopping back into the studio. Not only has the duo released new music but they are now teaming up with Issa Rae to produce a new HBO Series called Rap S--t.
Before all the TikTok challenges and "Mooo!" went viral, many underground fans knew Doja for the SoundCloud music she used to compose out of her bedroom. Doja Cat has come a long way since and has even had her first No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs for "Say So" featuring Nicki Minaj.
With "Say So," "Like That," and "Boss Bitch," Doja, has proved that she can constantly go viral and inspire TikTok trends. Her rhythmic melodic pieces are a crossover of rap, pop and R&B that show the versatility she brings to the industry. The artist can sing, dance, rap and if you didn't know, she has also produced a lot of her own music.
This past year, Forbes included Doja on their 30 under 30 list and named her "one of the top breakout stars of 2020." The accomplishments don't end there because most recently, she was also placed on Time's list of 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2021.
Saweetie went from freestyling in her car to dropping some of the hottest singles. She began gaining attention from listeners in 2016 for the raps she used to post on her Instagram, one being the viral "Icy Girl" which she rapped over Khia's beat for "My Neck, My Back." Although the Icy Girl has yet to drop her debut album, she has gone on to recently collaborate on hits such as "Best Friend" with Doja Cat and "Back to the Streets" featuring Jhene Aiko.
Outside of music, Saweetie has launched a clothing collection with PrettyLittleThing where she curated a selection of pieces ranging from street style to sexy in all sizes from petite to plus.
Saweetie's debut album Pretty Bitch Music is expected to release this year.
At only 16, Miss Mulatto was first introduced as the winner of Lifetime's The Rap Game in 2016. The rapper is now 22 and showing the world that she is all grown up. Mulatto had her mainstream break-through with her single "Bitch from da Souf" in 2019, which peaked at No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was a hit featured on her debut album Queen of Da Souf, which was then remixed with Saweetie and Trina.
Mulatto has since been collaborating with other female artists including The City Girls, Doja Cat, Chloe x Halle and even made a cameo in the music video for Cardi B's "WAP" featuring Megan Thee Stallion. And in February 2021, Mulatto was named MTV's Global Push Artist of the month.
It was most recently announced that Mulatto will be rebranding and will soon reveal a new stage name due to the term's association to colorism.
The Mobile, Ala., rapper is new to the game. But after the release of her viral hit "Beef Flomix" at just 21 years old, Flo Milli is proving that she has a lot to bring to the table.
The rapper was nominated for BET's Best New Artist in 2020 after the release of her EP Ho, Why Is You Here that same year. Spotify also released a five-minute documentary on the rapper where she looked back on the days where she would write music during her shift at her local theatre.