You Must Take a Look at the Best Female Rappers in the World!

By Jivika Last updated Jul 15, 2022

It’s not that women aren’t appreciated in this art form; it’s more about recognition. When we think of rap, a female rap artist isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, and that’s the problem. These incredibly talented women show that we’re wrong about that.

Table of Contents

Rico Nasty

Rico Nasty is one of the most influential people in modern rap. She is the only rapper on this list who has tried her hand at hyper pop, which is the newest genre in the music business. She started by putting out her songs on the website SoundCloud. Her singles “iCarly” and “Hey Arnold” helped her get a lot of attention.

She was signed to Atlantic Records after her previous work got her more attention. At this point, she had already put out four mixtapes, and her fifth, “Nasty,” was the first project she did for the label.

In 2020, she released her long-awaited first album, “Nightmare Vision.” It got a lot of praise for being different and mixing hip hop with hyper pop, which was the new thing at the time. How this turns out can only be seen in the future, but one thing is for sure: Rico will not be like any other rapper.

Cupcakke

Cupcakke has made a name for herself as an outspoken artist about sexuality and women’s bodies because of her explicit lyrics and powerful voice. Her songs also discuss gay rights, women’s rights, and autism. This shows how forward-thinking she is with the themes and motifs she uses in her music.

She started her career by creating music on YouTube, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp. In 2015, her songs came out, and since then, she has put out a lot of highly praised mixtapes. Rolling Stones put Cum Cake on their list of the year’s best rap albums.

In 2019, she was reportedly admitted to the hospital after trying to kill herself. She stopped making music for a while, but when she returned, she put out singles like “Marge Simpson” and “Moonwalk,” leading up to her fifth album. Since then, she has put out four albums, all of which have gotten high marks for how they talk about politics.

MIA

MIA is the most experimental artist on this list. She first got a lot of attention in 2000 when she showed up as a visual artist and a filmmaker on the Internet. In 2004, her singles “Sunshowers” and “Galang” helped her break into the underground music scene. “Galang” mixes 505 beats and claps with edgy vocals and lyrics.

Her first two albums, “Arular” and “Kala,” where she tried out hip hop and electronic music, got a lot of praise from critics in the underground scene. She also had her first big hit with “Paper Planes,” which reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hasn’t stopped since.

In 2016, she released her fifth album, A.I.M., which didn’t do very well. Her following two albums, “Maya” and “Matangi,” were her best and most popular ones. “Maya” reached the top 10 of several charts, and “Matangi” had the song “Bad Girls,” which won her an MTV Video Music Award.

Little Simz

Little Simz, an English rapper, is the new big thing. Her song “Venom” on the soundtrack for the movie “Venom” helped her get a lot of attention. The music in question became a massive hit on TikTok, which helped Little Simz become so famous.

Last year, she released the album “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert,” at the top of many lists of the best albums of 2021. With songs like “Women” and “Introvert,” it is the best rap album, if not the best album of 2021.

Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” and Ye’s “Donda” were released on the same day. This led many critics to say she won the supposed battle between Drake and Ye by putting out an excellent album.

Little Simz is the only conscious rapper, so she is sure to start a conversation about the place and status of women in a genre like rap that men dominate. The next step in the career of this musical genius will be a sight to see.

Lil Kim

Lil Kim was the fashionista of the group. She was so ahead of her time that she was kicked out of her house as a teenager and had to live on the streets. In her teens, she started freestyle rapping, which is how Notorious B.I.G. found out about her.

In 1996, she released an album called “Hard Core.” Critics praised it for how it talked about women and their bodies. Lil Kim released “Notorious K.I.M.” and “Bella Mafia” at the same time. These were two of her most popular songs.

First, they made a song called “Lady Marmalade” with Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Mya, which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Then, they made “Magic Stick,” which reached the top 2 and was the closest Kim got to the top as a lead artist.

Her fourth album, called “9,” came out recently. It was a total failure and didn’t even make the Billboard Hot 100. Lil Kim has been saying that the album will have a follow-up with City Girls, Missy Elliot, and other artists.

Salt N Pepa

Salt, Cheryl James, Pepa, Sandra Denton, and DJ Spinderella make up the group. When they put out their first song, “Push It,” in 1987, it was a huge commercial and critical success, and their first album, “Hot, Cool, and Vicious,” brought them a lot of attention from the general public.

Feminists didn’t like hip hop because it made women’s bodies and sexuality objects, but Salt N’ Pepa’s song “Let’s Talk About Sex” changed how people thought about hip hop.

When they put out their fourth album, “Very Necessary,” later in their careers, it was the first female rap album to sell more than a million copies. This album also had the song “None of Your Business,” which won them their first Grammy and made them the first female rap group to win a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo.

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan is known as the “hot girl summer” and has made a name for herself in both the rap and music industries. She is currently one of the biggest names in rap. Any song or feature she uses immediately appears on the Billboard Hot 100.

Even though she came out years ago, “Hot Girl Summer” became a hit, and the rest is history. She started her career in 2019 when her mixtape “Fever” came out with the single “Hot Girl Summer.” This was followed by “Suga,” which had the single “Savage” on it. Both of these mixtapes got a lot of attention from the general public.

She has been at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 twice. The first time was with her hit song “Savage (Remix),” which featured the queen, Beyonce. The second time was with the theme “W.A.P.,” which featured another rapper on this list, Cardi B.

Her first studio album, “Good News,” sold many copies and got a lot of praise from music critics. Many year-end lists included the album.

Lastly, she became the second woman in the history of rap music to win Best New Artist at the Grammys, after Lauryn Hill, who is also on this list of artists who died young.

Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah’s name will be remembered for a long time, and her story is one of the most important in the modern world. She is the queen of all trades. She can sing, act, rap, and do these things with style.

She has made many albums, including “All Hail the Queen” and “Nature of a Sista,” which were released by Tommy Boy Records and were her first two albums. Then she was in her first sitcom, “Living Single.” After that, she put out “Black Reign,” the first album by a female solo artist to get an R.I.A.A. certification.

On the album, there’s a song called “U. N.I.T.Y.” that got a lot of praise for bringing attention to violence against women and how Black women are seen as objects.

She is a leader in everything she does. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Chicago, and she also has a talk show.

Cardi B

Cardi B is here, so call all your Bardi friends. She’s at the top of this list for a reason, not just because of her music. Cardi B is a star for sure. She is a marketing genius and the most fun person to be around.

She came onto the scene with the hit song “Bodak Yellow,” which shot up to the Billboard Hot 100 and made her the first female rapper since 1999 to break the record. The next song was “I Like It,” which has been called one of the best summer songs ever.

Then she released her much-anticipated album “Invasion of Privacy,” which became a massive hit on radio, in malls, and on Spotify. It was named one of the best albums of 2019 and won the Grammy for Best Rap Album.

But to show that she isn’t a one-trick pony, she topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Girls Like You” along with Maroon 5, and both of the singles from her upcoming album, “W.A.P.” and “Up,” were at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

“W.A.P.” was such a big hit that many people talked openly about sex and made the music industry a place where people could speak freely about sex positivity and women’s bodies. No matter when she puts out her second album, everyone will talk about it for years to come.

Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill is the best female rapper and one of the most influential rappers. When she joined Fugees, she immediately made a name for herself. As a member of Fugees, she made two albums. The second one won the Grammy for Best Rap Album, making her the first woman to win that award.

Hill started her solo career when the band broke up. Both her first album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” and her first single, “Doo Wop (That Thing),” went straight to the top of their respective charts, making her the first artist to have both their first song and album debut at No. 1.

She was also the first female rapper to have her album nominated in 10 categories, including Best New Artist and Album of the Year, which was the first time a rap album had ever been nominated.

Her first album was her last. Since then, she hasn’t put out another one, but that doesn’t mean she’s lost her fame. She’s not number one on this list because many of her actions, which can only be called erratic, have been in the spotlight. We hope that this great legend will release an album soon.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is the unbreakable Barbie of the rap industry. She has carried the female rap industry on her back for almost a decade. From Trinidad to the United States, she has always been a leader in the rap business.

People first noticed her when she put her stamp on Kanye West’s “Monster” by adding a verse. Even though Kanye West and Jay Z are also on the track, her flow, cadence, and the accents of her different alter egos made her stand out.

Her first album, “Pink Friday,” was a big hit, and the single “Super Bass” helped the singer sell many copies. The next album would be less about hip hop and more about disco-pop, which was popular then but didn’t sell very well.

For her third album, “Pinkprint,” she returned to the same hip-hop style. It was a big hit, with “Anaconda” reaching Nicki’s highest point and the album being called her best work.

Nicki’s next album was called “Queen.” It got much attention, but not as much as her previous work. Since then, she has had two number one songs. The first was with Doja Cat and was called “Say So.” The second was with 6ix9ine and was called “FeFe.” Still, Nicki Minaj is not known for her music. She is best known as a performer, and at that, she is a queen.

Missy Elliot

Missy Elliot is the best female rapper we have right now and has some of the dopest beats. As one of the first people to make rap music, she has gotten a lot of praise from critics, but most people don’t know much about her.

In the early 1990s, she started her career with her childhood friend Timbaland. Together, they worked on several hip hop and R&B records. She started her solo career with the album “Supa Dupa Fly,” which was the first female rap album to reach the third spot on the Billboard Hot 200.

From “Miss E.. So Addictive” to “Under Construction” and “This is not a Test,” her albums brought her to the attention of most people. Missy made it clear that she was the best female rapper in the world. “Get Ur Freak On” and “Work It’s” are two of the most well-known singles. “Work It’s” won “Video of the Year” on more than one show.

She is the first female rapper to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She will always be a rap legend and the queen of beats.

With this many rappers at the helm, rap music will have more diversity, and women will get the credit they deserve. And if you liked this list, check out their albums and songs to learn more about the talent and skill they put into their work.

Conclusion

I made my list of the top 10 female rappers to make things fairer. I used something like impact on the genre and body of work, which is why you won’t find any newer artists on my list, as well as pure rapping talent and lyrical skill. And, of course, how much I like their music also played a significant role.