Women have been at the vanguard, battling systems of inequality. Here are 30 underrated female rappers you should know about in 2023.
Fifty years into hip-hop, we are officially living in a renaissance of female rap. From Memphis gangsta rap to Bronx Drill, not only is there a plethora of women stepping up to, but also dominating, the mic. By now, you’ve probably bore witness to people begging for women in rap to get along during Twitter spats between their faves. But rap is inherently competitive. And there are finally enough high-profile women in the game for electrifying collaborations and equally as interesting beef. While they do largely uplift each other, female rappers are also treating rap like the sport that it is.
It’s taken a while for women in rap to get the respect they deserve. “They all rapping about the same thing,” was Jermaine Dupri’s critique of female rappers four years ago. “For me, it’s like strippers rapping,” he continued. Issa Rae’s HBO show Rap Shit was a response to Dupri’s one-dimensional accusations. Co-produced by the City Girls and co-starring rapper KaMillion, the series showcased the variety of perspectives that female rap has to offer.
Female rappers made their…
