Though female rappers continue to exist within the male-dominated hip hop industry, we’ve seen a rise in talent especially among black female rappers. Even for mixed-raced artists, many of them today unabashedly embrace and celebrate their blackness. They make a great contribution towards the genre displaying their different voices, flavors and style.
20 Black Female Rappers Who’ve Dominated The Rap Scene
1. Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion is a Grammy-winning rapper best known for songs such as “Savage,” “WAP” and “Hot Girl Summer.” The Houston rapper rose to worldwide superstardom with her confident flows and sexually charged lyrics. Her mother, Holly Thomas, was also a rapper who performed under the stage name “Hollywood” and would bring her daughter to recording sessions instead of daycare. Megan started rapping at the age of 14, which she continued to do until college. She made it to the top 100 list on Billboard Hot charts with the single ‘Big Ole Freak.’ Throughout her career, Megan Thee Stallion has received several accolades with at least three Grammy Awards. Few female rappers have achieved the fame and financial success Megan Thee Stallion has.
- Real name: Megan Jovon Ruth Pete
- Born: February 15, 1995 (San Antonio, Texas)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 30 million
Stream Megan Thee Stallion songs
Read more:
- The Year of Thee Stallion
- 10 Things You Didn’t Know about Megan Thee Stallion
- Why I Speak Up for Black Women”: Megan Thee Stallion
- Don’t Mess With Megan
2. Latto
Atlanta-base rapper Latto moved to Georgia in her teens in hopes of building up her street credibility on the south side of Atlanta. She is biracial because her father is black while her mother is white and often got bullied in school because of being “light-skinned”. Latto rose to prominence after she became a cast member on the Lifetime reality series The Rap Game and won the show’s first season. Later on, she broke into the spotlight with her 2019 song “Bitch from da Souf”. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2020, reaching number 95. After collaborating with rappers Saweetie and Trina on a remix of the song, Latto released the follow-up single “Muwop” featuring Gucci Mane in 2020. Latto received nominations for Best New Hip Hop Artist at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards and Top Rap Female Artist at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. She was also a part of the XXL Freshman Class in 2020.
- Real name: Alyssa Michelle Stephens
- Born: December 22, 1998 (Columbus, Ohio)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 13 million
Stream Latto songs
Read more:
- Latto: Atlanta’s Boldest, Brashest New Rapper Reveals How She Does It
- How “Big Energy” Rapper Latto Keeps Betting on Herself—and Winning
- Latto Is Ready to Bet It All and Win Big With Her New Name
3. Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott made a mark on the male-dominated hip-hop world with her talents for writing, rapping, singing, and music production. Involved in her local church and choir, Elliott in 1991 started Fayze, an all-female R&B group whose producer was neighborhood friend Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley. In 1996, Elliott worked with SWV, 702, Total, Destiny’s Child, and Aaliyah. Later that year she became a featured vocalist rapping on Sean “Puffy” Combs Bad Boy Records’ remixes. Her big breakthrough came when “The Rain”, a single from her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly (1997), became certified platinum.
- Real name: Melissa Arnette Elliott
- Born: July 1, 1971 (Portsmouth, Virginia)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 7.8 million
Stream Missy Elliott songs
Read more:
- How Missy Elliott Became an Icon
- Missy Elliott Speaks On Finding Inspiration For Her Triumphant Return
- Misdemeanours against Missy: On the legacy of Missy Elliott
4. Stefflon Don
Stefflon Don is a dancehall and rap artist who switches between dancehall and rap with ease and confidence. She rose to fame with a single called ‘Hurtin’ me’ that featured rapper French Montana. The single earned the seventh spot on the UK Singles Chart. She also won MOBO and NME Awards before her 2018 mixtape Secure charted in the Top Forty and was the first ever British female entrant in XXL’s annual ‘Freshman List’.
- Real name: Stephanie Victoria Allen
- Born: 14 December 1991 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 5.3 million
Stream “Stefflon Don” songs
Read more:
- Stefflon Don gets real
- 17 Facts You Need To Know About ‘Hurtin’ Me’ Rapper Stefflon Don
- Stefflon Don discusses past accusations of colourism
5. Eve
Eve is a rapper and actress, best known for hits like ‘What Ya Want,’ ‘Gangsta Lovin,’ and her Grammy-winning “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” collab with Gwen Stefani. At the age of 13, and formed a short-lived rap duo, Edge, and her friend, Jennifer Pardue. At the age of 18, she worked as a stripper until rapper Mase convinced her to stop stripping. Later on in 1998, Eve appeared on the Bulworth soundtrack as Eve of Destruction while signed to Dr. Dre’s record label Aftermath Entertainment. In 1999, she released her debut album, Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, which reached number one on the Billboard 200.
- Real name: Eve Jihan Jeffers
- Born: November 10, 1978 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 4.7 million
Stream Eve songs
Read more:
- How Eve and Dr. Dre Parted Ways Because the Two ‘Just Couldn’t Get Along’
- Eve critiques current state of hip hop: “There’s a lot of clones“
6. Lil’ Kim
Lil’ Kim found success as a female rapper starting in the mid ’90s, with her explicit lyrics and sexy persona under the guidance of hip-hop icon Biggie Smalls. She donned a provocative façade and released her debut album Hard Core in 1996 that earned her much appreciation. Critics loved her raw, unapologetic style of rapping, which was much more gritty and vulgar than female MCs that came before her like MC Lyte and Queen Latifah.
- Real name: Kimberly Denise Jones
- Born: July 11, 1974
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 4 million
Stream Lil’ Kim songs
Read more:
- Lil’ Kim Opens Up About Her Enduring Reign
- Life Lessons from Lil’ Kim
- The Meaning of Lil’ Kim: The complicated legacy of one of rap’s boldest provocateurs
7. Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-n-Pepa is a hip hop trio from Queens, New York. The group, consistis of Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton, and originally Latoya Hanson who was replaced by Deidra Roper as “DJ Spinderella”. Formed in 1985, the group was one of the first all-female hip hop groups. Salt-n-Pepa changed the look of hip hop with their willingness to talk about sex and their thoughts about men. They debuted with “The Show Stopper”, a response record to Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick’s “The Show” and it was an underground hit.
- Group formation: 1985
- Origin: Queens, New York
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 3.4 million
Stream Salt-N-Pepa songs
Read more:
- Salt-N-Pepa Outsold Wu-Tang, So Why Don’t We Talk About Them More?
- The Story Of Salt-N-Pepa’s Friendship Forged In The Lunchroom
- Salt-N-Pepa Biopic and The Duos’ Impact on Hip Hop Culture
- Hip-Hop Pioneers Salt-N-Pepa Discuss the Ongoing Barriers Facing Women in Music
8. Doechii
Doechii is part of a young group of Florida rappers who started out as a YouTubers, posting a variety of content including music and vlogs. She officially immersed herself into the indie scene when she released her first single “Girls” in 2018, as well as the single “Spookie Coochie” in 2019. She’s best known for singles such as “Crazy” and “Persuasive.” In April 2021, her single “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” was featured on Rolling Stone’s Breakthrough 25 chart.
- Real name: Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon
- Born: August 14, 1998 (Tampa, Florida)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 3 million
Stream Doechii songs
Read more:
- Rolling Stone: Doechii Is Rap’s Pointed, Provocative Next Big Thing
- Doechii: 5 Things To Know about Rapper Doechii
- Sheer Interview: Musicians To Know: Doechii
9. Baby Tate
Baby Tate is an Atlanta-based rapper well known for her positive sexual messages in her lyrics. Growing up, she had little contact with her father, but her mother supported her musical ambitions. The daughter of soul musician Dionne Farris, she released her debut project, ROYGBIV, in 2015. She has since garnered significant attention for the successful viral single “I Am” featuring Flo Milli and the After The Rain EP, among others. Her song “Beckham” was also featured in the pilot episode of Euphoria in 2019.
- Real name: Tate Sequoya Farris
- Born: May 13, 1996 (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 2.7 million
Stream Baby Tate songs
Read more:
- How Yung Baby Tate Manifested Her Way to Success
- In Her Next Chapter, Baby Tate is Aiming for New Heights
10. Little Simz
Little Simz has been progressively establishing herself as one of the greatest and finest talents of her generation in London. After the release of four mixtapes and five EPs, she released her first album A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons in September 2015. Her album Stillness in Wonderland (2016) and Grey Area (2019), the latter of which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and won the awards for Best Album at both the Ivor Novello Awards and the NME Awards. She is mainly associated with the grime genre, although she also draws inspiration from other genres such as reggae, blues, synth-rock, and jazzy R&B. Her music is described as rap and experimental by her.
- Real name: Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo
- Born: 23 February 1994 (Islington, London, England)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 2.2 million
Stream “Little Simz” songs
Read more:
- Little Simz Gave It Everything She’s Got, and It Shows
- Little Simz: “It’s nice to see my peers win. When they win, I win”
- Little Simz: “I’ve never felt the need to be the loudest person in the room”
11. Remy Ma
Remi Ma is an American rapper and one of the very few female rappers who have made it big in the American hip hop scene. After getting the attention of Big Pun through writing poetry, she took part in a meeting and freestyle session. Big Pun then took Ma under his wing and became her mentor. Ma kickstarted her singing career under the name “Remy Martin” on Big Pun’s album Yeeeah Baby which was recorded from 1999 to 2000. The Grammy nominated artist who was part of the rap group Terror Squad featured on the group’s hit song “Lean Back” with Fat Joe, and from their second album True Story and M.O.P.’s “Ante Up (Remix)” with Busta Rhymes and Teflon. Later on, she was sentenced to eight years behind bars in 2007 for shooting a friend and released in 2014.
- Real name:
- Born: May 30, 1980 (New York City)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 2 million
Stream Remy Ma songs
Read more:
- Remy Ma Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison And Released In 2014
- Why Remy Ma vs. Nicki Minaj Is One of the Most Important Beefs In Rap History
12. Foxy Brown
Foxy Brown is famous for her solo career as a musician and numberless collaborations with prominent hip hop stars in the music industry. She has been a significant part of the hip hop group known as The Firm. She began rapping in her teens and won a local talent competition in 1994. Because of that win the 16-year-old was invited to rap over LL Cool J’s “I Shot Ya.” She was quickly invited to perform on tracks with other artists such as Toni Braxton, Case, and Jay-Z. Even though she received a lot of skepticism from critics because of her raunchy lyrics and sexual appeal in music videos, Foxy still managed to stay on top. The Brooklyn-based MC whose brash style helped mold a generation of sexually-activated female rappers.
- Real name: Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand
- Born: September 6, 1978 (Brooklyn, New York)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1 million
Stream Foxy Brown songs
Read more:
- Why Foxy Brown Will Always Be The Illest
- Ill Na Na: 4 Things You Didn’t Know About Foxy Brown
- The 10 Most Bizarre Rumors About Foxy Brown
13. Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah is one of first female rap artists who caught the music industry’s attention especially hip hop superstars. She was the first female rapper to be nominated for the academy awards. She made her mark in hip-hop genre by rapping about issues of black women. Her songs covered topics including domestic violence, harassment on the streets, and relationship problems. Her debut album All Hail to the Queen sold more than 1 million copies, and the single “U.N.I.T.Y” earned Latifah her first Grammy Award.
- Real name: Dana Elaine Owens
- Born: March 18, 1970 (Newark, New Jersey)
- Spotify monthly listeners: 980,000
Stream Queen Latifah songs
Read more:
- Don’t Let Queen Latifah’s Acting Career Overshadow Her Rap Legacy
- Queen Latifah on Women Uniting: ‘When We Stand Together There Is Nothing More Potent’
14. Rubi Rose
Rubi Rose is well known for her amazing rap skills and is influenced by artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, and Foxy Brown. Perhaps she’s most famous for her appearance in the music video for Migos’ smash 2017 hit “Bad & Boujee.” She has also been featured in music videos like Raury’s “Cigarette Song.” Over the years, the Atlanta-based rapper has continued releasing new singles, offering up songs like “Big Mouth” and “The Truth” as well as appearing as a guest on collaborative tracks such as Day Sulan’s “BIG” and Fifa Flame’s “No Time“.
- Real name: Rubi Rose Benton
- Born: October 2, 1997 (Lexington, Kentucky)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 860,000
Stream Rubi Rose songs
Read more:
- Rubi Rose Exemplifies Female Empowerment
- Rubi Rose thinks gang culture is cool: “I like throwing their gang signs up — it’s cute”
- Rubi Rose Offers Clarification After Bringing Up Nicki Minaj While Discussing Being With Men Who Make Less Money
15. Enny
Enny is an English rapper who is popularly known for her 2020 song “Peng Black Girls” which handles issues like cultural appropriation, and is a celebration of all body sizes and skin tones. The song quickly gained traction when it was released in November, but when Jorja Smith jumped on a remix it blew up. Smith consequently signed Enny to her label, certifying the artist as a rising star of British rap.
- Real name: Enitan Adepitan
- Born: 9 December 1994 (Thamesmead, London, England)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 750,000
Stream “Enny” songs
Read more:
- Enny: A life less ordinary
- ENNY: “It’s a ruthless industry and being nice is underrated”
- The Gospel According to Enny
16. Da Brat
Dab Brat is one of the many females who broke into the hip-hop scene in the mid-1990s. Brat gained such a huge popularity in the music industry after releasing her studio album Funkdafied. She sold one million copies making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album. Da Brat is a two-time Grammy Award nominee and a three-time Billboard Award winner.
- Real name: Shawntae Harris
- Born: April 14, 1974 (Chicago, Illinois)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 670,000
Stream Da Brat songs
Read more:
- Da Brat Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Atlanta Nightclub Fight
- Da Brat Broke The Mold And Made History
- Da Brat’s Coming Out Story Is 25 Years in the Making
17. MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an iconic rapper and DJ. Her ground breaking music career spans 30 years. The Hip Hop legend was the first female rapper ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award, the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall, and the first female artist to earn a gold single. She’s also one of the first female rappers to point out the sexism and misogyny that often runs rampant in hip-hop, often taking the subject head on lyrically in her songs and helping open the door for such future artists as Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott.
- Real name: Lana Michele Moorer
- Born: October 11, 1970 (New York City)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 426,000
Stream MC Lyte songs
Read more:
- Classic Albums: ‘Act Like You Know’ By Mc Lyte
- MC Lyte Talks About Being A Trailblazer For Women
- MC Lyte shares her thoughts on female rappers
18. Cristale
Cristale can write lyrics to any type of instrumental, with a vocal style defined by sharp attentive lyricism. As she grew up she took a liking to grime rappers like Chip, Stormzy and Wretch 32, as well as funky house acts like T2 and Sweet Female Attitude. Beginning her rap career at 19, her first four mainstream releases were freestyles, Cristale remixed Poundz’s ‘Opp Thot’, Pa Salieu’s ‘Frontline’ and Unknown T and Crazy Cousinz’ ‘Throwback’. Cristale is now one of UK music’s hottest prospects.
- Born: Brixton, South London
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 420,000
Stream “Cristale” songs
Read more:
- Cristale: Rising UK rap star on her journey so far
- Interview: Cristale: One of UK’s rawest female emcees
- Cristale’s Clear Vision
19. Shaybo
Shaybo is a Nigerian-British rapper who is known for her singles “Dobale” and “Anger”. Her flawless lyrics and enthralling melodies have made her a household name. She began creating rap songs and freestyled in front of her family and classmates when she was thirteen years old. This was the beginning of a musical passion. The exceptional rapper, who delivered a slew of freestyles, is a versatile artist who can handle a wide range of sounds, from rap to afro-beats. She was also nominated for the Best New Comer category at the 2020 MOBO Awards.
- Real name: Laura Adegbite
- Born: October 5, 1996
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 300,000
Stream “Shaybo” songs
Read more:
20. Ivorian Doll
Ivorian Doll, the Germany-born and London-based rapper is popularly known for her breakout single “Rumours” released in April 2020 and also her debut single “Queen of Drill” released late 2019. Inspired by Nicki Minaj, she honed a sharp signature sound rooted in raw rapping. In the year 2020, Ivorian Doll was nominated for the MOBO Awards for Best Newcomer.
- Real name: Vanessa Mahi
- Born: 17 December 1997 (Flensburg, Germany)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 220,000
Stream “Ivorian Doll” songs
Read more:
- “I’m Just Trying To Compete With The Boys”: An Interview With Ivorian Doll
- Meet Ivorian Doll, the Reigning Queen of Drill
- The Gospel According To Ivorian Doll
You may also like:
