While male rappers have torn up the mic for generation after generation, most female rappers never get the much needed respect that they so highly deserve. It all started with MC Lyte ('Eyes on This'), Bahamadia ('Bb Queen') and most noteably Roxanne Shante ('Greatest Hits') and Salt-N-Pepa ('Very Necessary'). While rappers like Run DMC, Eric B. & Rakim, Slick Rick & A Tribe Called Quest where tearing up the old school hip hop scene and selling thousands of copies, these women tried to make a name for themselves in the rap arena. Unfortunatley for them, after about 2 albums had their carrers considered finished by rap fans. Female rappers vanished until 1995, when rapper the Notorious B.I.G brought in his street friends the Junior Mafia.
The only female member Lil Kim ('Notorious K.I.M.') stole the show on the groups gold debut album Conspiracy, which eventually landed her a solo record deal. After the success of her highly controversial debut, she teamed up with Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez, Left Eye & Da Brat on a remix of her song "Not Tonight" from the Hard Core album. After taking nearly 4 years off, Kim returned in 2000 with The Notorious K.I.M her newest freak fest which sold1.7 million copies and debuted at #4 on the Billboard charts.
Also in 1995, 15-year old Brooklyn, New York native Foxy Brown ('Ill Na Na') stepped onto the scene. She first appeared on LL Cool J's multi-platinum smash album Mr. Smith before appearing on EVERY platinum & gold single in the summer of 1996 including collaborations with Case, Toni Braxton, Total, Jay-Z and many others. That November Brown issued her debut album Ill Na Na. Brown became the first solo female rapper in HISTORY to ever have a #1 album when Chyna Doll sold over 172,000 copies its first week (outselling Britney Spears) to land the position on Billboard charts.
1997 saw another major female rapper hit it big. Missy "Misdemenor" Elliott who is was most noteably known for her production & writing for artists like Ginuwine, the late Aaliyah, 702 & others released her debut album, 'Supa Dupa Fly' in July. The album spawned a number one single ("Sock it to me") and sold over 1.3 million copies. She returned two years later with Da Real World which boasted big name artists & production. This album also included a #1 single, ("Hot Boys") and sold approximatley 735,000 copies to date. She returned in 2001 with her third offering Miss E....SoAddictive.
1999 spawned Eve of DMX's group the Ruff Ryders. After appearing on the multi-platinum selling Ruff Ryder's album , she released her own album 'Ruff Ryders' First Lady' which went on to sell 1.4 million copies. After appearing on numerous remixes and singles, she returned in 2001 with her Grammy winning sophomore album Scorpion that sold over 2.5 million copies.She also released another platinum selling album with the Ruff Ryders shortly afterwards.
Other noteable female rappers who are too new to have a large history, include Hot 97 DJ extrodinare, Angie Martinez. She first appeared on a track called "Heart Beat" with Redman and KRS-One, and since then has recorded tracks with Big Pun, Lil Kim, Jay-Z, Noreaga & DJ Clue. Besidesrapping and being a radio superstar in New York, she has currently branched into modeling & acting. The Busta Rhymes discovered Rah Digga is considered to be the best lyricist of all time, and her debut album, 2000's 'Dirty Harriet' which sold over 325,000 units to date, proved it. She also has branched into acting and modeling and has been on numerous tracks with artists like Busta Rhymes, Puff Daddy, Mos Def, Common and others. Since Kim & Brown blazed the trail for female rappers like Missy, Trina, Amil, Da Brat, Gangsta Boo, Sole`, La Chat, Ms. Jade, Lady May, Rasheeda, and numerous others. Now that female rappers are highly respected in the hip hop arena, we can all thank the lord for bringing us Foxy Brown & Lil' Kim, otherwise, who would know where female rap music would be now.


UPDATES and links to individual artist coming soon.