In the past decade, what happened to female rappers? Where are they? I’ve searched high and low, not literally, but take a look at pop /rap music today. Of course, I could go on and on about the number of popular male rappers ad nuseum, but what about the female rappers? Where have the gone? In the late 80s and 90s female MCs were ubiquitous, whether she rapped the hook on a song, or played Bonnie to her male MC’s Clyde, female rappers were an undeniable force. Now, I am not an expert in all things hip hop and this blog isn’t an attempt to criticize or laud something that I may be slightly naive. Yet, as a fan of the female emcee's presence and persona, I have to question; is this a WTF moment in pop music? Rappers like Salt-N-Pepa, YoYo, MC Lyte, Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah, Da Brat, Missy Elliot, Foxy Brown, Eve, and Lil Kim, all forged distinctive paths in hip-hop/ pop music. These women were pioneering as they broke barriers, while igniting, destroying, and reinforcing some stereotypes of what women could and/or should do behind a mic. Their messages were feminist [possibly arguable], pro-woman anthems that inspired and emboldened young women to own and claim their abilities to "rock the mic". Songs like Salt-N-Pepa's 'Tramp', Queen Latifah's 'UNITY', or Da Brat's 'Funkdafied, all represented jams that showcased women rappers gaining momentum in the emergent genre.
Currently, Nicki Minaji [who looks like the spawn of Lil Kim and Foxy Brown] seems to be the only viable female MC rapping. http://nickiminajfans.com
She’s appeared on tracks with Mariah Carey, Robin Thicke, Ludarcis, Ne-yo, and the list goes on; also, she has a solo project set for release this year. Still, I'm not too crazy about her subsequent guest appearances on any of the aforementioned established artist's records. She sounds more like a four year old girl playing dress up in her big sister's closet. She, for me, represents style over substance, granted that claim could hold for much of pop music these days.
