By Emma Dylan
As far as female rappers are concerned, they barely make Top Five lists– considering the flood of exceptional lady lyricists. When burdened with ‘first lady’ position and frequently matched against other lady rappers to build a salacious beef, it may also be a lonely position for a female MC. Male rap groups are easy to identify, but even committed hip hop heads have to dig a little deeper for an all-female band to locate joints. But anyway, we explored a Lil deeper now so that you don’t have to.
A recognition of the rich past and tradition of women in hip hop, the list of all female RapTV collaborations below covers many periods, sub-genres and types.
Batches and Cookies (2013): Lizzo feat Sophia Eris:
In a totally different way to her subsequent pop successes, the song from Lizzo ‘s pre-fame debut album, Lizzobangers, Batches and Cakes, is addictive. Minimal, based on a frenzied, repeated hook, it has songs about hallucinogenic narcotics and shopping in thrift shops, and a brilliant verse of hyperspeed from her Minneapolitan fellow Eris.
Poor Georgia — MC Lyte:
These two icons by iconic legends are not collaborations, but the vibrant message of liberation by queen Latifah quiver and the lyrical narrative by prolific MMC Lyte warrant prominence on every chart.
Up All Night, Nicki Minaj:
Many rejoice in her Monster breakthrough, but at the height of his supremacy, Nicki Minaj proves she can even snatch Drake’s thunder.
Shystie feat Azealia Banks – Control It:
A partnership that, sadly, ended in mutual mud-slinging, dissolving tracks and Ms Banks eventually declaring that UK rap was “an embarrassment” – she was dissatisfied with the song – it’s tempting to reverse engineer Influence It and say that there is still some friction about its strength. It is a great track anyway.
Bahamadia feat K-Swift and Mecca Starr – 3 the Hard Way (1996)
Often partnerships with hip-hop are about toploading songs of star force, otherwise they’re all about discovering musicians that fit together together. K-Swift and Mecca Starr from Philadelphia have never gone on to vast mainstream success, but here they sound amazing, combining socially aware words with screw-you bragging over a DJ Premier groove.
Foxy Brown’s Nicki Minaj feat – Coco Chanel (2018)
Centered on the Jamaican dancehall Showtime riddim, Coco Chanel is the flipside of Minaj’s pop hits: a rough, rugged partnership with Foxy Brown – who had supported Minaj across the years – packed with stingy put-downs, West Indian slang (both of which have Trinidadian roots) and a reference of Yoko Ono in the Spanish language.
My buddy, Monie Love:
This old school classic features a guest appearance by Monie Love, who is making the most of her cameo with De La Soul, Tribe and the Jungle Brothers in a way that would certainly render her royal mentor proud.
This period could well be known as a renaissance of rap for women: a moment when they regained their rightful position on the stage of hip-hop when the genre was at its most successful and, possibly, its most strong.
Thanks to outlets including Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, and Instagram, along with streaming services’ pseudo-democracy, women are able to reach into their followers explicitly and experience measurable progress. Cardi B will spin social media and reality-television stardom into a full-fledged rap career; her unprecedented rise also involves being the first female artist to be eligible for the Grammy Album of the Year.
A vibrant declaration and revolt, force and deliverance, where the image of a woman is always regarded before her performance. Gone are the days of constricting people — the hypersexual siren or the straight-edge lyricist — to stick to limited perceptions of what a black woman might be marketable for. At present, performers who exude conviction in the midst of hardship are gifted to us.
