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Home // Photos // The 25 Greatest Female Emcees // The 25 Greatest Female Emcees
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  • Hip hop and rap have always been male dominated musical genres. But, for over two decades, the ladies have proven that they have what it takes to go head to head with their male counterparts lyrically and where it counts: The Billboard Charts. In celebration of these ladies and Black Music Month, Centric counts down the Top 25 Greatest Female Emcees.
  • 25. Khia is quite possibly one of music’s most infamous female rappers. And while she’s technically considered a one hit wonder---her biggest hit was 2002’s “My Neck, My Back”---she still manages to grab headlines and attention, going as far as appearing as a contestant on the VH1 reality based amateur competition, ego trip's Miss Rap Supreme in 2008.
  • 24. Shawnna is best known as being the first female rapper signed to Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace label. She is one of only four female rappers to ever have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with her feature of Luda’s 2003's "Stand Up."
  • 23. Queen Pen began her music career as a protégé of Teddy Riley, lending her rhymes to the remix of his group Blackstreet’s 1996 hit single “No Diggity.” Her 1997 debut album, My Melody, yielded a string of hits including, “Party Ain’t A Party.”
  • 22. J.J. Fad, whose name stood for Just, Jammin', Fresh And Def, are credited for being the first female rap group to be nominated for a Grammy Award. The group’s sound was marked by their electro pop sound, that helped them accessible to pop audiences.
  • 21. Nikki D will go down in history as the first female signed to Def Jam Records. Her 1991 debut album, Daddy’s Little Girl, spawned a slew of charting rap singles, including the project’s title track which reached number one on the Billboard Rap Singles chart.
  • Honorable Mention: Diamond came to fame as a member of Atlanta based rap group, Crime Mob (remember 2004’s “Knuck If You Buck”?). She left the group in 2007 to pursue a solo career, and later appeared on the Billboard hit remix to Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad” in 2010.
  • 20. Jean Grae, hailing from South Africa, first found success in the New York underground music scene. But after some notable collaborations with Mos Def, Styles P, The Roots, and Talib Kweli---the head of her label Blacksmith Records---she found garnered international attention.
  • 19. Bahamadia, the Philly based DJ turned emcee, is best known for her 1996 debut album, Kollage, produced by the late Guru of Gang Starr. That album saw the charting of four singles, including "Uknowhowwedu," released in 1995. Since then she has worked with The Roots, Talib Kweli and Erykah Badu.
  • 18. Mia X started her career in New York, but after moving back to her native New Orleans, a chance meeting with Master P would prove successful. The then aspiring emcee and producer signed her to his record label, No Limit, on which she released three albums, including 1997’s certified gold album, Unlady Like.
  • 17. Trina, named The Most Consistent Female Rapper of All-Time by XXL Magazine, has lived up to such title since her breakout moment on Trick Daddy’s 1998 single, “Nann N**ga.” In 12 years, the Miami based rapper has released five albums, and a slew of Billboard hits, including 2005’s “Here We Go” featuring Kelly Rowland.
  • 16. Lady of Rage landed some high profile features in the early 90s, lending verses to the music of Chubb Rock, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg. However, she found her own success with 1994’s “Afro Puffs,” which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. Her debut album, Necessary Roughness, released three years later, peaked at #7 on the Billboard R&B Album chart and #32 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.
  • Honorable Mention: Ms. Jade, hailing from Philadelphia, stepped out on the scene in 2002. Her Timbaland produced debut album, Girl Interrupted, wasn’t a huge success, but did yield two moderate hits---“Ching, Ching” featuring Nelly Furtado, and “Feel The Girl.”
  • 15. Remy Ma found success as a member of the Fat Joe helmed Terror Squad crew, thanks in large part to the group’s 2002 Billboard chart topper “Lean Back.” In 2006, she released her critically acclaimed---and commercially neglected---debut album, ‘There’s Something about Remy,’ which housed the club favorites, “Conceited” and “Whuteva.”
  • 14. Rah Digga is best known as a member of Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad. But, the New Jersey native got one of her biggest breaks---as a member of The Outsidaz--- with a feature on the track "Cowboys" from the Fugees 1996 album The Score. She went on to join forces with Rhymes in the late 90s, and released her debut album, “Dirty Harriett” in 2000. In 2010, she released her highly anticipated sophomore follow-up, Classic.
  • 13. Yo-Yo is quite possibly one of the premiere femcees to come from the West Coast. A protégée of rapper Ice Cube, this Compton native focused on music that promoted and advocated female empowerment. Between 1991 and 1996, Yo-Yo released four albums, including her critically lauded debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode, which is considered one of the best female rap albums of all time.
  • 12. Monie Love was a known hip hop act in her native UK, but features on her mentor Queen Latifah’s Grammy Award winning single "Ladies First," and De La Soul's hit single "Buddy" in 1989 brought her popularity in the U.S., which led to a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. She released two albums, including her 1991 debut, Down To Earth, which spawned two, Grammy-nominated hits, "Monie in the Middle" and "It's a Shame (My Sister)" featuring Ultra Naté.
  • 11. Roxanne Shanté began her career at the age of fourteen. Catapulted by the “Roxanne Wars” of the mid 80s, the Queens, NY native became an iconic figure with the release of "Roxanne’s Revenge" in 1984. She released her debut album, Bad Sister, in 1989, which was a moderate success. By 1992, she released her second and final album, The Bitch Is Back, and officially retired from rap to pursue higher education.
  • Honorable Mention: Charlie Baltimore has been in the industry for 13 years, and while she has technically never released an album, she has been a formidable presence. Originally signed to Lance “Un” Rivera’s Untertainment---at the suggestion of the late Notorious B.I.G---she found her biggest success as an artist signed under Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc., with features on the 2002 hits, “ Down 4 U” and “Down Ass B**th.”
  • 10. Da Brat will go down in history as being the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album. Her 1994 debut album Funkdafied, would set the stage for a string of Billboard hits and three more albums---two of which were certified gold. Her tongue-twisting flow has moved many to dub her the female Twista.
  • 9. Nicki Minaj has proven herself to be a unique lyrical force to be reckoned with. The Queens, NY native and self-proclaimed Harajuku Barbie has had a seemingly quick rise to the top. Her animated delivery and arsenal of sno-cone colored wigs have proven to be well received by her bevy of faithful barbz and Ken Barbz, who have helped her two albums, Pink Friday (2010) and Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012) become highly successful.
  • 8. Lil’ Kim is one of hip-hop’s first female sex symbols. Under the tutelage of the late Notorious B.I.G., Kim found success first as a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A, and later as a solo artist, releasing her double platinum certified debut solo album Hard Core in 1996. Her following-up albums, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003), both were certified platinum, making her the only female rapper besides Missy Elliott to have at least three platinum albums. She became the second female rapper to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, with the Grammy Award winning 2001 remake of Labelle’s disco classic “Lady Marmalade” alongside Christina Aguilera, Mya, and Pink.
  • 7. Foxy Brown found notoriety after impressing members of The Trackmasters production team at a talent show in her native Brooklyn, NY. But her breakout moment came in 1996, when she was featured on the songs "Touch Me Tease Me" by Case and "Ain't No N**ga" by Jay-Z---both on the soundtrack to the film The Nutty Professor. The immediate success of the singles led to a label bidding war, with Brown signing to Def Jam Records at the age of sixteen. Her 1997 debut album, The Ill Na Na, was a platinum success, soon to be followed by the platinum certified, Chyna Doll (1999), and the certified gold, Broken Silence (2001).
  • 6. Salt-N-Pepa debuted with 1985's "The Show Stopper", a response record to Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's "The Show". The song helped the duo---Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton--- garner a record deal. Their 1986 platinum-selling debut album, Hot, Cool, & Vicious, propelled the pair to the forefront of mainstream, largely because of the single, "Push It", which became one of the first rap records to be nominated for a Grammy Award. Deedee Roper joined the group as "DJ Spinderella," in 1988, and as a trio, the group went on to release a string of hit albums, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "None of Your Business" in 1995.
  • She Got Next: Azealia Banks, the foul-mouthed Harlem, NY rapper—rocking a swag indicative of a young Foxy Brown—has taken the European music scene by storm with her quick delivery and bombastic tracks. Her string of releases, including the UK R&B hit, “212,” has attracted attention from a slew of celebrities, including Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld.
  • 5. Eve, stepped out on the scene in 1999 as the first lady of the Ruff Ryders crew---put on the map after the success of rapper DMX. Her debut single, “What Ya’ll Want” featuring Nokio set the stage for what would be a highly successful career---three chart topping Billboard albums, and 20 rap, R&B and pop hits.
  • 4. Queen Latifah has been reigning supreme since the release of her 1989 debut album, All Hail The Queen. Her message of female empowerment, made her a hit amongst women, helping find success with a string of rap hits, including “Ladies First” featuring Monie Love, “Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here," “U.N.I.T.Y,” “Weekend Love,” and “Just Another Day.” Her expansion into singing, and acting has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, and Emmy and Academy Award nominations.
  • 3. MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 80s when she became the first solo female rapper to release a full length album, with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock---noted for the hit "Paper Thin." Her honest lyrics, and ability to tell a story put her in a league all her own. She went on to release six more albums, the biggest selling of them being, 1996’s Bad As I Wanna B, which yielded her two highest charting songs: "Keep On, Keepin' On" featuring Xscape, and “Cold Rock a Party" featuring Missy Elliott and Diddy (Puff Daddy at the time).
  • 2. Lauryn Hill has managed to inspire, captivate, and school a multitude of fans and entertainers, just off the mega success of her critically and commercially successful 1998 debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill, who first found Grammy Award winning success as a member of the highly lauded hip hop trio, The Fugees went on to win five more as a solo artist.
  • 1. Missy Elliott---highly skilled rapper, producer, songwriter, and singer---has been successful in hip hop for over two decades. The five time Grammy Award winning entertainer has broken ground since her 1997 debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, becoming the only female rapper to have six platinum albums. In addition to crafting her own hits, she has produced rap hits for the like of MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Trina, and Timbaland.
  • In Memoriam: Left Eye will forever be remembered as a member of TLC, but her solo rap pursuits were well on their way to being major hits. At the time of her death in 2002, she had already given successful features on songs by Donnell Jones, Blaque, and Melanie Brown (formerly of The Spice Girls).

The 25 Greatest Female Emcees

20. Jean Grae, hailing from South Africa, first found success in the New York underground music scene. But after some notable collaborations with Mos Def, Styles P, The Roots, and Talib Kweli---the head of her label Blacksmith Records---she found garnered international attention.

Published 06/07/2012

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