5 Female Rappers To Follow, Charlie J

(YOU SHOULD BE FOLLOWING)

BY CHARLIE J.

Female rap has seen major changes over the past decade. A shift in pop culture has given recognition to the female rapper as a cultural icon in stark contrast to the genre’s urban and subversive origins in the 80s and 90s.The well-publicised and successful rise of rappers like Nicki Minaj and more recently Cardi B has paved the way for new artists with different styles, directions and approaches. For this reason, female rap is thriving. The genre boasts some of the most interesting artists of our time which, thanks to the pioneering work of their predecessors, now have a global platform. This is a list of current rappers that are most significant in my opinion.

N.B.: I unfortunately had to remove many artists to fit with the title’s alliteration. Other fire rappers include, but aren’t limited to: Brooke Candy, Kash Doll, Princess Nokia, Dreezy, Leikeli 47, Maliibu Miitch, La Goony Chonga, Noname, City Girls, Little Simz, M.I.A. etc.

Rico Nasty “[She] in the coupe, coupe, coupe, coupe, coupe” The Maryland native rapper is renowned for her mosh-pit tracks and her hoarse and formidable flow. Rico has been making tsunami waves in all of her work but particularly in her collaborations with producer Kenny Beats with the EP Nasty. This trend culminated in the pièce-de-résistance, critically acclaimed Anger Management EP last year. The fearsome tracks of ‘Cold’, ‘Cheat Code’ (feat. Baauer) and ‘Big Titties’ (feat. Baauer and EarthGang) are juxtaposed with the heartfelt ‘Sell Out’, ‘Again’ and ‘Relative’ which tell Rico’s poignant story of grief, anger and growth. Recent collaborations with Brooke Candy, Doja Cat and the late XXXTentacion (‘FMU’, ‘Tia Tamera’ and “#PROUDCATOWNERREMIX” respectively) demonstrate Rico’s adaptability in different hip-hop spheres whilst creating some of the sickest bangers of 2019. Previous tracks of ‘Hey Arnold’, ‘Rick and Morty’ (w/ LIL PHAG and Dr. Woke) and ‘Sandy’ (of Spongebob fame) have ensured her popularity amongst her GEN Z compatriots whilst showing off her goofy side. Her feature on ‘Gucci Down’ and in particular her own track ‘Fashion Week’, stretch Rico’s style to smoother hip-hop and dissect head-on her love of designer labels and I personally relish this reinvention. I highly recommend the latter’s video which documents her first time at NY Fashion Week wearing some of the sickest lewks in existence. Doja Cat “[She] be makin moooves”: Pop culture followers will certainly recognise this name with the L.A. rapper emerging in the game in early 2013, before making the viral ‘Mooo!’ (in which she raps from a bovine standpoint and clandestinely critiques the meat industry’s environmental impact) which amassed over 10 million views on YouTube in mere days. This self-professed E-girl is constantly changing her music style, leaning into hip-hop, R&B and the places in between with the playful ‘NintendHoe’ and the melodic ‘So High’ being just two facets of her talent. Doja surfed the immense tide of interest onto her debut album Amala in 2018 which further defined her tongue-n-cheek and candy-covered style with a mastery of doubleentendre. The album included the successful tracks ‘Tia Tamera’, ‘Cookie Jar’ and ‘Go to Town’ all dripping in her authentic charisma and originality. Moving onto her next project Hot Pink in late 2019, Doja deviated from her previous sound producing more subtle and clever tracks like ‘Bottom Bitch’, ‘Cyber Sex’ with heavier hip hop works like ‘Rules’ and topping it off with a remix of her

mega-hit ‘Juicy’’ now featuring Tyga. This track celebrates thiccness above all else and demonstrates perfectly Doja’s positive message of self-love and unapologetic confidence which characterises all of her work. Her recent track ‘Bad Bitch’ on the Birds of Prey soundtrack is sure to propel her momentum further in 2020.

Tierra Whack “Penelope pooped on [her] pepperoni pizza”: The singer/rapper Tierra Whack (her real name) of Philadelphia origin is carving out a career both enviable and original in equal measure. Although hailed as the Missy Elliott of this generation, in my opinion, she is so much more. Appearing first under the name Dizzle Dizz, Whack was a renowned freestyle rapper before becoming a fully-fledged artist. Whack’s track ‘Mumbo Jumbo’ (which perhaps critiqued the genre of mumble rap) was praised for its incoherent rap and eccentric visuals and received a Grammy nomination and this praise only intensified upon the release of her debut album Whack World in 2018. The work was lauded for its 60 second tracks and the accompanying visual project in her characteristic whacky style. Last year Whack released new tracks during #whackhistorymonth via Instagram again to critical acclaim. The stand-out track ‘Unemployed’ became viral in part thanks to its fire music video featuring innumerable anthropomorphic potatoes and Whack in the role of a thicc chef. It is probably one of the most, let’s say, interesting videos that I’ve ever watched. Whack continues to gain praise from big industry peers and was invited by Rihanna to perform at the New York Fashion Week Savage x Fenty show and in my opinion, put both Fat Joe and DJ Khaled to shame with her formidable performance of ‘Clones’. Whack is known for her creativity and original style which shifts from whimsical to thoughtful to brazen and has cited her love of poetry, spoken word and Dr Seuss as the origin of her skills as a lyricist.

Megan Thee Stallion “[She] keep it realer than real”: Hot Girl Meg (who gained the nickname Stallion due to the word meaning a tall, voluptuous woman in Southern slang) only further proves that there must be something in that Houston water owing to the amount of talent that comes out of this city; I’m talking Normani, Beyoncé, Solange, Travis Scott and many others. Originally known for her freestyles, Megan was aided by her mother (who was a former rapper herself) to create her own music but only after going to college. Meg’s first formal project Tina Snow demonstrated her assured and commanding 46

rap style with the stand-out track ‘Big Ole Freak’ showing fans that she is never afraid to show-off her sexuality. In May 2019 she released her first full-length mixtape Fever which impressed critics and earned her a BET award for Best Mixtape. Last summer saw Meg team-up with Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign to create the anthem ‘Hot Girl Summer’ which went viral on social media. Many saw the track as a positive step forward in the female rap genre which has long been divided by feuds and competition between artists like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. In the track, Nicki delivers a fire verse and the video features many established female artists such as Rico Nasty, Ari Lennox, Dreezy, Dani Leigh and Summer Walker, who all come together to party with Megan. Meg is already making moves in 2020 with her collaboration with Normani on the Birds of Prey soundtrack and being invited to perform a set for the prestigious NPR Tiny Desk Concert series. This definitely proves that this stallion is not ready to be put out to pasture. Saweetie “Number one stunner, Icy Grl with the Cuban”: Hailing from California’s Bay Area, Saweetie (pronounced sweetie) found success with her freestyles and car raps but after finishing college she realised that rapping was her calling. She launched into the mainstream with her track ‘Icy Grl’; a rework of Khia’s ‘My Neck, My Back (Lick It)’. The track went viral on social media where the term ‘Icy Grl’ transformed from a mere song title to a powerful philosophy about how to be a boujie boss. This exposure allowed her to release her debut EP High Maintenance followed by a remix of ‘Icy Grl’ this time featuring a rapping Kehlani. Her clever and quick-witted flow has attracted the attention of influential producers who have been quick to collaborate with her; these include Hitmaka on the track ‘No L’s’ and London on da Track on the song ‘Up Now’. Saweetie released her second major label EP, Icy, on March 29, 2019. In September 2019, ‘My Type’, the EP’s first single, hit #1 on the Rhythm Radio charts and was certified gold and since then has only become more successful with two remixes being released: one feat. Jhené Aiko and City Girls and another Latin remix feat. Becky G and Melii as well as multiple DJ remixes. The Icy EP also featured lit collaborations with Saweetie’s boyfriend Quavo of Migos on the tracks ‘Tip Toes’ and ‘Emotional’. Recently, Saweetie worked on the Birds of Prey soundtrack with the song ‘Sway With Me’ with GALXARA. Granted the song is pants but Saweetie’s verse is its saving grace and cements her as a powerful artist with an expert flow.