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Writer's pictureJorden Herrington

"Why can there only be one Queen of Hip-Hop?": Women and their Stake

Updated: 7 days ago



The Inception


Since the inception of Rap music in the early 1970’s women have always had a claim in developing the genre, notably with Sha-Rock’s entry in 1977 with her single “On-Wax.” She secured the “first woman MC” title, paving the way for generations to come. Women became even more peculiar in the 1990s when more prominent names such as Lauryn Hill, Lil Kim, and Missy Elliot came to fruition. They began to inaugurate new flow styles, bringing a fashionable, womanly, intense cadence. The latter half of the ’90s further solidified their share in Rap music.


So what happened?


Many may argue that since then, the women composers of today lack substance. Furthermore, we uncovered the root cause for this response: the perspective is that women have shifted the contents of their music and the marketing approaches towards their overall message. The portrayal of women in rap began empowering others through the use of metaphoric poetry. The relatable woes amongst women rallied many composers during the time, exceptionally launching Lauryn Hill and the Fugees to experience worldwide success. Lil Kim’s debut single “No Time” initiated a non-contemporary angle of rap music for women, which ignited the deployment of explicit secular topics now as a result. Although secularism may be at the basis of many Rap songs, however in many lyrics, women rarely talked about explicit topics. As many failed to adapt, some composers of the ’90s remained relevant into the early 2000s. They even achieved more accolades as a result of the newly found sound. Missy Elliott’s “work it,” for example, reached the number one song on the billboard’s top 100 in November 2002, which lasted a total of 12 weeks. After a year of triumph for women composers, this was unknowingly an end to the Classical age for women. There was a considerable decline in the number of women composers in the genre due to the rise of R&B, as the new flavor became more palatable for consumers.


Nicki’s Hegemony


Following Missy Elliot’s reign in 2002 and the disappearance of women composers ushered a rising star who was soon titled the new “Queen of Hip-Hop,” Nicki Minaj. Nicki Minaj’s advance to glory originated when her music was uncovered on MySpace by ‘Big Fendi.’ As she worked to network and navigate the industry, she connected with the iconic figure ‘Lil Wayne.’ Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne collaborated on a series of mixtapes, resulting in the signing of Nicki Minaj to the “Young Money” label in 2009. Thus making her the first woman artist to sign with the label. The ensuing year led to the highly anticipated debut single “Massive Attack,” followed by “Your Love.” Catapulting Nicki Minaj to a status unbeknownst to her at the time, leading her to a BET award for “Best Hip Hop Female.” The awards would capture the transition of 90’s metaphoric woes to new age secular freedom, as Nicki Minaj outpaced competitors Lil Kim, Trina, and Rasheeda. She reached peak stardom in 2012 as she performed at Super Bowl 46. While Nicki Minaj continued to progress in her career, Nicki formed an identity around clever metaphors, unorthodox flows, revealing fashion, and colorful hair. Drawing on her significant influence from Lil Kim, she bridged the gaps between secular indulgence and the woes of the industry. Thrusting her into the “Queen of Hip-Hop,” she continued to knock down barriers and reshape the musical landscape for women.


Secular Liberation


Nicki Minaj’s ascendancy inspired many women to jump back into the genre. In 2014 we saw the debut of Dej Loaf in her single “Try me.” Her laid-back flow displayed the poise of a collected woman dealing with the plight of aggressors. Which undoubtedly pulled elements from the local “drill” scene. Dej Loaf would catalyze many women to lean into their take on “Drill” music. Subsequently, 2017 would be Cardi B’s debut as she released the hit single “Bodak Yellow.” The Brooklyn-based rapper received some controversy as she debuted on the music scene for her earlier profession in the adult club industry. As many composers draw on real-life experiences, Cardi B was no different as she boasted about her involvement in the profession within her music. Cardi B further released “Bariter Cardi” and “Be careful,” which would both obtain a platinum record. As Cardi B entrenched her sound in the secular liberation style of music, she further opened up many women to the genre. Bringing about more women composers to eventually follow her path. The significance of Cardi B during this time rest in that many comparisons were made by media outlets and consumers between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj as to who was the new “Queen of hip hop.” Since Nicki Minaj was coming upon the threshold of a decade as the “Queen of Hip Hop,” her pivot into a business mogul left many observers to speculate. Further pushing the narrative that there can only be one dominant woman composer. However, this was only part of the complete account of the year. The rise of “Sugar Trap” by D.C native Rico Nasty began to draw a sizable audience. Rico Nasty released “Tales of Tacobella” and “Sugar Trap 2,” which displayed a range of emotions as each song was unique. Rico Nasty describes the difficulty of heartbreak, the daily grind of composers, and fast lifestyles providing consumers with a different shade of the genre, notably guiding a new variation of Hip-Hop. Additionally, which contributed to the “Drill” scene was Young M.A’s viral single “OOOUUU,” released the same year. Young M.A delivered her single in a smooth polished manner illustrating her life in a rugged environment. As these women began to expand the reaches of music, this would not only nourish the environment for others to flourish but also attract plenty of names.


Hot girl Summer and Beyond


With the turn of the year, 2018-2019 would bring about a peculiar contender to the “throne” in Meg the Stallion as she embarks on being a recognizable face in the industry. The release of the EP “Tina Snow” would allow her a chance at stardom. Continuing the essence of secular freedom of her predecessors, the Texas native supplies listeners with speedy bars as she boasts about female attractiveness and describes her experiences with modern relationships. Meg thee Stallion cultivated a style around empowering women, revealing clothing, and flirtatious performances. Furthermore, Meg thee Stallion would receive her first number one song in “Savage,” as it picked up steam from the sensational Tik Tok dance associated with it, leading to a remix by “Beyoncé,” signaling a certification from a veteran in the music industry. As we began to see a bridge between women in hip hop and R&B. Following “Savage,” Meg thee Stallion would return to having a number one song on the Billboard charts later in the year with a controversial piece named “WAP,” which featured Cardi B. The reason for the blowback following the release was the contents of the song and music video. The two women relayed details of intercourse, followed by the display of revealing clothing and provocative dances in their music video. This in turn, left a bad taste in particularly older and male consumers as they argued that the whole song and video were too much for the young audiences that enjoyed their music. At the same time, critics continue to express their dissatisfaction with the contents of many women’s songs, and the personification women take on. It raises a huge dilemma that women must answer regarding what they want their message to be to consumers and finding the balance between innovating toward the direction of their fans and innovating toward their initiative.


Where are we now?


Moreover, as we dive into the hip hop created by the women of today, we see a slew of emerging talent from Bktherula, Hook, Flo Mili, and countless others. The biggest key in their success is individuality, as they have expressed through their lyrics and personifications, which have offered a range of different sounds that speak to other settings, as the women of today aid the experimentation of sounds. They further push against the boundaries of how we digest their music and understand what they have to say as we hear a melding of melodies pulled from across various genres. Even amongst the composers, they began to find some solidarity as they collaborated more. Even acquiring a word from Rapsody stating, “The culture doesn’t move without women, and it’s great because it shows there is room for all of us. We’re doing it at elite levels. She continues, “We make some of the best music that’s out right now. We don’t have to fight each other for one spot because that’s an illusion. It’s been super diverse, especially if you look at music outside mainstream TV and Radio.” A golden age may soon emerge from these women, given the rate at which they continue to get inspired and share their perspectives.




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