Women's History Month: The 13 Greatest Female MCs Of All Time

» by Latifah Muhammad March 22, 2012, 16:15pm

Roxanne Shante
Back when beefing wasn't just too much of a gimmick, Roxanne Shante made a name for herself by battling just about anybody who dared to step up. She showed the male dominated Hip-Hop world that a woman could hold her own.




Hip-Hop is still very much a boy's club, but that doesn't mean that women haven't kicked down the doors and made a name for themselves. Over the years, a host of female MCs have come and gone by putting their body parts on display, spewing sluggish rhymes, and going at each other just to be hot—if only for a millisecond.

Unlike what has tragically become the norm today, before the need to be an Internet star muddied the waters of the culture's authenticity, there were risk taking female rhymers who wanted nothing more than a platform to showcase their artistry. In honor of Women's History Month we're shinning a light on the female MCs who changed music for the better. While the discussion as to whether or not their successors have dropped the ball remains debatable, in the meantime peep some of the women who laid down a proper path for female rappers in Hip-Hop game.

Photo: LA Weekly

Salt-N-Pepa
As the female equivalent to Run-DMC this Queens-bred trio talked about safe s*x and HIV/AIDS when it was taboo in Hip-Hop. They also opened a lane for female rappers to be feminine, but still hardcore.

Photo: First Priority Records

MC Lyte
Becoming the first female solo rapper to release a full length album is no easy feat. In 1988, MC Lyte was not only the first to break through such a barrier with Lyte As A Rock,but over 20 year later, she's successfully transitioned herself into a powerful entertainment entity.

Photo: The Source Magazine

Queen Latifah
The queen embodied elegance, demanded respect and dared men to call her out of her name. Today she spends more time on a set than behind the mic, but she's a true pioneer of the game.

Photo: Suekwon

Yo-Yo
A co-sign from Ice Cube propelled Yo-Yo into the spotlight, but it's what she did with the notoriety that sets her apart. A longtime advocate for female empowerment, the L.A. native stomped into Hip-Hop history by way of 1991's "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo."

Photo: Ruff Ryders/Interscope

Eve
Ruff Ryder's illest pitbull in a skirt used to rock platinum blonde cornrows and a mean mug to prove that she wasn't to be f-cked with. Once she went solo, E-V-E tackled issues like domestic violence by way of the single "Love Is Blind."

Photo: Atlantic Records

Lil' Kim
Make no mistake about it, Brooklyn's Queen B is an originator. Youngsters know her from beefing with her clone, but before the colored wigs, Kimmy came up under Biggie and held her own against her male counterparts.

Photo: YouTube

Missy Elliott
No female rapper has mirrored the sonic identity constructed by Missy Elliott. She sings and raps, but it's her production skillset that took her to another level.

Photo: Getty Images

Lauryn Hill
Before she went solo, Lauryn Hill was the Fugees frontwoman (sorry, Clef). The cocoa-skinned beauty is as comfortable spitting a verse as singing it, and though it's been over a decade, we're still waiting for a The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill follow-up.

Photo: So So Def

Da Brat
Winning a rap contest kicked off the career of So So Def's main lady. By 1994 she made "Funkdafied" a household name and became the first female rapper to have her  solo album go platinum.





 

Monie Love
Few British MCs have perfected a crossover to the states, but "Monie in the Middle" made it happen, early. A protégé, and member, of Native Tongue, this MC-turned-radio personality earned two Grammy nominations for her 1990 debut Down to Earth.

Patra

Dance hall queen of the late 1980's has introduced to the power of black woman globally. Her style, dance, and message can still be heard in the female mc's that followed her. Her solo recording, "Worker Man" hit top 20 on the R&B charts and  #1 on the US dance charts. The biggest hit, Pull up to the Bumper cover orginally by Grace Jones # 60 US.

Photo: Rah Digga

Rah Digga
Going to private school and studying engineering in college isn't the normal path of an MC, but Rah Digga is far from average. Hip-Hop's Harriet Thugman, also an accomplished actress, is nothing short of a lyrical sharpshooter.