11 Incredible Female Rappers Who Are Taking Over the US Rap Scene!

Whether Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Dr. Dre or many others, the rap industry has always been male-dominated. But even in the USA, the country of origin of hip-hop, women have gained acceptance as US female rappers.

Beginnings of US female rappers

In the 80s, women like Roxanne Shanté and MC Lyte gained a foothold in an otherwise male-dominated world. With their beginnings in the rap industry, the US female rappers opened the door for other talented female rappers in the US.

Some address gender equality or express their political and social views in their lyrics.

Either way, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are an integral part of the hip-hop world and are dominating the charts with their hits.

1. Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott has many talents. She is a rapper, singer, producer, Grammy winner and label head. In the 90s, she made her debut in the rap industry with Timbaland and wrote many songs, including for the group “Destiny's Child”.

Her song “Get Ur Freak On Me!” is still a big hit and is making it back into the charts. In the last few years, the rapper has released new songs.

2. Nicki Minaj

Who doesn't know her? Alongside Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj also has a more eye-catching clothing style in her music videos. Unlike the other two, she is one of rap's most successful female artists in the US and has been at the top of the charts ever since the release of her first song “Pink Friday”. Just like Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj also has three platinum albums. In 2021, she added two new songs to her twelve-year-old mixtape “Beam Me Up Scotty”.

3. Cardi B

Those who didn't know her from the TV series “Love & Hip Hop New York” were introduced to her in 2017 with the release of her single “Bodak Yellow”.

Cardi B is the most popular US rapper after Nicki Minaj, based on her Instagram followers. With her hit “WAP” she reached number one in the British and American charts. Her new song “Up” is also a smash hit. The hit reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making Cardi B the only US rapper to top the charts with multiple solo singles.

4. Lizzo

Lizzo is not only a rapper, but also a singer, songwriter and actress. She moves between pop, R&B and hip-hop and addresses topics such as diversity and body positivity in her songs. Her 2019 album “Cuz I Love You” brought her commercial breakthrough and numerous nominations and awards, including eight Grammy nominations. Her new album 'Rumors' is out now. In the video, she is dressed in golden, antique outfits and raps together with the pregnant Cardi B.

5. Lauryn Hill

Oh yes, the Fugees. We remember the group for their song “Killing Me Softly with His Song”. Lauryn Hill left the group to start her career as a US rapper and won 5 Grammys in her career, including one for best R'n'B song with “Doo Wop (That Thing)”. The album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” sold at least 20 million copies worldwide and is one of the best-selling music albums. In 2020, the US rapper featured on the Teyana Taylor song “We Got Love”.

6. Iggy Azalea

Iggy Azalea's passion for rapping started very early. She left her parents at just 16 years old and emigrated to the United States, to Los Angeles. There she pursued her childhood dream and released “Pu$$y” and “My World” on her YouTube channel. With 15 million followers on Instagram, she is one of the most popular US rappers. In 2021, she released the EP “Sip It” with rapper Tyga, as well as her third and final studio album, “The End Of An Era”.

7. Queen Latifah

She is the second richest rapper in the world and has a large following of around 6 million on Instagram.

Queen Latifah doesn't just try to string together rhyming words in her lyrics. She makes her point of view on the subject of gender justice clear and underlines her feminist stance in her lyrics, as in “Ladies First”, for example.

Queen Latifah is the only US rapper to have been nominated for an Oscar and also the only rapper with an academic title. Today, she is mainly active in film and television, including the leading role in the “The Equalizer” reboot.

8. Lil' Kim

Lil' Kim released her first solo album “Hard Core” in 1996. When Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.), to whom she owed her entry into the world of rappers, was shot dead, Lil' Kim was gone for a while. In 2000, she released her next album “The Notorious Kim” and achieved her breakthrough as a US rapper in the European charts. Her third album, “La Bella Mafia”, even reached platinum status. In 2019, she released her album “9”.

9. Roxanne Shanté

What would Nicki, Cardi or Iggy be doing today if Roxanne Shanté hadn't paved the way for them? Roxanne paved the way for female rappers in the US in the 80s and was a role model and pioneer for many. She released her first hit “Roxanne Revenge” at the age of 14.

She later began studying psychology, but then stayed in the music industry anyway, supporting other women in their rap careers.

In 2003, she appeared in the music documentary “Miss M.C. presents Queens of Hip-Hop” and in 2018 her film biography was released. She now passes on her rap experience to the younger generation, as you can see in the video for “I Remember”.

10. Salt-N-Pepa

Salt-N-Pepa's famous remix “Push It” was nominated for a Grammy and went platinum. Between 1986 and 1997, they released five studio albums, with the fourth selling 7 million copies. With 15 million records sold, they are among the most successful US female rappers. A biopic about Salt-N-Papa was released in early 2021. The rap group served as executive producers for the film, while Queen Latifah was a producer.

11. Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion is the youngest US rapper in our collection at 26 years old. She became known through her freestyle videos on Instagram. Although she has only been making music for a few years, she has received numerous awards. The US rapper is the second female hip-hop artist to win the “Best New Artist” category at the 63rd Grammy Awards. She was even included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in 2020.