Queen Latifah

Hip hop is an extremely challenging battle for the strong and brave, only some will make it, especially if you are a woman. Although hip hop is a male dominated area, there has been a recent emergence in daring female artists. From “Afro Puffs” by The Lady of Rage to the notoriously known diss track, “No Frauds” by Nicki Minaj, there are several talents that many female artists have. Most female hip hop artists are well-known today or to some can even be known as a legends/idol, such as Queen Latifah, who fought for feminism in “U.N.I.T.Y”. Additionally, what makes a female artist great is the emotion and effort given in each song to provide a message. Through each era, we obtain a new legendary rapper. Some, known for their influential lyrics

Not only are we going to define the aspects of old and new female rappers, we will note the differences between each, while also comparing artists’ style and culture. Female hip hop artists represent a change in the rap game while also bringing their own style to the table.
Female hip hop artists represent a change in the rap game, yet add their own “twist.” Female rappers began to successfully emerge in the 1990’s. Journalist Havelock Nelson states, ‘While women have always been involved artistically with rap throughout the ‘80s, artists like [MC] Lyte, [Queen] Latifah, Roxanne Shante, and [Monie] Love have had to struggle to reach a level of success close to that of male rappers’ (1993:77). Yet, women have proven that they have the artistic skill to rap, they also deliver messages of feminism to other females. For example, in the song “U.N.I.T.Y,” Queen Latifah speak against the disrespect women receive, whether it be sexual harassment on the street, domestic violence, or just from society. A lot of the female rappers have their own message along with their own choice in male collaborators.

The artists differ back in the day because artists still had the ambition of changing the lives of several women through their lyrics. When artists use male collaborators, it was usually used to push their thoughts or more sexual and instigative remarks. Even in today’s music, male artists used as collaborators in the hip hop industry are used to spread a negative message. The music industry is notoriously known for their lyrics whether it be about women or illegal substances. Yet, it is extremely popular, not because it I relatable like it once was, but because people love the beats, lyrical composition, and the greatness of rap. Missy Elliot was one of the legendary female artists who had a goal to change black feminism and the way to provide such a message was through rap. Before, rap was used to show the inside of a black female’s life, what they go through when it comes to living in the projects, with an abusive person, or being into drugs. Before, we spoke about the sexism in the rap game, which women are more towards exploiting themselves today than they are about changing it. I believe that is the difference, one tries to gain power through sexual speeches, while old female rap used rap to express their messages. In a way, new age artists may spread their own types of messages by creating a message, though it seems a bit odd since it expresses their bodies and not the changes