Dia Dipasupil/Getty
It’s been a major year for women in hip-hop.
From the quick ascent of rap’s princessIce Spice, toMissy Elliott’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, toDoja Catscoring the first hip-hop Hot 100 No. 1 of the year, toMegan Thee Stallion’s theatrical debut inDicks: the Musical, toLattoachieving her own first chart-topper with the Jungkook collab “Seven," it’s safe to say that women are continuing to push the genre to new heights, just as they have been doing in the five decades since its inception.
In fact, thanks to the efforts of icons like Foxy Brown, Eve, Remy Ma, and newcomers likeDoechiiandCoi Leray, every year has been a major one for the women continually pushing hip-hop forward. In honor of their continued dominance, andthe culture’s 50th anniversary back in August, PEOPLE is looking back at some of the women who’ve made today’s successes a possibility.
From MC Sha-Rock’s milestone performance onSaturday Night Livein 1981, toNicki Minajbecoming thefirst woman rapper to top 100 Million RIAA sales, here are a few standout milestones from the superstar women who’ve made their mark and have made their voices heard.
MC Sha-Rock Rocks the Stage
Funky 4 + 1 More perform at ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1981.Al Levine/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Al Levine/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
In 1981, MC Sha-Rock, long hailed to be the first woman MC, made history when she and her group — Funky 4 + 1 — took the 30 Rock stage as performers onSaturday Night Live.
The performance, asSha-Rock’s website notes, made Funky 4 + 1 the first hip-hop group performers on national television. And yes, that also means Sha-Rock was the first woman MC to ever perform on national television, too, a feat that broke ground for decades of iconic performances to come.
Roxanne Shanté Makes a Mark
Roxanne Shanté performs at the Regal Theater in Chicago in 1988.Raymond Boyd/Getty
Raymond Boyd/Getty
Often considered one of hip-hop’s first women stars, Roxanne Shanté has made history in more ways than just one throughout her career. But perhaps her earliest known achievement was the release of 1984’s “Roxanne’s Revenge,” which she recorded at just 14 years old. Over time, the track (aimed at group U.T.F.O.) hasreportedlyearned the title of the first diss record in hip-hop’s history.
“Hip-hop has been a home for me since I was a teenager and in adulthood, I’ve grown to love it even more,” Shantétold PEOPLE in August.
Mc Lyte Lights Up the Charts
MC Lyte poses for an image in New York City in 1991.Al Pereira/Getty
Al Pereira/Getty
Mc Lyte, oftenapplaudedas the first woman MC to release a full-length studio album thanks to 1988’sLyte as a Rock, made even more history just five years later.
Queen Latifah Ascends to the Grammys Throne
Queen Latifah performs at the 1995 American Music Awards.Joan Adlen/Getty
Joan Adlen/Getty
Just a year after Lyte’s milestone Grammy nod, a few other women came in to break more barriers at the annual ceremony.
In 1995,Queen Latifahbecame the first solo woman rapper to win a Grammy, for best rap solo performance, thanks to her hit “U.N.I.T.Y.”
Salt N' Pepa Go Platinum
Salt-N-Pepa appear at the Grammys.Steve Granitz Archive 1/WireImage
Steve Granitz Archive 1/WireImage
The Grammy victory wasn’t the only milestone for Salt-N-Pepa, as the trio (with DJ Spinderella), also became the first women in rap to score a platinum album a few years before — all thanks to 1986’sHot, Cool and Vicious.
“That is a nice feeling because to just see that you … not birthed but went hard for it. Like women, y’all went for it,”Sandra “Pepa” Denton told PEOPLE in August. “Took it to succeed, what hip-hop is made of and it’s just to see women, to acknowledge us and how we inspire them, or they say we are the soundtrack to their lives. I’m like, ‘Yo, thank you.’”
Da Brat’s Solo Triumph
Da Brat attends the 39th Annual Grammy Awards in 1997.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Back in 1994,Da Bratreleased her breakthrough debut LPFunkdafied, which just months later cemented her into history books.
Shortly after its 1994 release, the album went platinum, making Da Brat thefirst solo woman rapperto sell 1 million units of an album. The record was officially certified on Jan. 6, 1995, according to theRIAA, just months after its title track (and single) did the same.
Lauryn Hill’s ‘Miseducation’ Makes History
Lauryn Hill poses with her trophies at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards.VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty
VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty
In 1999, whenLauryn Hilltook home five Grammys forThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she just didn’t make history for women in hip-hop or women in popular music. She made history for hip-hop as a whole.
On that February day, Hill’s now-iconic debut album became the first hip-hop record to ever win album of the year — an achievement that’s only been followed once since, when Outkast took home the same trophy in 2004 for their double LPSpeakerboxxx/The Love Below.
Lil' Kim Threepeats
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
Lil' Kimmay be best known for her smash singles like “Magic Stick” and “Crush on You,” but she’s got the magic touch when it comes to album sales as well. In 2003 she secured her third consecutive platinum album,La Bella Mafia— which followed Kim’sHard CoreandThe Notorious K.I.M.— made Kim one of the few women in rap to ever accomplish the feat.
Cardi B Doubles Up
Cardi B attends the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Beyond the success of her Grammy-winning debutInvasion of Privacy,Cardi Bhas etched her name into history books with her charting performances.
Back in 2018, the MC became thefirst woman in rapto earn two No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 — with “I Like It” following in the footsteps of her breakout hit “Bodak Yellow.” Since then, other women have done the same such as Doja Cat with “Say So” and this year’s “Paint the Town Red,” and Nicki Minaj with “Trollz” and “Super Freaky Girl.”
Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj Are a Dream Duo
Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj.Frazer Harrison/Getty; Paul Zimmerman/Getty
Frazer Harrison/Getty; Paul Zimmerman/Getty
Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj have also broken records as a pair.
The two MCs topped the charts in unison with their 2020 “Say So” remix, making them the first women rap duo to peak at No. 1 on the Hot 100. They even earned aGuinness World Record nodfor the feat!
Nicki Minaj Rules the Charts
Nicki Minaj appears at the ‘Barbie’ premiere in July 2023.MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty
MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty
Nicki is — of course — no stranger to solo successes. She has broken barriers as one of the best selling musicians of all time.
The rap queen has sold over 100 million albums world wide, making her one of the best selling women in musicever. And beyond that, her triumphs have extended to the charts — where she boasts 133 charting hits on the Hot 100 as of October 2023, perBillboard.
Megan Thee Stallion Takes the Oscars Stage
Megan Thee Stallion performs at the Oscars in 2022.ABC via Getty
ABC via Getty
Megan Thee Stallion may have justmade her movie debut in 2023, but she’s already been seen on the Oscars stage.
During the 2022 Academy Awards, the H-town hottie made history as thefirst woman in rapto perform at the annual award show, when she rapped to “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” alongside Becky G, Luis Fonsi and the cast ofEncanto.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Even as recently as this May, women in rap are breaking barriers.
Missy Makes the Hall(s)
Missy Elliott speaks onstage during the Songwriters Hall Of Fame 50th Annual Induction And Awards Dinner.Larry Busacca/Getty
Larry Busacca/Getty
Missy Elliott has always been a trailblazer, but her greatness has been on full display this year and back in 2019 — when she became both the first woman rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and later took her place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The icon’sinduction ceremony into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame officially happened on Nov. 3when Missy celebrated with fellow inductees at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
source: people.com
