In the last decade, there was one successful female rapper between 2010-2017 that stood above the rest: Nicki Minaj. Yet, we could name dozens of male rappers who continue to dominate the industry. Luckily, the tide is turning. In the past five years, the following list of popular women rappers have had at least one number one hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Women who rap have found a way to become mainstream and become relatable through their social media profiles.
Cardi B
IG:@iamcardib
Cardi B is incredibly relatable to her fans and is the only female rapper in history to have five number one hits. Her first life-changing impact, “Bodak Yellow”, became successful because of a viral social media campaign with a reality TV show. One of her collabs with Maroon 5, “Girls Like You,” is in the top five songs of the entire DECADE. Also, she’s the second female rapper to win the best rap album at the Grammys. As fans know, every time she releases a single under her name, the music video will be entertaining, catchy, and probably a little bit controversial.
Megan Thee Stallion
IG: @theestallion
The most respected female rapper, so far this decade, has to be Megan Thee Stallion. She writes her own lyrics about being confident in your own body and women’s empowerment, a message which has been resonating with her fans. At the moment, she has two number one hits and three Grammys. The rapper’s breakout hit from 2020 titled, “Savage,” received a remix featuring Beyonce. Finally, the original song has over 16 million videos under the TikTok audio. Some say her music is repetitive which has led to some hate, but in fact, she will have a long-lasting career because of her influence in the industry.
Lizzo
IG: @Lizzobeeating
Lizzo is a rapper, singer, and flute player. Not only that, but she is also super relatable and different from other female rappers. She proudly embraces her natural self and encourages her listeners to love themselves no matter what they look like. Four of her songs have reached the top ten, with her breakout hit, “Truth Hurts,” being tied for the most weeks spent at number one for a female rapper. She also writes her own music. Lizzo deserves all of her success; she is constantly changing the industry by continuing to be her original self.
Doja Cat
IG: @dojacat
One of the most interesting female rappers, Doja Cat, is also a pop star. If you listen to her catalog, you can tell Nicki Minaj influences her because she tends to include pop elements and comedic lyrics. She is the most listened-to female rapper right now, with 59 million listeners on Spotify, and is a significant influence on social media. In addition, her breakout hit, “Say So” featuring Nicki Minaj, topped the Hot 100 chart in May of 2020. To this day, the song has almost one billion streams on Spotify and 11 million videos under one sound on TikTok. She shares that she doesn’t care about fame and wants to create her art, which has shown her realness. This is just one of many reasons why her fans love her.
Latto
IG: @Latto777
An honorable mention to Latto because she has had a great year! Her recent hit, “Big Energy,” although not number one, it did peak at number three on the Hot 100. However, the momentum of that single did allow her to grace the number one spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. In addition, the original song was under three minutes which gave the track more of a boost. Not only that, but she also has a respectable following on social media and says that she does not care about what others say. Mariah Carey gave her recognition and even collaborated with her. She has made a name for herself in the past two years and will continue to do well among the rest of these chart-topping female rappers.
