In the ’80s, when hip-hop took over the music scene, the art form was predominantly influenced by the likes of LL Cool J, Run DMC, the Furious 5 and a multitude of others. It didn’t take long for their female counterparts to join the party, pushing through with perseverance, strength and undeniable skills.
With a conscious effort to uplift and glorify the Black community with respect and dignity, we were introduced to charismatic figures such as Queen Latifah and MC Lyte.
Others owned their sexuality, adding yet another element that had never been addressed and the hits kept coming. Before we knew it, there were multiple rap pioneers creating anthems such as “Ladies Night” and “I Wanna Be Down (the remix),” cementing a bond between R&B icons and their hip hop equals. From there, the women of hip-hop continued to make their mark, locking down movie roles in Hollywood while maintaining the style, originality and pizazz that made them household names in the first place.
In honor of Black History Month and the women who’ve contributed mightily to the overall entertainment industry, we salute 10 rap icons whose gifts will never be duplicated.
Queen Latifah – a hip-hop mogul turned actress, she has sold over $2 million records worldwide and became the first recording artist to be nominated for an Oscar.
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