My Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artists Of All Time
We know a lot about famous male hip-hop legends who revolutionized the music industry, but women also played a pivotal role in hip-hop’s illustrious and controversial history. You may have heard of hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc, but what you may not know is that in 1973, his sister Cindy Campbell came up with the idea of having him host a back-to-school party in order to help her pay for her school uniforms. And who can forget singer and hip-hop record label owner Sylvia Robinson? Her label Sugar Hill Records was instrumental in bringing hip-hop music to wider audiences. Here are my favorite female hip-hop artists of all time.
MC Lyte
MC Lyte’s incredible storytelling skills and artistry showed up on every record and music video she did. She had this tomboyish yet still feminine look to her style, and she covered everything from relationships to culture in general.
Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo was a no-nonsense hip-hop artist who had the raw talent and ability to go head-to-head with a lot of her male counterparts at the time. I still listen to the song “You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo” from time to time on Spotify. She promoted self-empowerment for black women during a time when the hip-hop world often portrayed them as mere sex objects.
