7 Female Rap Pioneers You Need to Hear

Queen Latifah, speaking her mind as a young rapper

In the early '90s,  there were so few female rappers that you could literally talk with all of them. So I did.

For my 1992 book Break It Down, I interviewed rap music's first ladies about their lives, their goals, and their music. Watch the vintage videos below to see these early innovators in action, setting the stage for today's female rap stars.

(Hear Salt-N-Pepa talk candidly in 1991 about sex and other spicy topics on my podcast I Couldn't Throw It Out.)

1.  Salt-N-Pepa
"Push It" (1987)

Cheryl James (Salt), Sandra Denton (Pepa) and their DJ Spinderella had more chart-topping songs than any of the original female rap groups, and it all began with this feisty chant. They never expected it to be a hit -- but it went platinum.

2. Roxanne Shante
"Roxanne's Revenge" (1984)

When she was 14, Lolita Gooden from Queens New York heard from her friends that the rap group UTFO had failed to show up for a local gig.  So -- calling herself Roxanne Shante -- she decided to punish them by recording an answer to their single "Roxanne Roxanne." As the world discovered, that teenager sure could rhyme. Her song was a hit. Watching the video of this young girl is like taking a trip back to another era. 

3.  MC Lyte
"Cappuccino" (1988)

Lyte, whose real name is Lana Moorer, zoomed past a lot of milestones. After making it onto the Billboard 200, she was the first female rapper to headline at Carnegie Hall. Her 1993 song "Ruffneck" (a sort of tribute to macho men) was nominated for a Grammy and it went gold. Most of all, it's her prowess as a storyteller that stands out, as you can taste in "Cappuccino."

4.  Queen Latifah
"Fly Girl" (1991)

These days, Queen Latifah (Dana Owens) is best-known for her movie roles and her singing voice. But this Jersey girl got her start with rap songs that expressed female empowerment, often with reggae-tinged beats. 

5. Monie Love
"Monie in the Middle" (1990)

Her British accent disappeared when she rapped but that wasn't Monie Love's only distinguishing trait. She also had a friendlier style than most rappers. Today, Monie (Simone Johnson) is making fans smile as a radio host at the urban contemporary station KISS WALR in Atlanta.

6. Bytches with Problems
"No Means No" (1991)

After hearing the foul-mouthed rhymes of gangsta rappers, Bytches with Problems (Michele and Lyndah) decided to prove that women could do the same. Their language was shocking at the time. But they sometimes had a feminist message that many women could appreciate, as in the very catchy refrain: No Means No.

7. Yo Yo
"You Can't Play With My Yo Yo" (1991)

As a protege of Ice Cube, Yo Yo (Yolanda Whitaker) seemed destined for fame.  But even though she released five studio albums, she isn't as well-remembered now as some other femaie rappers. She did, however, branch off into acting, with a role in the 1991 movie Boyz N The Hood and many TV gigs, including a recurring part on the Disney-plus cooking show, Saturdays.

THE TOP 3 COLLABORATIONS

Some of the most memorable videos by female rappers included more than one of them.

"Ladies First" (1989)
Queen Latifah and MC Lyte 

This clip is a classic, boosting two careers at once.

"Freedom" (from the movie 1995 movie Panther)
Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo, TLC, MC Lyte, Nefertiti, Salt-N-Pepa, Patra, Meshell Ndegeocello

An all-star crew gathered for a special alternate version of a song from the Mario Van Peebles movie about the origin of the Black Panthers.

"I Wanna Be Down" (1995)
Brandy, Queen Latifah, Yo Yo, MC Lyte

Brandy was known mostly for her TV acting and her R&B/pop singing. But she went hip-hip (with a little help from her friends) on this song that hit the Top 10 on the Billboard 100 chart.

Hear Salt-N-Pepa talk about sex, friendship, motherhood, AIDS and much more on I Couldn't Throw It Out.