Since the 70s, hip-hop has been known to be heavily dominated by men, thanks to the likes of Tupac, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. The popular rap stars were generally men and surrounded by male teams, producers and managers. Although women were not to be excluded, the likes of Missy Elliot and Queen Latifah paved the way and boldly entered an area where women were scarce.
Since hip-hop was mostly male-occupied, it was known for objectifying women and promoting sexism. Then came the female rappers to put things right in order and make more awareness against misogyny and sexism.
One of the unacceptable truths is that times have changed, and the rise of female rappers has never been better. Currently, more female artists are ahead of their male counterparts in areas like entertainment and being more lyrical. After the late 90s, the era of Lauryn hill and missy Elliot, there was hardly any female representative for the rap industry. Then the arrival of artists like Nicki Minaj changed the demographics; while starting her rap career during the mid-2000s, she did not gain any popularity or traction until 2009 due to the album release then. With the likes of Taylor Swift winning the best video of the year and Nicki Minaj inning best hip hop artist at the MVCA Awards, I can proudly say the female rap community has come so far.
The likes of Nicki Minaj and Cardi B have given rise to more confident rappers like Bia, Young Ma, me(Keldamuzik), and Dream Doll. I believe the new and the current female rappers are more confident and have dominated the rap industry more. They are known to have had a very high positive impact on how women should be treated and have made a very arguable awareness of female rights and power. I am so happy with the improvement in the industry and the current support given to female rappers. With the likes of the internet and social still in place, female rappers will continue to strive and compete in the male-dominated genre.