The First Ladies of Hip-Hop

Let's shine a light on the most essential female rappers throughout hip-hop history. MC Lyte and Salt-N-Pepa hold it down for the golden era, the Lady of Rage, Lil' Kim, and Lauryn Hill represent the '90s, while Nicki Minaj shows how to take hip-hop into the mainstream without selling out. The flows might be feisty—just don't call them femcees.