Since its birth in the 1970’s, hip-hop and rap have been dominated mostly by men. Along the way, though, we have been blessed with some strong females on the mic too, who look to be as good as, if not better than, their male counterparts.
We have been blessed with a number of female rappers, both in the US and here at home. From artists like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot helping to build foundations in the scene to contemporary MCs such as Shystie and Mz Bratt elevating the brand in the UK, it is clear that the female Rap scene is going strong. Today, TRAPPED introduces you to the top 5 British female rappers that you should keep an ear out for.
1) Shaybo – @QueenShaybo
South London born Shaybo has been releasing music for a few years now and looks to blow in 2015. She has been gaining views and a considerable fan base through a variety of freestyles on YouTube and is due to drop her EP ‘Dirty’ in the coming months. Her name has been heavily cited in blogs (for other reasons we must add!) over the last few weeks but this hasn’t knocked the hustle of Queen Shaybo. Her latest track, ‘Baddest’ has over 11,000 views in two weeks and she is ready for fight for her spot with bars such as;
“Trying to stack my Ps in figure 8s, like my waistline!”
2) Ms Banks – @MsBanks94
2014 on a whole was a good year for the MC known as Ms Banks. She was considered one of the year’s hottest rising stars, with a number of notable guest spots and working with artists such as JME and Flirta D on Big Narstie’s BDL Tour. Her debut mixtape, ‘Once Upon A Grind’ was released to critical acclaim and featured hits such as ‘Pain’ and ‘Gone’ with fellow female MCs Paigey Cakey and Karmah Cruz. The EP showcased both Bank’s ability to rap and sing and through the variety of original tracks and covers, there is something for every fan of good music. Ms Bank’s lyrical ability is highlighted on her remix of ‘Aint on Nuttin’ released via GRM Daily featuring an all star cast of female rappers;
“Call you penny bitches, coz you ni**as two face!”
3) BGR – @Ronster_BGR
Having just listened to Bad Gal Ronster’s (BGR) latest mixtape ‘Red and Black’ from beginning to end, its easy to see why the East London MC has been making a name for herself since 2012. Her flow and delivery is second to none and her raw and very realistic lyrics only add to the heavy based infused tracks. In the intro track to her mixtape, which was also featured on SB.TV’s Lyric Lab, she showed that she was there to make a statement and wouldn’t take any nonsense. With a few projects on the way, BGR is preparing for a full scale takeover.
“Fall and I climb, ball and I grind. I’m a champ but there’s no talking in line.”
4) Kidtazstik – @Kid_TOG
Even though Kidtazstik is only young, she has been impressing critics and crowds alike ever since she stepped onto the scene. With an infectious flow and lyrics that make you sing along, Kid has got all the right ingredients to blow in the coming years. She is vocal about who she is and what she wants and this has helped to build her a considerable fan base. Having just dropped ‘The Wake Up’ EP, she has been enjoying success and even released her own clothing range; Truth Over Gass. Whatever the coming year holds for the 18 year old North West Londoner, you can bet we will hear about it.
“They don’t think that I’m smart enough to be as lyrically good as guys, so when a girl raps, it’s a big surprise!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0THvP59pCa8
5) Shuqi The Rapper – @Shuqitherapper
Formerly a member of The Lost World collective, Shuqi the Rapper (formerly known as Shuqi) has been blessing beats for a while now and is setting her sights on reaching the top. Her previous videos on YouTube, including ‘You Need Me’ (a cover of Kendrick’s ‘She Need Me’) allowed Shuqi to showcase her flow effortlessly with hard punching lyrics. Her recent mixtape ‘The Remedy, Chapter 2: Opium’ is a bass thumping, head nodding, mega lyrical project that should be in everyone’s collection. The tracks range from a jazzy feel to a gritty street sound and with her accent it really makes you shiver when she spits. With this much versatility, its only a matter of time till Shuqi the Rapper has her time in the spotlight.
“That’s what keeps me separated, feel incarcerated. For anyone who hesitated, I’m no longer debated.”
This list just goes to show that the female rap scene in the UK is going through one of its greatest phases. As rappers such as Little Simz, Lioness and Bella Gotti gain more commercial success, hopefully more talented young women will raise up the ranks and make future lists in this category.
Words: Nathan Tuft ( @Natz_AO )
