The plight of the female MC has been tough. After more than 30 years of mainstream limelight, there are only a handful of triumphs for women. And one of them belongs to Lil' Kim..
Watch: Nicki Minaj The New Now Interview
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When Kim and Foxy Brown emerged in 1995, bragging about their sexual prowess and gold digging tendencies, they went against the grain. They were labeled harlots, and accused of tarnishing the reputation of respect the women before them worked so hard to secure..
But despite such criticisms, Kim and Foxy found tremendous success, selling millions of records..
Nicki is an obvious beneficiary of the platform Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown set before her..
But Kim's demand for respect signals a bigger issue: We can't give our first ladies of rap enough love..
Exclusive Interview: Queen Latifah discusses career .
So, Hip Hop Media Training has prepared a tribute to female rap acts whose debut albums made a significant impact on the male dominated field..
Below, you'll find recaps of debut albums from Lauryn Hill, Salt-N-Pepa, Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Roxanne Shante, and more..
Mic Pass: Yo Yo on Miss Rap Supreme Pepsi Smash Exclusive .
Nicki and Kim are deserving of the spotlight they are receiving, but while the topic of respect is on the table, we should also invite to the discussion some of the other leading ladies..
The albums are listed in chronological order..
Enjoy..
NOTE: This blog has been updated to include debuts from Monie Love, The Lady Or Rage, Mia X, Rah Digga, Shawnna and Remy Ma, who were previously not included..
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"Hot, Cool & Vicious"
Next Plateau Records (1986).
Have any female rappers' songs been remade on "Glee"? Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" has. (Watch it here.) The in-your-face sexual innuendo is just one of the standout tracks from their groundbreaking 1986 debut that positioned Sandy and Cheryl as rightful contenders to their male counterparts Run-D.M.C. and Doug E. Fresh with bravado-heavy songs like "My Mic Sounds Nice," "Tramp," "I'll Take Your Man," and "The Showstopper." Salt-N-Pepa is among the five acts nominated for the first hip-hop Grammy in 1988..
"Supersonic"
Ruthless Records/Atco (1988).
J.J. Fad's 1988 record "Supersonic" scored the Southern California trio a top 40 hit, Grammy nomination, and Dr. Dre-produced gold album. Nearly 20 years later, the light-hearted, friendly party rap sound inspired a new sub genre populated by the likes Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado, Ke$ha, and Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas. Fergie actually remade "Supersonic" as "Fergalicious" and took the record to Number 1 on "Billboard"'s pop chart. .
"Lyte As A Rock"
Elektra (1988).
MC Lyte is one of the few female MCs to have the distinction of being praised simply because of her lyricism and impenetrable flow, completely independent of her gender. She smashed shallow male suitors with "Paper Thin," penned one of hip-hop's best secret metaphors with the anti-drug anthem "I Cram To Understand U," and completely destroyed her then nemesis Antionette on one of hip-hop's illest, expletive-laden diss tracks to date, "10% Dis.".
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"Bad Sister"
Cold Chillin' Records (1989).
Roxanne Shante is the queen of the 12" inch record. When UTFO dismissed a fictitious conceited girl in their 1984 hit "Roxanne Roxanne," 14-year-old spitfire Lolita Shanté Gooden assumed the identity of Roxanne Shanté, and dismantled UTFO with her instant classic "Roxanne's Revenge." Roxanne Shanté released a series of singles over the years, but did not drop a full length album until 1989's "Bad Sister." The album included remixes to some of her singles, "Have Nice Day," "Wack It," and "Go On Girl," plus several noteworthy new tracks. .
"All Hail The Queen"
Tommy Boy (1989).
The new queen of royal badness changed the sound and image of women in hip-hop. She wore Afrocentric garb, added reggae lyrical styling to her rhyme flow, and commanded that women be respected on her anthem, "Ladies First" featuring Monie Love. Her music not only entertained, it educated. It's no surprise that her career has blossomed to include various music incarnations, acting and producing..
by Billy Johnson, Jr.
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