‘We do what we want, for ourselves’: why it’s a golden age for women in rap
Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Doja Cat and tens of other female rappers are breaking through by embracing sisterhood and shaking off the prejudices of the past
Much like the rest of the music industry, hip-hop, rap and grime have traditionally been male-dominated spaces. Finally, though, things are changing. Megan Thee Stallion’s rise – alongside US contemporaries such as City Girls and Doja Cat as well as UK talent including Stefflon Don and Ms Banks – felt inconceivable even a few years ago. Now, however, we’re at a point where there are several successful female rappers who support, rather than compete with, one another.
Ever since Queens rapper Roxanne Chanté called out pretty much all of her contemporaries back in the mid-80s, women in hip-hop have been pitted against each other. Even as recently as 2018, when Cardi B threw a shoe at Nicki Minaj during a red carpet confrontation, they have been encouraged to tear their rivals down. Just two years later, however, the mood has changed and this kind of spat is rare and feels undignified. Now displays of friendship and support, along with in-jokes on social media timelines are much more common.