The rap scene this year has done the unthinkable.
Somehow the stars have aligned and made it
possible for more than one female rapper to
flourish at a time. With the buzz surrounding
Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, Remy Ma and the ladies
of Sisterhood of Hip-Hop , it’s only right that we
dig up the lost MCs of yesteryear and pray to the
rap gawds for the return of some of our favorite
ladies on the mic. Here are 6 female rappers who
should release new music right now and take
advantage.
CHARLI BALTIMORE
Who She Should Work With: Pusha T, YG, Jeezy
Why We Need Her: Best known for her
collaborations with Ja Rule and Murder Inc.,
Charli made a rep for being the industry’s ride-or-
die chick. Her fiery red hair and “us against the
world” attitude made it hard to hate Chuck. It's
hard for us to ignore that Iggy is Charli’s musical
doppelgänger. The two sound eerily alike. We
know Charli was nominated for a BET Awards and
all, but if there were any time for her to make a
real comeback, it should be now while the Iggy
frenzy is in full effect.
SHAWNNA
Who She Should Work With: Migos, YG, Young
Thug
Why We Need Her: Shawnna’s raspy Chicago
drawl made its debut on Ludacris’ “What’s Your
Fantasy?” Only a few years later, she had a
salacious single of her own. The Disturbing Tha
Peace lady’s ballsy song “Gettin’ Some Head”
landed her the No. 31 spot on Billboard’s Hot
100. The Queen of Chi-Town had an impressive
flow that we could see fitting with an artist like
Young Thug, making it an instant club banger.
EVE
Who She Should Work With: Rihanna, Nicki Minaj,
Beyonce, T.I.
Why We Need Her: Throughout her career, the
Philly native didn’t have to be raunchy or
suggestive as she morphed from the angry lyricist
in “Love Is Blind” to the woman with crossover
appeal (see: her collaborations with rocker Gwen
Stefani.) Her platinum blonde cropped cut and
paw print chest tats made a statement, but her
music made an even larger one. Eve went from
bragging about Steebie in “Got A Man” to
marrying Maximillion Cooper—emphasis on the
“million." Can we get a 16 on your life overseas,
pronto?
MISSY ELLIOTT
Who She Should Work With: Chris Brown,
ScHoolboy Q, Kanye West, Drake
Why We Need Her: The lyricist with eccentric
visuals and bold beats was lightyears ahead of
her time. Play "Supa Dupa Fly" now and it
probably still trumps your rotation today.
Misdemeanor released nothing but heat for eight
years straight. Your favorite rapper probably
doesn’t even have that longevity, not to mention
she did it in finger waves, garbage bags and
velour sweatsuits. If Missy was futuristic AF in
the late '90s, there’s no telling where her mind is
now.
LAURYN HILL
Who She Should Work With: Kendrick Lamar,
Frank Ocean, Miguel
Why We Need Her: We know, we know. We’ve
been here before. But we still have hope. not only
was Lauryn blessed with buttery vocals, but she
also could rip a verse like nobody’s business. And
she didn’t do bubblegum nursery rhymes. The ex-
Fugee wordsmith was speaking truth and we were
not worthy. Before her brief stint in jail for tax
evasion in 2013, Lauryn penned two rap songs
“Consumerism” and “Neurotic Society." Not quite
reminiscent of the Lauryn we remember, the new
music read like speed-reading through a laundry
list while the New Jersey native spat socio-
political theory to us. Either way, it was one small
step. L. Boogie’s flow circa ’96 was effortless;
please pick up your pen again.
FOXY BROWN
Who She Should Work With: Trey Songz, A$AP
Mob, August Alsina, Ludacris
Why We Need Her: When she wasn’t boasting
about her na na, Foxy's flow was nothing like we
were hearing. Her delivery wasn’t about being
cute. She dropped each line with an intensity that
matched her male counterparts, whether it was
Jay-Z or Method Man. Foxy figured out how to
be raunchy, while still making sure that each
verse was a jab, a technique the game has been
missing for quite a while.
No comments:
Post a Comment