10 Black Women in Hip-Hop You Should Listen to Now




Recently, the blogging world has been annoyed by a Forbes article titled "Hip-Hop is Run by A White, Blonde Australian Woman". And rightly so, because Nomane Gypsy and many other black women in hip-hop are making their mark on the world. Move over, Iggy.  Here are ten black woman in hip-hop you should know.

Katie Got Bandz





This Chicago native rapper has been known for harvesting the area's drill hip-hop style. With its simple abrasive beats and catchy hooks, she has made a name for herself in a male dominated sub-genre. Watch the video for her most recent single "Pop Out" here.



Jean Grae

Since her debut in 1996, she has become known for her complex, honest lyricism. She has also been a cinematographer, director, and editor for her own material. Watch her music video for her song "Kill Screen" here



Gifted Gab

Like Queen Latifah and Biggie before her, this Seattle native delivers rhymes for chilling and putting someone in their place. Her most recent album Girl Rap was released via Bandcamp in March. Check out the music video for her track "Dead Wrong" here



Rapsody


Influenced by Lauryn Hill, MC Lyte, and personal experience, this Seattle rapper has rhymes that are honest as well as humble. She made waves with her debut album The Idea of Beautiful in 2012. Check out the video for her very recent single "Betty Shabazz" here.



3D Na'tee
This New Orleans rapper uses a harrowing personal history and razor sharp flow to make raw, passionate music.  She released her debut album The Coronation in 2012. Check out the music video for her most recent single "Dear Old Me" here.



Angel Haze

A rapper as well as a singer and spoken word poet, her uncensored honesty on her sexuality and difficult past earned her a strong fanbase on YouTube and Soundcloud . She released her debut album Dirty Gold in 2013.  Check out the music video for her most recent single "Battle Cry" here.


nJena Red Foxx


Although she is mostly known for being featured on Ojay Morgan's "I'mma Read", that experience inspired her to put out solo work. Last year, she released her first solo single "Silly Bitch" to promote her yet to be released mixtape Class President. Hear her most recent single "Watercolour" on Souncloud here.


Tink

Hailing from Chicago, this rapper-singer wields her R&B and rap talent very well.  In 2012, she released the R&B mixtape Winter's Diary and the rap and R&B mixtape Alter Ego. Watch her sing in her most recent music video "Treat Me Like Somebody" here.



Drezzy

She is another Chicago native who first gained attention with her machine gun flow on her cover of Nicki Minaj's "Chiraq". Her mixtape "Schizo" was released this past February. Watch the recently released video for "Chiraq" here.



Maimouna Youssef


Also known as "Mumu Fresh", this woman has the singing and rapping skills of Lauryn Hill mixed with a strong sense of African pride. Her mixtape The Reintroduction of Mumu Fresh was recently released on Soundcloud. Check out her empowering music video for her take on Lorde's "Royals" here.




Tonya Pennington is a student at Clayton State University. She also blogs about books, music, and movies on artsandyouthlove using the pen name Serena Zola.

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