Getty Images; Design by Jessica Xie. Women in Hip Hop
Let’s Look Back: Females in Hip Hop in 2020
As a woman writing in the entertainment space, I am always looking for a good female media spotlight. This time, NPR came through for me through and through. Their piece on female artists in 2020 has inspired me to write my own recap of the shockwaves women sent through the hip hop industry during one of the worst years in human history.
Let’s begin by talking about the obvious. TikTok amplified the music of female hip hop artists like no other platform in the world. When the pandemic started, Megan Thee Stallion hit the charts with “Savage” and soon after, Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat caught up with “Say So”. In fact, “Say So” is the first single by two women that has ever hit the top of the charts. But the TikTok growth isn’t over yet. A few months later, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion breaks the very definition of the charts by coming out with “WAP”. Of course, this success doesn’t come with a few bitter remarks from men unwilling to let go of their current throne. These women were hit by a barrage of unmatched male fragility and ego. However, this didn’t phase them, and the amount of money they raked in from these songs didn’t waver either.
Next in line is Rihanna. This 2020, she was declared as the richest female artist in the world. This isn’t just an accomplishment representing women everywhere, but also one representing all women of color. Rihanna has not only paved the way for women in the music industry but also proved to everyone that being an entrepreneur is always possible. The mogul has recently released another amazing line of all-inclusive foundation to her beauty company, Fenty Beauty. It is estimated that she made around $75 million in 2020.
NPR also gathered a list of new female artists that emerged and blossomed in 2020. I urge you to check it out here. One notable name that I would like to talk about is Audrey Nuna. Nuna is a Korean-American rapper that has gotten the holy blessing of BLACKPINK’s Rosé. As an Asian woman, seeing her rise to fame has been utterly fantastic. She now has over 1 million streams on Spotify and her recent song “Damn Right” is a lyrical masterpiece. Check out her interview with HypeBae here.
I don’t know about you, but I’m all for females continuing to disrupt and change the hip hop world.