BET aired a special on the history of women in Hip-Hop last evening. ‘My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women & Hip Hop’ highlighted the rise of women in the male -dominated Hip-Hop industry and that struggles they encountered. Guest commentators included Missy Elliot, Trina, MC Lyte, Lil Mama, Eve and others. Check it out below:
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“Male rappers spend so much time degrading women so how could we expect consumers to support female MC’s?” – MC Lyte.
That’s true. Think about it. My is it that the top rappers like Foxy Brown or Lil Kim couldn’t get cognition, fame & fortune without talking about s** and being man’s fantasy. Rappers like queen Latifa & MC Lyte stood for being role models as women with talent. Not for what’s between their legs.
JUST STOP IT!
FEMALE RAPPERS B4 KIM & FOXY WERE SUCCESSFUL.
KIM DID WHAT THE MALE RAPPERS DID FOR THE FEMALES. SHE DIDNT EVEN ALWAYS TALK ABOUT S** EITHER!
SHE WAS THE FIRST RAP B**** TO ROCK CHANEL AND HIGH HEEL BOOTS! AND STOOD UP AGAINST THE BEST. SO DONT DISCREDIT CAUSE SHE WENT A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. KIM IS ALSO TALENTED ASWELL. NOT JUST QUEEN LATIFAH AND ETC.
I have to agree with Sean.
@ Fuchia
People like you are always are trying to discredit others accomplishments. Amazing Trina Eve Missy & countless others have said that Kim gave them inspiration! That Kim gave them motivation and made them want to rap.
So I think no one cares what you think about Kim Foxy or anyone else..
Second ” Male rappers spend so much time degrading women so how could we expect consumers to support female MC’s?” – MC Lyte.
The same can be said for haters.. People will always try to discredit Kim & Foxy because they talked about s**.. However it doesnt stop the 25 million records that Kim has sold world wide to date.. It doesnt stop the influence she had on the industry.
She made it possible for rappers (male & female) to have fashion lines, endorsements etc.. Hip Hop was Hard Core when Kim came out.. She started hanging with designers celebs and made them rethink what Hip Hop was.. Now designers flock to rappers and vice versa.
If you dislike someone .. that’s fine and we are all entitled to out opinions however facts and facts and without Kim Foxy Hip Hop would have never been so mainstream.
@Trent, not ONE mention ’bout ‘Takers’ going #1 in the U.S. ?
What gives ??? Sam/Trent, YBF’s ‘Takers comments’ is now well into-the-hundreds…..!!!
X,Y,”and Z” — OUT ..!!!
BUT WHATS FUNNY IS……NICKI MINAJ SPARKED THIS WHOLE SPECIAL.
@Fuschia
I really like that comment.
I LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE HATE ON NICKI— JUST LIKE ANY MOVEMENT OR COMPANY OR BRAND THAT CATERS TO “ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE” BLK WHITE BLUE ECT…. IS REALLY BIG …THOSE OTHER MC’S HAVE TALENT BUT CATER TO A CERTAIN KIND OF PERSON …. NICKI MINAJ DOES ALL DIFFERENT STYLES THATS WHY HER BRAND IS BIGGER AND MORE PEOPLE LIKE HER … PEOPLE WHO HATE JUS FOCUS ON THE S** PART … WHEN THEY COVER UP BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE THE BODY JUST BECAUSE SHE HAS THE BODY THEY MAKE LIKE ITS ALL ABOUT THAT BUT ITS NOT …. SHE CATERS TO BET…VMA….DISNEY….T*** CHOICE …. THE STREETS … INTERNATIONAL WITH THE LONDON MESS … ALL OF THAT THATS WHY SHE IS AND WILL BE THE BEST
ANYWAYS GREAT SHOW. I LOVE EM ALL.
MISSY
KIM
EVE
REMY
NICKI
ARE MY FAVS. I ALSO LIKE QUEEN LATIFAH, MC LYTE, SALT-N-PEPA, N THE REST.
@ Cortez.:
She’s one not bigger.
All she’s doing is doing what Kim did.
& Kim is actually in her generation and not that much
older than her.
& she’s just like this because she’s endorsed by Lil Wayne.
he’s backing her…same with Drake…not that he’s not
a good rapper but they wouldn’t be like this.
J.Cole is like Drake and I personally think he’s
a little bit better..but will never get the shine that Drake
has because Drake’s with Lil Wayne. J.Cole with have
to like join teams with Jay-Z or something.
& to say that Nicki Minaj is the best is just foolishness.
We’ve all heard her rap.
It’s a same that she doesn’t release songs like the
ones that are on her mixtape instead she releases
these poppy songs that are like Katy Perry that
have no substance…& just tries to take her style.
SMH…..DEAD.
No “hate” or shade or her…
#imjustsaying.
What? This had 2% to do with Nicki.. Its about the birth of female hip hop. The rise and fall of female hip hop. The impact Nicki had on female Hip Hop is yet to be seen or purchased (Pink Friday).
This is about artist that changed the way women Hip Hop was viewed created and impacted the world.
Keep Nicki’s name out until she does something besides recreates what has already been done by every other artist on this video.
A + B = C
Lyte Latifah + Lil Kim Foxy = Nicki Minaj being successful
The formula was already created . Until she adds her own variable ( sorry voices don’t count) then she has no impact on Hip Hop.. Success isn’t impact kids.
NICKI MINAJ DIDNT SPARK ANYTHING. THEY ALL SPARKED IT!
STOP DISCREDITING THESE WOMEN YALL FORREAL. THIS S*** IS GETTING OLD.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE KIM, MISSY, REMY, FOXY, NICKI, EVE AND TRINA ON A TOUR TOGETHER. IF THEY JUST PUT ALL THE B.S ASIDE.
TRINA I LIKE. SHE ISNT THE BEST BUT YOU KNOW WHAT SHE HAS BEEN HOLDING IT DOWN FOR A WHOLE DECADE WITH A LIL HELP ALONG THE WAY.
AND PEOPLE ARE SO STUPID …. LITTLE KYM …. IS NOT BIG AND SERIOUS DEAL TO ME … LIKE QUEEN LAT, MCLYTE, SLT AND PEP … LITTLE KYM HAS JUST BEEN THE ONLY FEMAIL OUT SHE WAS ALWAYSE LUCKY BECAUSE SHE NEVER WROTE HER RYMES IN THE FIRST PLACE …BIGGY DID … THERE ARE REFRENCE RECORDS OUT WITH HIM RAPPING HER MUSIC FOR HER …. AND EVRY TIME IT WAS TIME FOR HER TO FADE OUT SOMETHING BUZZZIE HAPPEND … LIKE BIG GETTING KILLED…. OR HER SHOWING UP AT A AWARD SHOW NAKED … OR A REALITY SHOW … PEOPLE NEED TO STOP PUTTING PEOPLE IN A RANK JUST BECAUSE THEIR OLDER … IF UR 40 YEARS OLD … AND SOMEONE IS 20 YEARS OLD IN THE SAME CAREER DUHHHHHHH THE 40 YEAR OLD WAS DOING IT FIRST BUT SOO WHAT
Just finished watching the whole thing and I really liked it.
lol @ them not really feeling Nicki Minaj and people saying what other people was thinking, She is NOT original! Everything that Nicki is doing, we’ve seen people do before.
its working for her but I really doubt that she will have longevity, people WILL get tired of her. I know I have.
@Cortez everybody has an opinion and I personally think Nicki is the best (although I do like her alot). I don’t think anybody on the special was hating on Nicki. One of the female MCs even said “I don’t knock her because I’m sure she has a lot of pressure on her). They were more talking about female empowerment. I think Nicki did spark the special but not because she’s the best but because she’s pretty much the only new female out that’s blowing up. I think it’s about staying true to yourself and that’s what the females where pointing out. They said they understand why it is the way it is. Nicki seems like she does what the public wants and is yet to find her own (but I think she’ll come into herself and start making the records she wants to make someday). OH YEAH AND SHOUT OUT TO LAURYN HILL CAUSE SHE IS HIP HOP!! I LOVE HER!!!
Think they could’ve had an interview with nicki minaj on this documentary just to get her perspective on where she thinks she fits into the idea of being the torch bearer for Female MC’s…because at the moment she is.
@ Sean I SOOO agree!
I really don’t like Trina, never had BUT she has been around for awhile and is holding her own and you have to respect her for that.
Whats wrong with Biggie coaching Kim.. Thats what artist do and did.. Kim may can write her own lyrics but like Lyte said… I had to learn how to vocally deliver them from my diaphragm . In order for Kim to be taken serious Big taught her how to deliver vocally and flow wise.. they all have had someone teach and coach them..
Kim can spit but she was in the 90s. Hip Hop was hard core.. Big taught her how to rhyme like a man… Notice Nicki needs that… Back then Guys & Girls straight & gay listened to Kim… Now.. Only gay & young girls listen to Nicki… Maybe Wayne should teach her as well… Im just saying
……Dont like when people play Fox and Kim although they did rap about s** and exploited their sexuality like someone said earlier they owned it. Queen,Mc Lyte, Roxxanne,Lauryn all proved women could bring it, Fox and Kim brought about a new dynamic in hip hop.
In their day they where rapping with the best in the game Biggie, Jay Z and Nas which speak volumes to their talent, yes i said talent. Through the years many have discredited their writing abilities but the creativity and originality they brought to the tracks are irrefutable. Fox was the first female rapper to come harder on the track than dudes and “style on Jamaican tip” 😉 and yes unfortunately for you new generation hip hop stans Kim is the original rap Barbie.
OKAY AND BIGGIE HELPED KIM. LOL
FAT JOE HELPED REMY
LIL WAYNE HELPED NICKI
DMX HELPED EVE
THIS S*** AINT NEW. LOL BIGGIE DIDNT WRITE KIMS RHYMES.
LISTEN TO “ANOTHER” KIM AND BIGGIE DISSING EACH OTHER! BIG DIED IN 1997. SO WAS HE WRITING FOR THE GRAVE?
STOP DISCREDITING KIM. ITS SOOO PLAYED OUT. CAUSE B4 NICKI MOST OF YOU (NOT ALL) WAS F***** WITH KIM. STOP BEING FAKE AND A BANDWAGON STAN
@ Sean.:
PREACH !!.
i like the special. It was real and honest. It made me want to look up the underground female rappers they mentioned.
i applaud BET trying to revamp their image and reclaim a more positive format. I hope the numbers were good. BET is partly to blame for the current status of the female rapper and this special was a walk in the right direction. the quality of the show was professional and informative. I guess TVOne has made BET step its game up.
Nicki is a culmination of everything we have seen before but have not seen in awhile which is in and of itself refreshing! She tries to give us everything which I like, but we wont start asking who she really is as a rapper just yet …why?! Because in my personal opinion to critique her artistry as a whole and give her titles and acclaim without a debut album is very premature …. lets reconvene after Pink Friday yeah?
ps. Lil Mama just holds to what people thought where 15 min dont she, from hosting ABDC to chatting it up at BET. I aint mad Mama, keep your lights on and your car notes and rent paid baby!
They forgot Madonna for “American Life”
no mention of MIA?
Who cares about Nicki Minjai doesn’t even have an album out! Why are people talking about her? Who cares?
I agree with Stan how can they have a special about women in rap and IGNORE M.I.A.!
M.I.A. is amazing here is a foreign artist a South Asian woman from the UK of Sri Lankan descent that got huge worldwide!
Nicki Minjai needs to have a hit album before she gets so much attention. This chick has accomplished NOTHING at all.
I keep on hearing about her BUT she doesn’t even have an album out!
im kinda disappointed with the special, they focused too much on Kim, Fox, Missy and today’s hip hop, a documentary should explore the roots a little further to educate most on the history of Hip hop. too little time was spent on Salt n Pepa, who is the main reason chicks were getting deals, they didn’t just show women could rap, they showed women can stand right next to men and even surpass them, the only rappers doing Salt n Pepa numbers back then was LL and Run DMC. they didn’t show how Latifah, Lyte and YoYo came and started and help push the envelop as far as female with hardcore lyrics was getting street respect. it seemed like they rushed through everything just to get to the s** aspect of Kim and Nicki now.
What a great piece!!! Thanks guys for posting this.
Missy, Eve, Lauryn Hill >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
BRAT didnt get the credit she deserved on this special
she was the 1st female mc to go PLATINUM, they didnt mention that.. oh well
I like nicki I think she will open doors for new females to come out so people shouldnt hate
Actually Salt n pepa were the first to go gold, platinum or double platinum
@THEMAN
Da Brat was the first female artist to go platinum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Brat
Now I see what Kim was talking about when she said that Nicki doesn’t pay her predecessors homage. When you listen to Nicki’s rap, she never does a metaphor for Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Salt and Pepper, TLC. She only does metaphors for Annie Nicole Smith and fashion that most urban chics doesn’t know about.
When listening to Nicki’s interview, she wants to do a song with Amy Winehouse and Phil Collins, but not Queen, etc. Nicki doesn’t showcase brown barbies in her videos, even though the brown barbies are in the front row of her concerts. They love her, but Nicki ain’t feeling black too much. I’m sorry. I’ve been checking Nicki for a minute and is trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. But Nicki ain’t feeling where she came from.
She should have had a metaphor about these ladies on her record by now. I know she speaks of Lauryn Hill, but Nicki gets my side-eye until she pay homage.
I am very surprised that BET put out such a great documentary. However, there were no props to Da Brat…the first female MC to go platinum.
HAHA THAT S*** WAS HOTT AND SOMEWHAT TRUTHFUL. ITS SOO AMAZING THAT TRUTH IS IN THE FACE AND PEOPLE DON’T CARE OR ARE IN DENIAL.
@Dante
Hot, Cool & Vicious provided some moderate R&B hits with the singles “My Mic Sound Nice”, “Tramp”, and “Chick On The Side”. But when San Francisco DJ and producer Cameron Paul created a remix to “Push It”, the b-side of “Tramp”, it gave the group their first major hit.[1] “Push It” (US #19, UK #2) became a platinum single in the United States, and a hit in several other countries, and was added to subsequent pressings of Hot, Cool & Vicious. It was nominated for a Grammy Award, and the strength of that single thrust the album to platinum status in the US with one million sold, making Denton, James, and Roper the first female rap act (group or solo) to go gold or platinum.The album sold 1.3 million copies worldwide
and that was 1986, i doubt Brat was out during that time, by the time Brat came out Salt n Pepa had 3 platinum cd’s
“Male rappers spend so much time degrading women so how could we expect consumers to support female MC’s?” – MC Lyte.
AMEN!!!!
The reason why Nicki Minaj is so popular is because we have alot of lost young girls who support her, you see them dressing like her and doing the stupid Barbie mess. Her fanbase is essentially : birds, hoodrats, hood boogers, scally wags, jump offs,etc.
THIS WAS A GREAT DOCUMENTARY, EVE LOOKS AMAZING IMMA NEED HER, MISSY AND KIM TO COME BACK HARD AND SHOW THESE KIDS WHAT A REAL FEMALE MC IS.
Well I Really Like This Documentary It Help Me Understand More Female Hip Hop.. I’m Glad They Were Able To Talk About What Missy Elliott Has Done For The Industry The Same For Lil’ Kim, Trina And Lauryn Hill… But The Best Part Was Where They Said What To Do About NIcki Minaj She Isn’t What We Wanna Represent Women The Point Is That She Is What The Men Want… I Still Like She Copying Everyone And No Originality….
P.S. Nicki Minaj Compared To Lauryn Hill… Thats Like Saying Nicole Scherzinger Is The New Britney Spears… Its Never Gonna Happen
No Mia X?
Can somebody please tell me why after watching this documentary, I no longer like Nicki the way I use to?
Oh yeah, I forgot that Nicki told an interviewer that she has a crush on Charlize Theron. No problem there, but the continuance of Nicki neglecting to show love for black females, even in her videos, is daunting. Oh yeah, she likes Lauryn Hill.
@ FLAWDA
100% Agree! The men love the way Nicki looks as well… when I’m at school on the computers I see the guys be on youtube watching her videos.
Its ashame that the 3 best female rappers wasnt on there speaking about rap and thats
lauryn hill foxy brown and lil kim
Why didn’t they showcase the successes of Da Brat and Eve?? I mean Eve was in the special but they acted like Trina was the only female rapper in the 2000’s when Eve had big hits in the early 2000s.
I really enjoyed this documentary. I learned a lot about the things that females in hip hop go through. But the most interesting part was the conversation about Nicki! People keep saying she’s just copying every other female that’s been out, that might be true but she’s the only one that did her homework and decided to use a lil bit of all of them! So since she’s doing that it does make it something new and fresh! I didn’t get the part about the underground, because Nicki was doing mixtapes and stuff before being signed to Young Money! But overall it was good and I think there is a lot of pressure on Nicki because she’s killing everyone right now and she doesn’t even have an album out yet!
Nicki Minaj is overrated as f***. I’m not even a Lil Kim fan, but Nicki will never be as good as her or any other of the female rappers she’s been compared to. She’s a so-so rapper and a mediocre lyricist at best (assuming she even writes her own rhymes). Only reason she’s so hyped is because of her association with Lil Wayne, another overrated rapper.
I loved this piece, I wish it would have been longer. Someone on here mentioned an all FEM-C tour, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. Im sure every lady in this program would perform their hearts (even lil ma). If kim and fox could squash whatever differences or at least put it aside for the project, It would hella successful. They also left out Left eye but Im sure no disrespect was meant.
Ummm……..am I the only who realized that a very important figure in the Hiphop/Neo-Soul?underground movement was not mentioned????
ERYKAH BADU!!!!
I have to disagree with QuestLove in saying that female hip-hop was silent after the tragedy of Lauryn Hill because thats when E. Badu emerged, with a whole new flava in hiphop and basically picked up where Lauryn left off in being the leading lady of the whole Hip-Hop/Neo-Soul movement, of which paved the way for artists for like jazmine sullivan, angie stone, jilll scott, and even in a sense nikki minaj!!
I mean, Erykah does hip hop influenced stuff, but she’s not an “mc”.. I’ve heard her flow a lil bit and I wish she would come out with more songs like “Love of my life” and the video version of “Bag Lady” with a more heavy hip hop sound and less of that neo-soul gone weird stuff that she does. I love her tho!!
I loved the special and I feel like they could have gone deeper on some of the artists that were actually in the show like eve. I think she successfully fused hip hop, pop, and even r&b. But this discussion could go on for a long time. I’m so glad the MCs on the show had so much love for EACH OTHER. The “mothers” of the niche EMBRACED those who carried the torch after them. AWESOME.
S/N: I think that confusion with salt and peppa and da brat was because salt and peppa are considered a DUO and the brat is solo. All of these accomplishments are amazing to me.
Most of those women brought something different to the industry. Two of them
also are successful in the tv/movie genre as well.Eve had a sitcom on the now
defunct upn network which was cool.The most successful one of all is of
course Queen latifah, she does it all rap,sing,act,direct,produce movies,tv.
You dont have any female artist in the industry today with that kind of talent.
They are manufactured by record companies,managers,to sell an image
to the younger generation of teens today.For black teenage girls unless they
at least one positive black female role model in their life,unfortunetly this
new generation of female rappers are their role models.
Why are people so hard on Nicki Minaj? Just because she came after these girls doesn’t mean she copies them have you guys heard of something called inspiration. Most smart people take from the best and infuse it in their own. She has a formula thats working to help female rap come back alive.
Ol girl with the curly big hair sounds mighty bitter about Nicki Minaj’s success. Don’t be mad if your s*** is wack boo. Nicki is doing the damn thing right now. I need another Missy album…I miss her.
Hearing Trina speak about her music/image was kinda sad. LIke damn…she basically just said it’s all about the s** appeal, and not much about lyrics. That’s why she’s had five albums and no one notices.
I need to hear one of these ladies on Pink Friday.
Thanks for posting this (I linked to you) because I missed half last night! PLEASE read the director’s interview with Kam Williams this is “A” truth about women in hip hop, that “THE” truth because there are many. I loved this, especiall the artists involved and glad this turned me on to Kandi Cole and gave a shout out to AtLas’ (I SEE you AtLas’)!
DA RUNDOWN IN A N** SHELL
HISTORY MAKERS & LEGENDS
THE REAL BEGGINIG STARTERS (THE ONES THAT MATTERED)
QUEEN LA, SALTNPEPA, MC LYTE
THEN
MISSY, LIL KIM, FOXY (& SELLING MORE RECORDS THAN ALL OF THEM DO TO TLC _LEFT EYE!!)- TOOK IT TO A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL AND MADE FEMALE RAP REVALENT NOTICE MISSY’S IN HERE SHE DIDNT SELL S** BUT WAS JUST AS SUCCESSFULL SO TO ALL THOSE FEMALES SAYING KIM NFOX MADE IT SO THAT U HADTO SELL S** #LIES
TO CLIMAX
LAURYN HILL (ENOUGH SAID)
SINCE THEN ITS BEEN A MESS OTHERS LIKE
EVE, ……..AND JUST ABOUT EVE HAD A BIG ROLE TO PLAY IN FEMALE MC’S
One female rapper that deserves recognition is Kellee Maize..I checked her out when I was on Amazon..her album was listed as #1. It’s usually not my thing, but I was extremely impressed with her lyrics and talent. It’s free, so I would at least check it out! http://tinyurl.com/26eueks
they gave foxy brown more props for holding her own. kim was more like a s****.
Nicki Minaj is the worst thing to ever happen to female rap.
Everything about her is either fake or came from someone else.
When she first came out 4 years ago before all this Barbie trash she looked like a regular girl and she pretty much had her own flow. Fast forward to 2010 now in order to get ahead she started ripping off Kim’s old style and rhyming like Wayne. And sadly people are buying into that garbage.
Her first solo single flopped and her 1st #1 hit was a track from a mixtape that came out in 2009……All her solo stuff is trash and she only does well on other peoples tracks. 4 years of hype and she’s just now doing her 1st album?? That’s not success that’s over exposed hype.
She’s a walking contradiction first she claimed to be bi sexual to get guy’s to notice her by saying she would get with foxy and amber rose then later in Vibe she said she wasn’t bi.
Like how much of this gimmick can people stand??
I only saw the last 15 min, but what intrigued me was this underground
fem C movement. That’s what I want to here more about.
Who’s got the word that?