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\n\tToday\u2019s rap landscape wouldn\u2019t have been possible without the pioneering role of women MCs. In an era when the field was predominantly male in the \u201970s and \u201980s, these fearless wordsmiths, including MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, Salt-N-Pepa and Queen Latifah emerged to transform it.<\/p>\n
\n\tMC Lyte, the first-ever female MC to release a solo studio album, and Roxanne Shante, who showcased her dominance during her lyrical tussle with UTFO, are just a few examples of the incredible talent that emerged. Salt-N-Pepa, with their magnetic personalities and sex appeal, showed the world that women can run the game with the best of them, both on and off the mic. And then there\u2019s Missy Elliott, whose innate creativity not only made music videos motion-picture quality but also threw convention out of the window, leaving a lasting impact on the genre.<\/p>\n
\n\tSome of the greatest masterworks in rap today were crafted by women \u2014 including Lauryn Hill\u2019s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill<\/em>, which won five Grammys, Lil Kim\u2019s Hard Core<\/em>, which was the first rap album by a woman artist to debut No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Nicki Minaj\u2019s Pink Friday,<\/em> which was certified triple platinum, and now Doechii\u2019s revered Grammy Award winning project Alligator Bites Never Heal<\/em>. The genre doesn\u2019t move without women. With a flurry of artists today zipping past the competition, ranging from Megan Thee Stallion to Cardi B to GloRilla and Latto, it\u2019s hard to imagine what hip-hop would be if women MCs didn\u2019t have a say in the genre\u2019s ever-growing evolution.<\/p>\n \n\tBelow, the Billboard<\/em> staff compiles our picks for the 25 best female rappers of all time, along the following criteria: body of work\/achievements (charted singles\/albums, gold\/platinum certifications), cultural impact\/influence (how the artist\u2019s work fostered the genre\u2019s evolution), longevity (years at the mic), lyrics (storytelling skills) and flow (vocal prowess).<\/p>\n \n\tSee our picks below, and let us know who you think is the best female rapper ever.<\/p>\n