A 2023 List Of Hip-Hop’s Leading Ladies

As we celebrate the 50th year of hip-hop, it’s the perfect time to recognize women in music who are ruling the charts and beating the odds.

Hip-hop has historically been a male-dominated genre, largely built on the stories of strife of growing up as a young Black man in America. However, women have always been an important part of the culture and we’re grateful to the legendary rap queens who came in to unify artists breaking into the industry. Today, women from all over the country are making a name for themselves, breaking records, and looking good doing it! Read on for the stories behind the leading females currently taking charge in Hip-Hop!

Latto

Alyssa Michelle Stephens, also known as Latto, is a southern rapper from Clayton County, Georgia. The 24-year-old first appeared on the scene on Jermaine Dupri’s reality show “The Rap Game” where her spunky energy and advanced wordplay wowed judges and viewers alike. While she ultimately rose to fame after her 2019 hit single “B**ch From Da Souf”, Latto started her journey in music years earlier at the tender age of 10.

After “B**ch From Da Souf” garnered huge label recognition, Latto signed to RCA Records where she went on to release chart-toppers like “Big Energy” and “Put It On Da Floor”.

Latto is of mixed race which inspired her original rap name, Mulatto. Over time she received severe criticism about over choosing to use a name with a charged racialized history. However, Latto overcame the public castigation and rebranded, changing her social media handles to Latto777.

Her 2021 single “Big Energy” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and was re-released with the legendary Mariah Carey on the remix! Now, that’s killing the game!

Glo Rilla

Glo Rilla is a Memphis-born rapper whose claim to fame started on Instagram back in 2022. Glo Rilla, whose real name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, is also a 24-year-old Hip-Hop headline maker. Last summer she dropped “F.N.F”, her single ladies’ anthem that went viral across social media.

“F.N.F” was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2023.  She later dropped her debut E.P. “Anyways, Life’s Great” which featured fan favorites “Blessed” and “Tomorrow”. The remix, “Tomorrow 2” featured megastar Cardi B and spent 22 weeks on the Hot 100 and earned her her first spot in the Hot 100 Top 10!

Fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti gifted her $500K and signed her to his high-performing label, CMG.

Big Boss Vette

St. Louis native Big Boss Vette is wasting no time securing her position in hearts and on playlists nationwide. If you’ve been on Instagram or TikTok in the last few months, you’ve almost certainly heard a song by Big Boss Vette. The “Pretty Girls Walk” rapper went viral after her YouTube video garnered nearly 9 million views. She went on to release records like “Karma” and “Snatched,” which have solidified her spot as one of the most streamed female rappers of the year.

Kaliii

Kaliya Ross, professionally known as Kaliii, hails from Roswell, Georgia. The 23-year-old rapper has a mesmerizing approach to artistry, captivating young listeners nationwide.

Her 2022 hit single “Area Codes” first gained popularity on TikTok, prompting the viral “area codes trend” where users would tell a story to an unsuspecting friend or family member by simply reciting the lyrics to the record.

In 2023, her single “MMM MMM” similarly went viral, with the music video garnering over 9 million views on YouTube!

Ice Spice

Isis Naija Gaston is a Bronx-born NY native who has consistently been dropping hits in the hip-hop and drill space. Professionally known as Ice Spice, this 23-year-old bombshell is a 5’3 carrot top transforming the culture of artistry and influence on social media.

In 2021, Ice Spice met American producer RiotUSA and created a series of records including “Munch (Feelin’ U)” which would be the single to change her life forever. While Ice Spice wasn’t always famous, she’s been popular for as long as she can remember. Becoming a public figure was something she foresaw early in her life, as she explained to The Cut.

“When I was at school, I was really one of the most popular people there, so I always felt like, Okay, I could be famous because I’m so popular.”

Soon after its release, “Munch (Feelin’ U)” quickly spread like wildfire across TikTok. Drake even caught wind of the Bronx bombshell, playing the record on his Sirius XM station. A month later she signed with Capitol Records and dropped her EP Like…?

Her debut EP boasted bangers like “Princess Diana,” which featured Nicki Minaj and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. She’s been dubbed the Princess of Hip-Hop by Gen Z’ers thirsty to repost her spicy and uber-confident lyrics. The songstress also appeared on the Barbie movie soundtrack with a follow-up duet with Nicki Minaj and performed alongside Taylor Swift on her “Eras” tour. Ice Spice has definitely made a name for herself in Hip-Hop and we’re excited to see what comes next!