Only in a genre as far-reaching as hip-hop could a commercial artist like Drake compete with alternative jazz-fusion trio De La Soul at the Grammys. Sonically, the genre has come to embody a variety of influences. Industry legend Kanye West was pitted against fresh-faced prodigy Chance the Rapper and comedic releases from DJ Khaled were in the running with Schoolboy Q’s Blank Face LP – a well-crafted ode to old-school hip-hop. One area though continues to display a distinct lack of diversity – gender. Of 21 groups and artists spanning four categories this year (Best Rap Performance, Best Rap/Sung Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Album), only three female names appeared. Two of them were supporting vocalists, and one was Beyoncé for her song "Freedom", featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar.

 

As the red carpet is rolled away and the last remnants of glitter swept to the side, new research from Pressed reveals that less than one in five nominations for any rap award since the category’s introduction 28 years ago, have included a female artist. In the same time-period, roughly half of all RnB and country nominations have included women.

 

Women have been actively involved in hip-hop culture since its inception in the early Seventies. Sha Rock was the first female MC in the first hip-hop group to receive a record deal, Funky 4 + 1. And in the early Nineties Queen Latifah demanded to know, “Who you calling a bitch?!” on the Grammy award winning song "U.N.I.T.Y." But these female MCs rarely get the same level of recognition as their male counterparts.

 

As a hip-hop veteran, Toni Blackman is well-accustomed to the issue. She has been rapping since the 1980s and was previously a member of pioneering hip-hop collective, Zulu Nation. As a result of her work, she was appointed as the first ever US State Ambassador of Hip-Hop Culture in 2001. She highlights the compromises female rappers often have to make, “If you take a stance and decide to be vocal concerning sexism, you risk isolation,” she says. “I’ve witnessed many powerful women MCs, women who are creatively progressive and phenomenally talented, say nothing about sexism.”

 

Shayna Marie and Naomi Richardson noticed the deficit when they were hosting a weekly radio show on Pulse88, an RnB and hip-hop station. Their studio consistently played host to male artists and the pair quickly became frustrated by the apparent lack of female talent. In response, they founded Girl Gang, a series of all-female freestyle ciphers (informal gatherings where rappers battle and perform) giving women rappers a platform.

 

During a cipher in late 2016, an impressive line-up of female rappers brought an infectious energy to the intimate east London venue. Between sets a female DJ blared tracks by Eve and Missy Elliot as the crowd took advantage of a seemingly unending supply of free beer. When a new artist took the mic, the audience regrouped in anticipation and the bar quickly emptied out.

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Amid the excitement, founders Marie and Richardson, dressed in trademark all pink, find a quiet corner to discuss women in hip-hop. “It’s a man’s world, d’ya know what I mean?” says Richardson. “Hip-hop is predominantly men. But the female artists do their thing, they’re mad talented.” Girl Gang’s packed lineup is proof that female rap talent does exist beyond the “malestream”.

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Hip-hop has always had a bad rap (pardon the pun) for its treatment of women. From sexist lyrics to depictions of the female body, hip-hop’s misogyny debate is nearly as old as the genre itself. In 1989, Two Live Crew were taken to court on obscenity charges following the release of their third album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be. Parents weren’t too happy with graphic descriptions detailing “how to give her more than what she wants”. More recently, the debate found a new focal point in Yeezy’s declaration that “bitch is a term of endearment in hip-hop”.

 

Marie and Richardson casually dismiss the ever-looming issue of misogyny in hip-hop though; “If you want to call hip-hop sexist, quote unquote, then okay. It is what it is,” says Marie, “but if you’re a female MC and you’re doing your thing, then fuck the other side.” The pair personifies the phrase “actions speak louder than words”. Rather than deliberating the politics of the word bitch, they are actively making sure that women are visible in hip-hop.

 

“I would argue that one of the reasons for the mediocrity in commercial rap is because the female presence at the forefront is so small”

 

Toni Blackman agrees. She argues that hip-hop discourse should move on from portraying women as victims and instead, start to celebrate their role in forming the culture. “I would argue that one of the reasons for the mediocrity in commercial rap is because the female presence at the forefront is so small,” she says.

 

New research from Pressed reveals that just 18 per cent of all rap category Grammy nominations ever have included women - either as featuring artists or as the lead artist on a track. The category was introduced in 1989, and of the 102 winning nominations, only 24 have included women. The majority of female nominees are singers who appear as guest features and are largely concentrated in the Best Rap/Sung Performance award. Take away feature vocalists and you find that less than one in ten nominations and winners have included an actual female rapper.

 

Other Grammy genres fare significantly better. In the same duration 53 per cent of RnB nominations and 45 per cent of country nominations have included women – most of the time as lead artists. Hip-hop is incessantly condemned for its sexism – but female rappers, a key oppositional voice, continue to be overlooked.

 

Blackman’s lyrical flow sits somewhere between rap and spoken-word poetry. Her verses are delivered with self-assurance and each word, while articulate, seamlessly glides into the next. The same considered approach she takes to answering my questions is evident in her bars; she is at ease on the mic. It’s not difficult to see why hip-hop devotees admire her. Yet on "Invisible Woman" she mourns her position in the industry,

 

“I am an invisible woman/Whose words don’t flow fast enough/Whose beats just aren’t phat enough/Whose contribution goes unseen/”

“See, I rock the mic as he did/I spit rhymes as he did/I bore hip-hop, as he did/We nurtured it/I am an invisible woman”

 

Blackman is and remains a pioneering force in hip-hop. But venture outside of hip-hop circles, and she is all but anonymous. It is an all too familiar story. In Funky 4 + 1, Sha Rock was ever the eponymous “+ 1” and while names like MC Lyte evoke awe among hip-hop fanatics, most people are unaware that she was the first solo female rapper to release an album.

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“I think there should be more conversations around black women’s contributions to the culture as opposed to black women being used and exploited by it”

 

Considering the underrepresentation, many scholars and hip-hop heads think the “women in hip-hop” debate needs a strong push forward. “I think there should be more conversations around black women’s contributions to the culture as opposed to black women being used and exploited by it,” says Kaila Story, associate professor in the University of Louisville’s Department of Women and Gender Studies.

 

The contributions are many, and when female rappers are recognised, they fight their corner. Take MC YoYo’s feature on "It’s A Man’s World’"as an example; she brashly interrupts the vulgarities of Ice Cube’s opening verse with, “No, YoYo's not a hoe or a whore/And if that's what you're here for/Exit through the door”.

 

The song continues a long musical tradition of public dialogue between male and female artists. Think Otis Redding and Carla Thomas on "Tramp", “I know I’m a lover” insists Otis, “Matter of opinion baby” retorts Carla, cuttingly. “There’s always been that conversation between black men and black women about respecting one another,” says Kaila Story. “These songs are a conversation as equals, not as victim and oppressor.”

 

The victim/oppressor relationship is threaded through most conversations about women in hip-hop. The scantily clad video vixen, for example, has long been seen as a victim of that ominous patriarchy. “That completely erases these women’s agency,” says Story. Blac Chyna and Amber Rose are two of the most well-known video vixens today. Both are self-proclaimed feminists, and both have been vocal about their choice to pursue their careers.

 

Just as common is the idea that sexist lyrics render hip-hop a no-go zone for feminists. Dawn-Elissa Fischer, associate director at Harvard University’s Hip-Hop Archive and Research Institute, thinks that this is equally reductive. “Some people may be turned off by that content,” she says. “Other people might be like okay, the content is kind of fucked, but I am able to look at those lyrics and dissect them if I want to.”

 

According to Blackman, the portrayal of "big bad hip-hop" versus oppressed women has been exhausted. As a woman who has been in the rap game for 30 years she would know, “No one’s talking about it from any new angles,” she says. “Let’s move on.” Considering the gaping lady-shaped hole in hip-hop, there are more pressing issues at hand. No one likes being called a hoe, but the more female artists are promoted, the more a counter-voice will emerge.

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Not had enough yet? Why not take a listen to our Hip-hop Hunnies playlist. You can find more music on our Freshly Pressed page.

Female rappers are fighting to be heard, just don't feel sorry for them