For years the rap industry has been run by men but over the past few decades more and more women have managed to find fame as rappers — and they have certainly proven to everyone that the industry is ready for girl power.
Today, we're taking a look at some of the most successful female rappers and we're ranking them based on how many albums they have released. From new stars like Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat to classic divas like Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott — keep on scrolling to see just who made the list!
10 Saweetie — 1 Album
Kicking the list off is 27-year-old rapper Saweetie who rose to fame in 2018 after releasing her debut single "Icy Grl". Saweetie is also no stranger to collaborating with other female rappers as she decided to feature Doja Cat on her 2021 hit "Best Friend". So far, Saweetie has not released any albums, but her debut studio album Pretty Bitch Music is set to release in 2021.
9 Megan Thee Stallion — 1 Album
Let's move on to 26-year-old rapper Megan Thee Stallion whose fame skyrocketed in 2020 after releasing the songs "Savage (Remix)" with Beyoncé and "WAP" with Cardi B. Last year Megan Thee Stallion released her debut studio album Good News, but judging from her success it's safe to say it won't be her last one!
8 Cardi B — 1 Album
Next on the list is 28-year-old rapper Cardi B who surprisingly also has only one album — meaning that she shares her spot with Megan Thee Stallion and Saweetie.
Cardi B rose to fame as a cast member on the VH1 reality television show Love & Hip Hop: New York in 2015, but since then she has established herself as one of the most talented female rappers in the industry. Her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy was released in 2018.
7 Iggy Azalea — 2 Albums
30-year-old Australian rapper Iggy Azalea is next on our list. Iggy rose to international fame in 2014 with hits like "Work" and "Fancy". After releasing her debut studio album The New Classic in 2014, Iggy released her second studio album In My Defense in 2019. In 2021 the Australian musician plans to release her third studio album End of an Era.
6 Doja Cat — 2 Albums
Another female rapper who has released two studio albums is Doja Cat. After finding viral success as an internet meme with her song "Mooo!" in 2018, Doja released her debut studio album Amala. A year later, the 25-year-old released her second studio album Hot Pink which included hits like "Say So", "Like That", and "Streets".
5 Eve — 4 Albums
Opening up the top five on today's list is rapper Eve. The now 42-year-old rose to fame in the late 90s and early 2000s and since then she has released a total of four studio albums — Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady in 1999, Scorpion in 2001, Eve-Olution in 2002, and Lip Lock in 2013. It's safe to say the fans would be thrilled for Eve to release a fifth studio album soon!
4 Nicki Minaj — 4 Albums
Number four on today's list goes to Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj who rose to fame in 2010 with her hit "Massive Attack".
Since then, 38-year-old has established herself as a staple in the rap industry and she also released four studio albums — Pink Friday in 2010, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded in 2012, The Pinkprint in 2014, and Queen in 2018. Nicki is also no stranger to collaborating with other female rappers as she is a feature on the remix of Doja Cat's "Say So".
3 Lil' Kim — 5 Albums
Opening up the top three on today's list is legendary female rapper Lil' Kim who rose to fame in the 90s after being discovered by fellow rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Over the course of her career the 46-year-old released five studio albums — Hard Core in 1996, The Notorious K.I.M. in 2000, La Bella Mafia in 2003, The Naked Truth in 2005, and 9 in 2019.
2 Missy Elliott — 6 Albums
The runner-up on today's list is 49-year-old Missy Elliot who rose to fame in the early-mid 1990s as a member of the R&B girl group Sista. However, Missy Elliott found much more fame as a solo artist and she released her debut studio album Supa Dupa Fly in 1997 — followed by Da Real World in 1999, Miss E... So Addictive in 2001, Under Construction in 2002, This Is Not a Test! in 2003, and The Cookbook in 2005. Missy Elliot is definitely yet another artist that fans are hoping will release new music soon!
1 Queen Latifah — 7 Albums
Wrapping the last stop at spot number one is 51-year-old Queen Latifah whom some may also know as a successful actress. Out of all the ladies on today's list, Queen Latifah is also the one that has been releasing rap music the longest — as her debut studio album All Hail the Queen came out in 1989. Since then, the rapper has released six more albums — Nature of a Sista' in 1991, Black Reign in 1993, Order in the Court in 1998, The Dana Owens Album in 2004, Trav'lin' Light in 2007, and Persona in 2009. Just like Missy Elliott, hopefully, Queen Latifah also decides to release new music in the future!
