Where my Girlz at?

Its a man's world and it wouldn't be anything without a woman or a girl. In 2008 Trina was the only female emcee to drop a new CD. So where my girls at. Since the birth of hip hop women have always played a big part in the success of hip hop. So are we getting lost in a man's world, or we the reason for our on extinct. I'm not sure. Women fought to be a part of a male driven business, in the early 80's men were purchasing 90% of hip hop music. In the early 80's a female emcee was rare. Until a 14 year old broke down the door at hip hop. When she went after a mainstream group UTFO with her response to their hit "Roxanne, Roxanne". Roxanne Shante was the first female emcee to get major play on radio with her hit "Roxanne Revenge". Men had to take notice that the girls could do what they do and BETTER. Roxanne Shante was the first to have mainstream exposure. Salt-n-Pepa took a page from Roxanne Shante book and recorded a response to Dougie Fresh and Slick Rick "The Show", and came with their song "The Show Stoppers". Hip Hop's first female super group was a sexy, but had what it took for the boys to take notice. They paved the way for other female emcees. But the road they paved would remain a rocky road. The boys could not let the girls take over there game. But there was one girl to give the guys a run for their money. MC Lyte, younger sister to Audio Two (Milk Dee & Gizmo) Lyte watched her brothers perform their hit "Top Billin" and fell in Love with hip hop. She dressed like the boys, unlike the girls before her. She commanded the attention with her Timbs and leather bomber jackets. With her tomboy style she was able to go head to head with the boys.

New Jersey born Queen Latifah came with a new style and meaning to ladies of Hip Hop. With her hit Ladies first, she bragged about women no longer playing second fiddle to the guys. But, not until 1994 would a woman solo artist be able to accomplish what Da Brat did with her first solo album Funkdafied which was certified platinum. Da Brat like Lyte was lyrical, and a tomboy. She came with a different sound. Her sound was more playful, it was party music. While Puff Daddy and Notorious B.I.G introduced us to Ghetto Fab, they also introduced us to Lil Kim in the mid 90's Kim came into the game with nothing but a matching pantie and bra set and fur coat. She was sexier than the girls before her, she was more explicit and she talked about what the guys talked about but from a woman's point of view. Kim became hip hops first sex kitten. She may have also been female emcees gift and the curse. Another New York native, Foxy Brown also dropped in the mid 90's like Kim she was sexy but her lyrics were a little rougher she was spitting like a guy with a skirt and heels on. She was the protege and dream child of Rocafella Record CEO Jay Z. But Kim and Foxy influenced female rappers after them like no other female rapper was able to do before them. Before Kim and Foxy every female rapper had their own image, their own style, their own story. After these two New Yorkers walked into the game, every other girl wanted to talk about their designer bags, how good their sex was, and paying like you weigh.

Late 90's the game was screaming for another female with her own style, her own sound. Super producer Missy Elliott was that much needed break away from, Louie bags and good coochie. She was not a size 4 and she had a different style. Her music was more universal, it was sunshine on a rainy day. She had a hard beats that the boys had, but with a different dance flavor. Lauryn Hill is 1/3 of super group the Fuguees. She brought a her own unique sound to hip hop. She was a rapper/singer she could spit, but she could sing. She displayed a different sound and look for hip hop. It was a more conscience look. Philly rapper, Eve came into the game on a motorcycle. Like the loud pipes from the bike she was on she also was making big noise with her first single "What ya Want". Eve, like Lauryn and Missy their image was a cleaner image, a positive imagine and their music was broader than the ladies before them. Since the beginning of Hip Hop every woman went on to create another outlet for female emcees. So who's next, and what's next for female emcee.

Miami Ma'mi Trina made an attempt in dropping a new CD in 2008, but some where in the revolution of female emcee, Trina was lost. She is still rapping about the same topics Kim and Foxy tapped on in the mid and late 90's. With the music business not being as kind as it was in the eighties and nineties an artist have to be more commercial, you have to revolve. We cant afford to spend $10 on another CD and your still talking about the same things from your previous CD. Rap music like everything else is a evolution you have to be more than an rapper you have to become an artist. Your art has to be captivating to make it in a "dog eat dog business".

Like always I have to give you my top 10, but this one is a little different I have two top 10's the first one is Top 10 Female Emcees who created a different look and sound for them. Its my top 10 of emcees who made their place in hip hop history with their own unique look and sound. And the second one is my top ten female emcees of all time.

10.) Mia X- Mostly known as the first lady of No Limit Records. Mia X made her debut during the Lil Kim era she introduced us to her sound, it was feminine but raw. She had the flow of the guys but with in a girly tone. She was not a size 4 but she did have a sex appeal, despite that.

9.) Shawnna- Known as Ludacris protege Shawnna has her own style and sound. She is repping for mid west (Chicago) she have the lyrics that commands your attention. Shawnna is real and raw and she always have a little for the ladies.

8.) Lady of Rage best known for her appearance on Dr. Dre's The Chronic. She came into the game rocking an old school hairstyle that she bragged about on her debut single "Afro Puffs". Rage was a force to be wrecking with she held on her own with men. She was featured on other Death Row artist projects ( Snoop Dogg "Doggystyle). Lady of Rage went from hairstylist to artist on Death Row to becoming an artist on the label. She also went on to do acting, she played Coretta on The Steve Harvey show, and Baby D on Ice Cube's Next Friday.

7.) Da Brat she came into the game when woman where finding their own look and she came in with a look unique to her. No matter how hip hop changed Da Brat stayed true to her and her look. She will always be known for her twisted pig tails, and her club friendly music.

6.) Missy Elliott- Super producer and writer laughed her way all the way up the charts( he he he ha). Missy created a new look for hip hop. Her videos were impressive, and she gaining exposure for her sassy but kid friendly image.

5.) Lisa "Lefteye" Lopes- Lefteye is mostly known the "L" in TLC, she was the crazy one in the group she created her own look, naming her self left eye because she wore a condom over her lefteye. Lisa and the girls of TLC clothes were baggy and they accessories where everything from Dr. Suess style top hats, to big carnival style glasses, and graffiti on their clothes. Even with their own style of dressing Lisa rapped about what was going on in her life. She address the fact that she burned down her boyfriend home on Lil Kim's "Not tonight", to addressing topics from self esteem and HIV with TLC hits "Un-pretty" and "Waterfalls".

4.) Foxy Brown came into the game behind fellow New Yorker Kim but unlike Kim, Foxy came into the game with a slightly different look. She was rocking couture dresses and gowns in her videos. She was more of the hustlers girlfriend than his one night stand or jump off. Like Kim she rapped about how good her sex was, but she also let men know that she wasn't afraid of them. She was their answer to woman being number two to them. In one rhyme she states that " Remember them days your were dead broke, but your now in style and I raised you, basically made you into a don"

3.) Eve the first lady of Ruff riders, coined the phrase ride or die chick, she was fierce but she was still had an edge. She was feminine but tough. She stood ground with the men. But was repping for the women. Eve was where high fashion meets streets. Her lyrics were street but her look was high fashion with a hip hop twist. Eve was inspiration to all the girls in the hood. With a denim mini skirt and $300 boots she was what the hood needed.

2.) Salt-n-Pepa introduced a look that was similar to what the guys were wearing but with a woman's touch. They rocked leather 8 ball jackets with leggins, graffiti jeans with holes and cropped t-shits, they were sexy before their time. Their music possess the same sexiness as their look.

1.) Lil Kim came into the game with a hard sexually lyrics. Kim introduced hip hop to a raunchy style she raised the bar, she lyrics made men stop in their tracks. As she bragged about drinking babies, and her gold digging antics. Kim change the face of a female emcee. Woman were trading in their leather bomber jackets for fur coats and their timbs for heels.

My Top 10 Female Emcees

10.) Vita- Although Vita never released her own album, she was a wonderful feature. She gave Ja Rule's Put it on Ya, and Down 4 U, Mobb Deep "Burn" and the infamous N.E.R.D classic Lapdance

9.) Roxanne Shante- At 14 years old Roxanne Shante wrote a response to U.T.F.O "Roxanne, Roxanne" and titled it Roxanne Revenge. You could hear her adolescence voice, but her rhymes were tough like an adult was spitting them.

8.) Yo Yo- West Coast first mainstream female rapper. Yo Yo did more than represent for IBWC ( Intelligent Black Women Collation) Yo Yo rapped about female empowerment, but still posses what the men where checking for sexiness. With the help of the Ice Cube, Yo Yo gave the women on the West Coast their first number 1 from a female rapper.

7.) Foxy Brown- At 16 years old Foxy was featured on up and coming rapper Jay Z debut single Ain't No Ni**a. Where she brags and boast about taking her boyfriend from local drug dealer to a don. Her lyrics were captivating Foxy was lyrical and sexy she was the total package.

6.) Missy Elliott- Missy changed the came and its concept of a female rapper. She is not only a rapper but she is a super producer and writer. Missy gave another image to the female rapper. Not only is Missy a rapper but she is an entertainer.

5.) Da Brat- Chicago native, Da Brat teamed up with So So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri and introduced the world to rap with a lil p-funk which they titled funkdafied. Da Brat had her own sound and her own style. Her style is a little playful and laid back.

4.) Lil Kim- Brooklyn native, Notorious B.I.G was the brains behind Kim's look and lyrics. But after Big's death Kim kept up with the winning formula that Big cooked up for her. Her style is more raunchy than they other girls and her lyrics are more explicit.

3.) Eve- The quiet to the storm that the other girls created. Eve was commanded the respect from the fella she was posed and raw. She was sexy but tough, and so were her lyrics. She was more conscience about what was going on in the world. Eve rapped about domestic abuse. She used her talent to be an outlet for others.

2.) Salt-N-Pepa- The first hip hop super group, they teamed up with DJ Spinderella for a winning formula. Salt N Pepa had what the boys had, a great DJ that could gain any crowd attention, and lyrics to match. Salt N Pepa were the first female entertainers. They danced and rapped, and sold out concerts they wrote the blueprint on female emcee/entertainers.

1.) MC Lyte- MC Lyte was before her time. She had the skills to go head to head with the boys. The swag that made you take notice. This female emcee is arguably the best female emcee ever. She was the first solo female emcee to have chart topper " Cha Cha Cha" . And the only female emcee story teller. Lyte is not only a favorite female emcee but she is one of hip hops favorite emcees.