Women entered the rap industry in droves over the last few years, challenging the patriarchal narrative of the art form and setting new standards for what makes a hip-hop star. Origin stories of this new generation of women emcees are deeply rooted in social media. The influencer-to-mainstream pipeline is a popular strategy to penetrate any sector of entertainment and garner a following. This, however, can prove to be a recipe for 15 minutes of fame, with some artists burning out just as quickly as they began. Women rappers improved this formula by offering a distinct experience to communities that support them.
This mix of untapped talent and digital marketing ingenuity resulted in a boom of emerging women rappers. From Cardi B to Rico Nasty, these women have successfully leveraged their loyal fan bases and made it their mission to create women-centered unity within the rap community. From collaborating on records, cameo appearances in music videos and showing love all over t...
