I really enjoyed Snoop Dogg’s list of the top 10 rappers, especially since he included the great Big Daddy Kane in the mix. What he didn’t include, however, was any women. So, in order to try to balance it out a bit, I came up with my own list of the top 10 female rappers of all time. In making my list, I looked at such things as impact on the genre and body of work — which explains why you won’t see any newer artists here — as well as pure rapping talent and lyrical prowess. And, of course, just how much I enjoy their music greatly factored in.
Here’s my list, which, unlike Snoop’s, is ranked from 1 to 10:
1. Missy Elliott — With over 30 million records sold, this Virginia native is reportedly the top-selling female rapper of all time and deserves to someday be enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside such fellow hip-hop heroes as Public Enemy and 2Pac.
2 (tie). Salt and Pepa (of Salt-N-Pepa) — Snoop included both Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC on his list and I am definitely reserving two spots for both Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, who worked with DJ Spinderella to craft some the most memorable songs of the ’80s and ’90s. And speaking of the Rock Hall, this group should’ve been inducted years ago given its sizable and undeniable contribution to popular music.
4. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes — She was a force to be reckoned with as a member of the blockbuster “girl group” TLC, slinging equally big rhymes and charisma on such hits as “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs,” “Creep” and “Unpretty.” She died young, from a car accident at the age of 30, but will be remembered as an all-time great.