Black Women Dominated Rap In 2019
Whether you were driving the boat like Megan the Stallion, twerking like Cardi, yelling out “My Type” in the name of Saweetie, or enjoying the sweet sounds from Lizzo’s flute, you can’t deny that black women were dominating the rap scene for 2019. Rappers like Kash Doll, Dreezy, Tierra Whack, and Rhapsody put their foot on our necks and didn’t let up. They were consistent in putting out new music, videos, and great content that kept us interested. Imagine my surprise when black women were shut out of the rap category for the 2019 Grammy nominations. If you’re scratching your head at that last line, trust, we are too.
I knew as soon Cardi B won a Grammy for “Best Rap Album” that 2019 was going to be a different year for the music industry. Nicki Minaj had been holding down the rap scene for women for ten years, but slowly but surely, we were starting to see the rise of some new faces and it’s been fun to see. Not only is each woman talented, but they bring their own attitude and personality to the stage. Megan started a movement with her “Hot Girl Summer” catch phrase and had every woman wishing we had her strong knees. Kash Doll was finally able to release some music after being stuck in an awful record deal and Lizzo has been breaking barriers by playing the flute and encouraging women to embrace their natural curves. Not only are these women bringing fresh energy to the scene, but they are celebrating each other. You seem them hanging out together on social media and it’s refreshing to witness. It’s a sisterhood that we haven’t seen for quite some time.
Not only were women dominating the charts, they were also washing the men when it came to features. Before you start, please take a moment to reflect on what I just said because you know I’m right. Nicki Minaj built a good chunk of her career off of besting men on their own songs. Are we going to act like “Monster” doesn’t exist? Let’s not forget how Cardi’s verse on “Clout” is the only part that radio DJ’s keep on rotation or that we only know the words to Kash Doll’s part on Big Sean’s “So Good.” You know it and I know it because if you look around at any club or lounge where good music is playing, you will see that everyone gets hyped and knows all the words to these songs word for word. At this point in the article, if you still disagree with me, please let me know what the song of the summer was for 2019…..I’ll wait.
The 2019 grammy nominees are a slap in the face to these women who are running the rap game right now. While a lot of them are starting to pick up steam in the mainstream lane, there are quite a few that deserved to be included. Megan doesn’t have an album out yet, but she could have been nominated for “Best New Artist” off her collaboration with Nicki Minaj. Regardless of how you feel about the song, it did get her noticed by the mainstream network and had everyone yelling out “Hot Girl Summer.” Tierra Whack was just featured on a Beyonce' album and I’m pretty sure Nicki Minaj is planning on making a comeback in 2020. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather hear what these group of women are saying then another mumble rapper talk about his addiction to pills.
Rather you want to hear or not, the future of the rap game lies with black women and they are coming for their things. I’m confident that in 2020, black women are going to run the charts, win big at all the award shows, and see tremendous success. 2019 was just the ground work so I’m fully prepared to see the fruits of all their hard work in the New Year.
