The track broke ground lyrically - detailing the gritty realities of growing up in poverty - and creatively, as it was the first rap song where the DJ was not involved in its creation, setting the stage for MCs to become the stars of hip-hop. In 1982, she co-produced "The Message" for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. With the label, she assembled Harlem rap trio the Sugarhill Gang and produced their 1979 hit, "Rapper’s Delight," which went on to be the first rap single to break the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40.īesides having a hand in one of hip-hop’s first hits, Robinson was also instrumental in one of the genre’s most impactful records. After a solo singing and songwriting career, Robinson founded Sugar Hill Records in the 1970s.
Robinson started out as a chart-topping R&B singer, releasing "Love Is Strange" in 1956 with her duo, Mickey & Sylvia. Rightfully nicknamed the "Mother of Hip Hop," Sylvia Robinson helped push rap into the public music arena.
Sylvia Robinson: Sugar Hill Records founder and "Mother of Hip-Hop" A true pioneer, she was honored with the I Am Hip Hop Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. MC Lyte’s conscientious records and classic hits drew critical acclaim and commercial success, making her an influence on female rap for generations to come. "Ruffneck" was also nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 36th GRAMMY Awards in 1994, designating Lyte as the first-ever GRAMMY-nominated woman rapper. 1 song on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart and was certified gold, making her the first female rapper to achieve the feat. Lyte’s first three albums spawned hits like "Cha Cha Cha," "Paper Thin," "10% Dis" and "Poor Georgie." In 1993, the acclaimed anthem "Ruffneck" became Lyte’s third No. The following year, she released her debut album, Lyte As A Rock, becoming the first female rapper to release a solo album. MC Lyte: The first GRAMMY-nominated female hip-hop artist and first woman to release a solo rap albumĪ 16-year-old MC Lyte broke onto the rap scene with the single, "I Cram To Understand U (Sam)" in 1987. In honor of Women’s History Month, highlights some of the pioneering, culture-shifting women who have changed the course of rap and one promising up-and-comer who is at the forefront of the genre’s future. Today, more women rappers are finding success than ever before - from City Girls and Latto, to Saweetie and Flo Milli. That same year, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s "WAP" broke the record for the biggest debut steaming week in U.S. In 2020, Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat’s "Say So (Remix)" topped the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first time a female rap collaboration led the chart. Gone is the genre’s unwritten rule that only one female superstar can exist at a time, and women are thriving in new ready-to-be-conquered rap territory. The current and future landscape of women in rap appears even brighter. Salt-N-Pepa owned their sex appeal, while Lil’ Kim introduced a feminine perspective to a sex-positive narrative that had previously been controlled by men. The lyrical prowess of early pioneers such as MC Sha-Rock and MC Lyte demanded respect in a male-dominated industry, while rappers such as Queen Latifah, Monie Love and Yo-Yo advanced conscious hip-hop and confronted misogyny. Female rappers have continuously contributed to rap's sound, fashion, commercial success not just compared to their male counterparts, but across the genre - increasing its global impact. Women have always been essential to rap and, today, they’re getting their deserved recognition more than ever before.
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