Top 10 Female MCs of All Time
BET.com takes a look at the Top 10 Female MCs of all time.
1 / 10
Da Brat - Queen Latifah sold gold before her, but Da Brat became the first female MC to go platinum with her debut "Funkdafied." She's since released a gold CD, "Anuthatantrum" and a platinum LP, "Unrestricted." Though she struggled in the later part of her career, releasing a disappointing project in 2003 and going to jail for aggravated assault five years later, she's cemented her place in hip-hop history.
2 / 10
Foxy Brown - Foxy changed the game when she released her debut, "Ill Na Na," a week after Lil' Kim's "Hardcore," the other album responsible for birthing the hypersexualized female MC. Two platinum CDs and one gold disc into her career, she began unravelling after being diagnosed with hearing loss and getting arrested countless times until she landed in jail for probation violation in 2007.
3 / 10
Eve - The last new prominent MC to burst onto the scene, Eve proved she can spit with the guys as the first lady of Ruff Ryders. Her appearance on The Roots' "You Got Me" earner her a Grammy before she released her solo debut, paving the way for a successful career that included two platinum albums and one gold disc. Her musical success eventually landed her a few movie roles, her own self-titled sitcom and her Fetish clothing line.
4 / 10
Lil' Kim - Sex sells, but the old adage wasn't true in hip-hop until Lil' Kim struck platinum back in the mid '90s. Femcees had mostly been tomboy-ish before Kim (and Foxy) sparked rap's sexual revolution. She released three consecutive platinum albums until, but her career's been slumping since she went to jail on perjury charges in 2005. Kim's inspired a legion of femcees, including Trina, Jacki-O and Khia.
5 / 10
MC Lyte - Lyte nearly made you forget a woman was holding the mic. What she lacked in commercial success, she made up in lyrical skills. Though she hasn't been active in recent years, Lyte's still considered a voice for female MCs.
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