Throughout this year, artists and radio personalities alike have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. However, it has been very male-oriented, with the likes of Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Melle Mel all hitting the stage, but Eve is changing all that.
However, for a new three-part documentary on the BBC, the iconic 1990s emcee has decided to highlight women’s fantastic, iconic and often forgotten contributions to the genre.
The documentary, which Neneh Cherry will narrate, is entitled First Ladies of Hip-Hop and will focus on both newer female artists and those of the golden age. Names that appear frequently in the series include the likes of Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Rah Digga and Lil Kim.
The series will also highlight the new generation, featuring rappers such as Ice Spice, Little Simz, and Doja Cat, who are currently at the forefront of rap innovation moving the culture forward.
Eve, who features in the documentary, was asked who she believes are the five most critical female rappers of all time, to which she responded: Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj, and Leikeili47.
Singing Nicki’s praises, Eve stated, Her wordplay is incredible. She’s just a great lyricist, and no one can take her on. Anything I’ve ever heard her on, like that guest verse on Kanye’s Monster, she’s murdered it. She’s also very smart about the industry – knowing what’s coming and capturing the moment.
However, she considered Queen Latifah the most important, declaring, “Queen Latifah wasn’t the first female rapper, but she was the first to become a star. With a no-nonsense, straight-talking style that emphasised feminine power and Afrocentric consciousness, her hits included ‘U.N.I.T.Y’, ‘Ladies First’, and ‘Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children.'”
Eve’s five females to change hip-hop:
- Queen Latifah
- Nicki Minaj
- Lauryn Hill
- Missy Elliot
- Leikeili47
