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Psalm One Loves You More

Woman To Woman

Published by Psalm One on April 30, 2010 at 10:00 am

Real Talk. My name is Psalm One and I’m a Rapper; a Woman at Work. When I started my career, I used to tell people not to compare me to other female rappers. I’ve always wanted to be recognized for my skill and not my gender. That mindset gave me the strength and drive to battle with the big boys, tour the world and release a critically acclaimed album.

But real talk, I am a woman, and if I’m not a champion for my gender, how can I expect anyone else to be? The truth is, as a female rapper, we get pushed to the backburner sometimes. We get disrepected lots of times, and even more than that, we get judged by our looks and sexulaity alone. There might be 5 hot male rappers, and only one chick.

aboveGround made a list of other rappers that aren’t “that chick”. I decided to weigh in as well.

So, woman to woman, this is my top 10 list of female rappers that you should celebrate, because I do. I’m also celebrating the release of my new project Woman at Work. It is available for Free Download at www.PsalmOne.tv because I want people to know just how good I am at my job.

Leave a comment below, we want to stimulate conversation, so there will be prizes for the first 25 comments courtesy of aboveGround Magazine and Rhymesayers Entertainment.

1. Lauryn Hill

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Album Cover)Big surprise? I know. Lauryn tops my list because of her amazing strengths and few weaknesses. Starting with the obvious, the sound of her honey dripped voice was enough to win over audiences of all genres leading her to an impressive temporary global domination. Besides that, she was the best rapper in a rap group with two other guys, that alone gets my vote. Not to say guys are better than girls, but it’s hard out here for a chick…

Her only weakness is that she disappeared. Entering relative obscurity after her mega-bomb album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill… She came back with that Unplugged album, but frankly it wasn’t the same and it made me kind of sad. All that preaching and crying was, at times, too fucking much.

Then poof! She went into actual obscurity. I’m not one for gossip or scandal, but the rumor is that she’s bonkers. I don’t know. I miss her. Obscurity or not, she’s golden.

2. Bahamadia

BahamadiaShe held me down in High School for the more cerebral chicks but H.W.A. wasn’t really feeding my soul. As a champion for the chicks H.W.A. just sent mixed signals…

Bahamadia was ushered in with major co-signs from Guru (RIP) and ?uestlove. She is a lyricist’s lyricist and her bars rival that of any great. Long after her Kollage album she released BB Queen which was a bit of a more diverse, electronic sound. She’s still dope, but I would have liked to have seen and heard more output from her. I don’t know what her label situation is, but I wish these labels would put more money and time into the ladies. She’s not going to wear a fucking bikini, but she raps her ass off. Isn’t that more important?

3. Roxanne Shanté

Roxanne ShantéShe’s a fucking pioneer in hip hop and battled everyone worth mentioning in her hey-day. I can remember playing “Big Mama” on repeat and just dying listening to her diss bars about other females….and males too! She treated everyone. She has so many dope singles, too. Her legend is a little tarnished, though, since last year I remember it came out that not only was she never signed to Warner Music (who she allegedly won an important lawsuit against) but she didn’t have her PhD. Boo. You ain’t got to lie, Craig.

4. MC Lyte

For a while, MC Lyte was THE female rap solo artist. She’s also a pioneer, and was doing for female solo artists what S-N-P were doing for the female rap group.
Lyte’s strengths include her voice, her legacy in the 80′s and early 90′s and the fact that she was one of those tom-boy type chicks that was approachable yet unapproachable at the same time. Her image was always up for debate, though. And although it isn’t anyone’s business, I think people were wondering about her sexuality when “Ruffneck” dropped. Then, maybe, not so much. After seeing her a bit later in the 90s, she has been kind of on the comeback trail, yet VH1 appearances don’t really count as the super dope thing to do, at least not around here.

5. Psalm One

Psalm One in a wedding dressOh Shit. How could I rate myself so high? I guess I’m just doing me.

Psalm’s strengths include being able to rap on damn near any cadence, having a very distinct voice and presence and having that street smart/book smart thing going. Plus, she’s cute as a button. If we‘re talking about co-signs, Psalm is on the strongest indie label out there, yet in the underground she is loved and revered by all sides.

Weaknesses? As an underground rapper, you may not have heard of her. Flashy radio songs or videos, weren’t really a priority before. It’s touring, battling and work ethic that earned Psalm her respect. A high profile Scribble Jam loss got people talking about her but a critically-acclaimed album (The Death of Frequent Flyer) quieted all the whispers and sealed Psalm as a legend in the making.

I don’t know how I feel about referring to myself in the third person, it’s kinda weird but you get the point.

6. Invincible

Invincible (Not Smiling)This girl is one of my favorite all-around rappers. I have tons of respect for her, and she’s always dope to chop it up with. Invincible’s rapid-fire delivery and her distinct Detroit style make her a dangerous emcee. She’s also very political in her content and being, which is a gift and a curse. With a mostly-political music agenda it’s tough to reach the masses. Her agenda makes her less accessible to some audiences (however that is probably more by choice than not). I want more people to find her and know about her, and I also want her to smile more. Smile, girl!

7. Jean Grae

Jean GraeShe usually sits at the top of most people’s female rap lists. No list is complete without her.Jean is a pioneer for a new voice in hip-hop, not only female hip-hop. She has had major co-signs and can rap her ass off, and if people know about at least one female rapper who isn’t on the TV all day, it’s her.
On the other hand, Jean has had a couple of false starts with a couple of different labels and situations, and having kind of a not-great reputation amongst people who talk about those sorts of things. She also hasn’t had a proper album drop in a long time. And although I’m glad it wasn’t true, saying you’re going to retire sucks, but then not really retiring is kind of womp womp.

Either way, I’m happy she didn’t because the streets are saying we should do a song together. Jean has actually been saying the same thing for years, but we’ll see…

8. Shawnna

The second female from Chicago on the list. Will she be the last?

Shawnna’s strengths include being Buddy Guy’s daughter, and being kind of a hood chick who’s sexy. I think she plays up her sex appeal for record sales, though. I also believe she’s suffering the dreaded girl-of-the-crew curse. DTP hasn’t dropped enough of her shit, and her albums aren’t ones that are exactly chock full of dope tracks. I also don’t think her label has pushed her hard enough. Sometimes we have to make our way, right ladies?

9. Ang 13

Ang 13The third and final installment from Chicago. She opened some doors for yours truly back in the day. If you don’t know her, she kind of reminds me, in a good way, of Rhymefest. Ang’s style lives and dies with her flow. It is razor-sharp, and she is a commanding presence on the mic. She hasn’t really dropped anything other than an EP or two, though, and her relatively non-existent output has put her sadly, under too many people’s radars. And she is too dope to be unknown.


10. Eternia

Silky Silk with the Skirty Skirt on. I’m sure you must have heard of her.

Eternia’s strengths include her work ethic and her newly-inked deal with Fat Beats. Her flow is hardcore and she has a lot of different flows, so her skill set is very respectable. Her track record is equally respectable. I think the possibilities for Eternia are limitless as long as she doesn’t limit herself.

Just my thoughts, people *in Jigga voice*.

Don’t forget to drop a comment. First 25 respondents win a prize from Psalm One, aboveGround Magazine and Rhymesayers Entertainment!

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48 Responses

  1. Great list. <3

  2. THANK YOU for the Shawnna love. I think she is dope as hell and I feel like people pass her off as ‘just another female rapper’ far too often.

    I’d be interested to hear Psalm’s thoughts on Ladybug Mecca as well..

  3. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Psalm One, Psalm One, Fluffy, Vandal, aboveGround Magazine and others. aboveGround Magazine said: @PsalmOne weighs in with her OWN top 10 Female MC list & We're giving away prizes! Check it out: http://bit.ly/aYqHiV [...]

  4. That’s a great list. I go back and forth on the being recognized for skills versus gender thing— I mean it’s not like men downplay theirs–its just assumed, the default, so why should we attempt to downplay ours? It puts you on the defensive from the word go, I still don’t like the word femcee though. I don’t think we have to genderize titles– and it just sounds goofy.

  5. I agree, great list Psalm :) Next time you’re in the TC I gotta stop by and show some love!! Keep doing it :D

  6. I would add Dessa, Rah Digga, Lil Kim, Yoyo, Nefertiti, Yo Majesty, Queen Latifah, Lady Sov, Envy, THEE Satisfaction, Lioness, Cookie Crew, M.I.A, JJ Fad, Salt N Pepa, Left Eye and Missy – not necessarily
    in that order.

  7. love Lauryn, love Lyte, love Jean!!
    Psalm belongs with them on a list of top wordsmiths balls or no balls. peace Psalm, keep fightin the good fight!

  8. The order is slightly different from expected but your placement for jean feels appropriate for everything you stated. Shes amazing however, you can’t put her in the top 5 when she hasn’t been on her grind nearly as much as everyone else up there.
    Also,I haven’t listened to nearly enough invincible obviously I’m missing something.

  9. Very solid list, mine would probably have Jean and Psalm higher but of course that’s just me. Really need to spread the word of great female emcees more. Keep up the great work.

  10. Nice list, and you are DEF on my list.

    i think what you said about Lauryns “weakness” is pretty un fair, to be honest. The Raw emotion displayed in her unplugged session just demonstrates the shear frustration that some of us have with the constant lies people tell themselves to maintain their fake ass little comfort zone.

    Not everyone thinks about the children that stitch our clothes, pick our cocao beans, sugar canes, tea leaves or mine diamonds, gold and other raw materials all so we can have Laptops and PCs and all the other shit we have at the expense of children in countries all over the world.

    Lauryn deserves top spot because she really can MOVE the CROWD. she has the influenec and the power to move THOUSANDS. but imagine having THAT power, but no one actually LISTENS. they just dance and sing the hook.

    Shit just this week Brother Ali vented frustration at his “fans” who argued against white privilige. “do you even hear what im saying?”

    Lauryns Unplugged session was one of the most powerful performances i have ever seen and i hope when she comes back it will be MORE of this, cuz quite frankly, i am sick and tired of people lieing to themselves. FUCK THAT. this shit is racist, sexist, classisst and all other types of isms and schisms and i have HAD ENOUGH

  11. this is a great list, i love seeing females in hip-hop get their deserved recognition. I have to agree with Sativa regarding Lauryn’s perceived “weakness” though. Her Unplugged project moved me in a way that few others ever have. Three words : Just Like Water.

  12. This seems to be a somewhat flawed list.

    I love the concept, since Im a huge fan of many female emcees, and find they often dont get the respect they deserve amongst their male contemporaries. Psalm One gets heavy rotation on my system.. especially “Bitin and Freakin” on the homie Casual’s record.. considered a classic by me and my folks.

    I really apreciate the Roxanne Shante shout out cuz she is literally one of the fiercest gladiators ever, but not including Lady of Rage is either revisionist histroy, regional bias, or pure snubbery..

    Yeah, I said.. SHE GOT JERKED!

    Rage might not have much of a catalog, but her verses at the peak of her career (see: Afro Puffs) pretty much can crush the majority of anyone on that list period. Her vocal styling is outta this world too.. you really cant front of the way she made the entire Death Row roster seem toyish on the majority of their posse cuts.

    And cosign Lauryn at the top spot based almost solely on her verse on Zealots which is probably one of the best in recorded musical history..

    SO EVEN AFER ALL MY LOGIC AND MY THEORY…

  13. My top 10

    1. Lauryn
    2. Lyte
    3. Shante
    4. Rage
    5. salt n peppa
    6. missy
    7. kim
    8. foxy
    9. shawna
    10. jean grae/psalm/nicki minaj 3WAY tie

    honorable mention: left eye’s verse on waterfalls, suga t, da five footas, eve, & mia x aka mama drama..Invincible is pretty sick too.. everyone on your list deserves a shout out actually..

    guilty pleasures- trina, and that ‘my neck my back’ song cuz before i seen khia i used to picture trina rappin it cuz i thought it was her lol..

  14. ooops.. i wanna add bahamadia to the number 5 spot actually.. everyone moves down.. and shawna goes into a 4 way tie with yall..

    actually, she should be right beneath yall in #11..

  15. yeah dude, great article… gives me some more female MCs to check into…
    MUCH RESPEK!

  16. foxy brown n lil kim > jean grae and psalm one?

    are you serious?

  17. @Uno, girls who had boys write for them don’t count… foxy + kim = jigga +big ==>boo for you.

    and i <3 nicki, but i call her pop…

  18. Sure..

    But can we take off the reference to rumors of Lauryn being crazy..

    Fuck that. Stand together women.

  19. Charlotte, good call on Rah Digga. Definitely deserves some mention.

    When I first read Lioness in your list, I thought it said Lionezz as in Lionezz from ‘Miss Rap Supreme’ and I threw up a little in my mouth haha.

  20. The reality is that this is a genre where women have to be better than, to be heard as an equals & I love that the argument here is that naming 10 does not nearly cover the phenomenally talented, insightful female voices out there.

    Wait, can staff win? ;-)…

  21. Waddup Psalm! Good list except I would put Rah Digga easily in top three.

  22. Also; that Shawnna collabo with Twista & Luda on that first DTP comp was fucking ridiculous; that alone proves she’s a berzerker.

  23. @Anne Devlin:

    I agree.in fact i simply feel the need to highlight that in the 80s Sinead o connor went from international superstar to complete social pariah.

    JUST LIKE LAURYN, there are all sorts of rumours about her being crazy, basically that no longer being a celebrity was HER MISTAKE.

    The reality was that Sinead o connor was stigmatized because SHE SPOKE OUT AGAINST CHILD ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

    This female artist challenged the vatican, challegend the pope, becuase of all the children being sexualy abused by priests and becuase of this, she was BOOED off stage, cursed by the media, and became a social pariah.

    Today, she would prob be praised, but in the 80s she became evil for TRYING to wake people up.

    everyone should think about that before using the words lauryn and crazy in the same paragraph.

  24. So, I gotta be honest. I only know half the ladies on this list. Maybe dudes like me are the problem with where women rappers stand. But the ladies on this list I do know are dope as hell.

  25. Jean Grey needs to be higher on that list and I don’t know if I am seeing things, but I don’t see the Queen anywhere…that takes credibility from this whole process. Did she not make “Ladies First” and “UNITY” and she still kills ish today. Anyway, those are my two cents right now…

  26. Definitely feeling your top 10 –

    I would just add on Rah Digga (always loved her flow)
    and another chick from the Chi who I was introduced to (Rita J)

  27. Yes, Mr Smart Guy… Rah Digga…what the eff…a girl I know said that Nikki Minaj was the best and I wanted to cut her effin head off… im in the process of making a female emcee mix for her to try to educate this youngin a little bit…

  28. Nice list. Although everyone will have their own opinion on who shouldve been on the list/”why’d you leave her off the list?”, I appreciate your perspective (even including yourself lol!) I remember first hearing you on Casual’s Smash Rockwell album and saying ‘damn, she’s nice witit’. No matter if they make our personal list, salute to all the MC’s who’ve made an impact in our ears and hearts.

  29. yeah, Rah Digga should be on here too. High on the list.

    and who cares if Kim and Fox didn’t allegedly write all their bars..

    they were incredible in the booth, had some classic records, and early in their careers very consistent output.

    Kim on Get Money >>>>>>>>>>

  30. @Will Line – RPM is the name of that Shawnna song and YES she tears that shit apart.

    Hopefully on the next album she puts out we get more songs like RPM, Block Music, Kick This One and less like Hit the Back, Lil Daddy Whats Good, etc.

  31. wow
    i didn’t get in the first 2 responses. just peeped this now.
    “HONOR” doesn’t do my feelings justice, but its a start.
    this is a heavy duty list to be a part of. i’m glad u put urself in there, cause u deserve to and u should.
    and everyone else I agree with / co-sign as well.
    WORD the F*CK UP (yes, i’m self editing, its a new me ha)
    we’ve known each other for over 5 years now woman. My respect & admiration for you ain’t going anywhere.
    looking forward to 5+ more
    (corny but TRUE… we ain’t goin nowhere)
    the beautiful thing about creating art under pressure (others doubt, etc…)
    is that it just makes us better.
    and we are.

    MUCH MUCH RESPECT
    (I may have to bump Woman @ Work today ha! LOVE THE CONCEPT btw)

    e

  32. ok revised list..

    psalmie, im lovin this topic btw..

    1. Lauryn
    2. Lyte
    3. Shante
    4. Rage
    5. salt n peppa
    6. bahamadia
    7. rah digga
    8. missy
    9. psalm/jean
    10. kim/nicki/fox/shawna

    I think that looks pretty damn official to me..

  33. Shawnna or Jean Grae don’t have the hits OR the catalog to support being mentioned where Salt ‘n Pepa, Latifah, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lady of Rage, or Lil Kim are ignored.

    And for all you commenters trying to put Nicki Minaj on ANY list besides a VH-1 ’10 wackest rappers’ clipshow: #hositdown

  34. I couldn’t agree more, baby. Although, we both know U’d be @ my top! I’m not even trying to suck yo dick, but your raps MOVE me… I love U. Never stop. Promise me?

  35. Not that I necessarily disagree with the list but, I’m an old school kinda guy and there isn’t much representation for the women who paved the way, other than MC Lyte and Roxanne Shante.

    Just throwin out some names that helped usher in the womens rap movement;

    Monie Love
    Queen Latifah
    Yo Yo
    Boss (although she was shit on by fans shortly after she became popular, her impact as a hardcore woman rapper was undeniable)
    Salt N Pepa

  36. Okay, lets try this… Eff the whole Top Female Emcee concept. I know its fun to do, making lists and whatnot, but this exercise takes far more away than it adds. How did we go from fighting for equality and women rights and suffrage in the 20′s and how much do we battle with religion for subjecting and objectifying women and how much do we fire at hip hop for objectifying women and how much were women historically excluded from discussions and politics and the arts, and the effing arts. People can name a million famous male writers and painters, but can’t do the same for women. It that natural, no! That was purposely done by a male driven society. Now today, we do the same thing by having all of this discussion about the best Female Emcee. That’s like saying ‘you’re the best out of a lesser group’. That’s what we’re saying when we subscribe to these notions. Lauryn Hill is one of the nicest Period… you can’t be a woman and talk about equality and ‘we can do what you can do’ if you put Yourself in a limiting conversation. Strive to be the best, make the definitive work, transcend gender and ethnicity and age and make Great Work…Is Big Pun the nicest Latin Emcee, of course, but is he one of the nicest emcees in history, hell yes. Its easy to be the best if you make a group that doesn’t have a high membership. If there are only 10 women emcees making noise, then everyone is on the list. Once you strive for greatness in the biggest population, then you are striving to make something that effects the global consciousness and that is the purpose of The Arts. I can make a list thats the best emcee that’s Black Puerto Rican male under 30 from San Francisco named Jamal. Yeah, im effing number one on that list and if I put so much weight in that list, then I don’t have much work to do as an artist. Now, if I say that I want to be one of the greatest emcees in hip hop period, then I have a lot of work to do and I am striving and dedicating my life to greatness and not mediocrity. We are not helping true hip hop by making groups___or maybe I should say by focusing so much on group list such as: best from CA, best from the South, best underground, best female, best white rapper, best blah blah blah.

    “The goal of an artist is to make the definitive work that cannot be surpassed” Charles Bernard Shaw…

    and on that note I say peace.

    Jamal Frederick
    twitter.com/JamalFrederick

  37. Great list and great discussion!

    Nobody has mentioned Sha Rock’s name yet though, so I will do that now. Sha Rock, Sha Rock, Sha Rock.

  38. @JamalFrederick:

    You bring up interesting points, however I disagree in some respects. Listing the best of a given group does not make the group lesser or greater than anything else. If that is the perception of the masses, then that is their own ignorance. That is as silly as saying, “who is the best Tai Chi Practitioner,” but saying that is a weaker martial art than say Hung Gar or Shorin Ryu. Its not. Its not about the art, its about the practitioner. I know tai chi practitioners that could stomp out most MMA champions. Again, its not about the art, its about the practitioner. (any true practitioner and master of an art would tell you this.)

    Likewise in music, its not about the group or category, its about the individual artist. People say Lauryn Hill is one of the best women, but she is also one of the best emcees ever. People say Ice Cube is one of the best from the west, but he is also one of the best ever.

    You can sub-categorize everyone, but at the end of the day, they are hip hop, and even Hip Hop is a subcategory. There is nothing wrong with sub-categories, the problem is in how much weight the consumer puts on that sub-category.

  39. @welloftruth

    I think that we totally agree. We will make and have groups and that’s fine, but the issue arises when we focus too much on them. The comparison with martial arts, I think, is a little different because that would be saying that female hip hop is a totally different form of hip hop, or form of music. That comparison makes more sense if we compared it to genres of music. The best hip hop, the best jazz, the best classical, etc. Then they are all even. But, in keeping with martial arts, how do we benefit if we say “who is the best Black Kung Fu artist” that could suggest a lesser artist because you’re not included in the art as a whole. But again, the issue isn’t so much the groups, its the focusing on them…

    Peace

  40. what Jamal is saying is that by isolating women into their own group, it tells us nothing.
    frankly, having read a decent amount about how feminist/women’s history has developed, i’d argue that isolating women in this sense merely confirms their marginal status, because the fact that a separate list has been made only proves the ‘rule’ that women NEED their own list to gain recognition.

    instead, fuck lists. just put emcees you respect or whose music you like. talk about them and their music, give their background and stuff, try not to separate the women out, just say they’re real dope and people will listen. if they don’t, sucks for them.

    psalm one said at the beginning of this article that ‘I’ve always wanted to be recognized for my skill and not my gender.’ this is completely defeated by the fact that she just made a list SEPARATING OUT all the female emcees. you’re immediately gonna be branded as ‘the female rapper’ if you’re mentioned in this discussion.

    another problem i found is that it’s a list of the ‘greatest’ rappers. how the FUCK do you define greatness? it allows for subjective points to be given for popularity, skill or whatever else the person who makes the list decides upon is important. people are always gonna be arguing about who’s the greatest (the discussion above is an excellent example) when in the end it DOESN’T FUCKING MATTER, because everyone is gonna disagree anyways. what matters is that you decide for yourself who you like based on what you hear and what you know about their background or personality or whatever.

    in case you’re wondering, my favourite rapper is Jean Grae. period.

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  43. Where is Boog Brown on your list? I really liked “The Grind season”!
    Roxanne Shanté, Eternia and Bahamadia are very good and the only female Rappers i have ever seen live (their tour even stopped in my small town in Austria)

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  46. Damn yo… I want some free ish! Jk.. still, dope list, havent heard of Ang 13 before.

  47. Nice blog, I like it.

  48. GREAT Post. thanks for reveal.. more wait.. …

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