Grab your finest chains and gather ’round folks, it is time for another rap year book.  To recap from the last year book…

In 2015, The Rap Year Book was released chronicling the evolution of rap from 1979 – 2014, highlighting the most influential song from every year and written by the hysterical Shea Serrano.  It included giants like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Notorious B.I.G., N.W.A. but also shone newer talent with Big Sean, Macklemore and Rich Gang.

However, the book thirsts for one thing – female emcees; nary a female is mentioned, more or less breathed.  Female emcees are flooding the industry but are repeatedly ignored because of the ridiculously tired tradition of women as delicate and submissive objects; society refuses to take us seriously outside of this haggard perception.  With our constant degradation within hip-hop culture, women are less respected and recognized as genuine rap artists.  I decided to create my own list comprised of solely female emcees; a contrasting commentary on Mr. Serrano’s insightful collection.

In this second year book, I wanted to add gender fluid folks because I believe any representation other than cisgender male in the rap industry is necessary.  Deserving of these mentions are also female and gender fluid emcees who are members of rap groups and those who feature on some of the most influential songs yet are rarely recognized.

Please enjoy another collection of the baddest emcees who ever lived.

“Wham, bam, the monster jam get up everybody and do the freak, to the beat”

Before Salt-n-Pepa pushed it or SWV was so into you or TLC waterfalled, The Sequence monster jammed.  Made up of high school friends Cheryl Cook, aka Cheryl The Pearl, Gwendolyn Chisolm, aka Blondie and Angie Brown Stone, aka Angie B, The Sequence formed in 1979 and are noted as the first female hip hop trio signed to Sugar Hill Records.  “Monster Jam” was one of their earliest features, where they quickly overpowered their counterpart Spoonie Gee with their flirty and confident rhymes.

“They call me Mrs. DJ, I’ve got my name in the hall of fame, By the DJ rhymes I say”

Wendy Clark, better known by her stage name Lady B, is an American female rapper and radio DJ from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is one of the earliest female rappers and one of the first female hip hop artists to record a single. She began her career with radio station WHAT in 1979, and recorded her first single later that year, “To the Beat Y’all“. The song, the title of which became a stock rap phrase, was first released by TEC, a local Philadelphia-based record label, and released again in 1980 by Sylvia Robinson‘s rap label, Sugar Hill Records.

“Oh, hey, you, sitting over there, You better get up out of your chair, And work your body down, No time to funk around”

“Funk You Up” is a 1981 single released by The Sequence.  It is revered as the first hip hop song to be released by a female rap group without features or being featured (and by a rap group from the Southern United States, as all three members of The Sequence were natives of Columbia, South Carolina), and was the second single released on Sugar Hill, following “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang.

“A some a dem a seh me a go mash up dem plan, A true dem nuh know me a one bisnis woman, Sister Nancy she a one ina 3 million, Sister Nancy she a one ina 3 million”

“Bam Bam” is a classic dancehall single released by Sister Nancy on Techniques Records. The song’s chorus was inspired by the 1966 song of the same name, by The Maytals and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires.  The song’s instrumental samples the 1974 song “Stalag 17“, by Ansell Collins, a well known riddim, alternatively known as a backing track used repeatedly. “Bam Bam” is also known as one the most sampled reggae songs of all time (at least 99 known samples). Notable samples include C.L. Smooth & Pete Rock “The Basement“, Lauryn Hill “Lost Ones“, Kanye West “Famous” and Jay-Z “Bam“.

“Party people all ready to rock, and if you wanna be down you got to give me what you got”

Funky 4 + 1 was an American hip hop group from The Bronx, New York, composed of Mc Jazzy Jeff, Sharon Green, D.J. Breakout, The Voice of K.K., Guy Williams, Rodney Stone, and Keith Keith. They were the first hip hop group to receive a record deal, as well as the first to perform live on national television. The group was also notable for being the first to have a woman MC, Sha-Rock (Sharon Green). She is also referred to as the “Mother of the Mic”, or the “Luminary Icon” in the hip hop community. “Feel It (The Mexican)” was released in 1983 and contains samples of Babe Ruth “The Mexican” and Dynamic Corvettes “Funky Music Is the Thing“.

“Coming to the party tryna rule the throne, you can’t even write raps of your own, you say a corny rhyme and think your cookin’, you stole my rhyme book when I wasn’t lookin'”

Following her success featuring on Tim Greene’s “Facts Of Life”, Lady Crush was encouraged to record again. “M.C. Perpetrators” was her follow-up recording, produced by and featuring Tim Greene, who also has a guest verse. It also features Philadelphia native DJ Jazz.

“I’m the real, and you know the deal, And right about now, I ma tell you how I feel”

Born Adelaida Martinez, The Real Roxanne actually wasn’t the first Real Roxanne. Elease Jack first filled the role but after a chance encounter with UTFO, Martinez inherited the moniker. In the 1980s she, Roxanne Shanté, and others were engaged in the Roxanne Wars, a series of answer records inspired by UTFO’s hit song “Roxanne, Roxanne“, being the officially sanctioned artist in response to all of the answer records. Her first single as The Real Roxanne was “Romeo Part 1” featuring her frequent collaborator, Howie Tee.

“I’ll jump on the stage, the crowd will come swarmin’, And through the bass bottoms my beat’ll come stormin’, In, like a beast, breakin out of his cage, Pursuin’ eardrums with a deadly rage”

Sweet Tee (born Toi Jackson) is an American rapper, who was signed to Profile Records in the 1980s. Her first single in 1986 was the hit “It’s My Beat” featuring DJ Jazzy Joyce. She scored minor chart success with her debut album, It’s Tee Time in 1988, which peaked at #31 on the US Billboard R&B chart.  She scored four chart hit singles from her debut album. She is currently the assistant director at Samaritan Village, a drug treatment program located in Jamaica Queens, NY, her hometown.

“MC D come to rok the house, Go to the def places and I check it out, See all the B-Boys chillin’ on the floor, See fake fly girls and they’re looking for war, When they see me in the place they gotta stand back, They take a second look and then they try to rap”

The Cookie Crew originated in South London in 1983. Their career took off after winning a national rap championship and recording two sessions for the John Peel BBC Radio 1 show. They gained a recording contract from the UK dance record label Rhythm King and were put in the studio with the production trio Beatmasters, who put them in a house music direction. Thus their first single, “Rok Da House” was a hit in nightclubs. The continuing popularity of the single in nightclubs
eventually renewed interest in the track and garnered a heightened amount of attention. The record was remixed at the end of December 1987, crossed over into the mainstream, became a Top 5 hit in the UK Singles Chart and is considered one of the earliest examples of hip house.

“The violence in rap must cease and seckle, If we want to develop and grow to another level, We can’t be guinea pigs for the devil, The enemy knows, they’re no fools, Because everyone knows that hip-hop rules”

The Stop the Violence Movement was formed by KRS-One in 1987 in response to violence in the hip hop and African American communities, after a young fan was killed at a 1987 Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy show.  Members of the movement included Boogie Down Productions (KRS-One, D-Nice, Ms. Melodie), Stetsasonic (MC Delite, Daddy-O, Wise, Frukwan), Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh, Just-Ice, Heavy D and Public Enemy (Chuck D, Flavor Flav).  Further inspired by the recent murder of fellow BDP founding member Scott La Rock, he assembled many  East Coast hip hop rap stars of the time to record a song about anti-violence. With production assistance by bandmate D-Nice and Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad, the product of the session was the chart-topping song “Self Destruction“. All proceeds went to the National Urban League.

“There many MCs, or should I say wannabes, Touch the microphone without grace and ease, It’s the way you move, you gotta show n prove, You know what you doin’ or you’re bound to get boo’d”

Roxanne Shante is an American hip hop musician and rapper. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects of Queens, New York City, Shante first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars, an infamous cluster of hip hop rivalries in the late 1980s. “Feelin’ Kinda Horny” is off her first studio album, Bad Sister.  At first glance of the song’s title, one can conclude that Shante is in need of lovin’ but in actuality, she is referring to horns aka trumpets.  Throughout the song, she plays off strategically placed horn sounds while boasting her rhyming skills.

“Hatred, a form of jealousy, envious of the rockers called SHE”

She Rockers were a hip hop trio from London whose members were Donna McConnell, Alison “Betty Boo” Clarkson and Dupe Fagbesa.  They got their big break by performing for Public Enemy at McDonald’s in Shepherd’s Bush. The move paid off and Professor Griff ended up producing their debut single. As one of the few well-known hip hop artists from London, they paved the way for other overseas artists with the popularity of their single, “Give It A Rest“.

“Sunny daze, got to have my sunny daze”

Nikki D is an American rapper and is credited as the first female rapper signed to Def Jam Records. Born in Newark NJ, later moved to Los Angeles, California where she signed with Def Jam in 1989. “Sunny Daze” is off her debut and only album, Daddy’s Little Girl.

“I am unordinary the more balls the merry, Not two hangin’ hairy wit’ dairy airy, Cause to impress me is not to undress me, That’s only unless we agree you down wit’ O.P.P.”

From their quadruple platinum debut album, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, “Das Da Way We Like ‘Em” follows the sex driven, this is what I want and need aura that made TLC‘s freshman album one of the most successful and culturally relevant of all time.  All three women take on a verse each to express exactly da way dey like ’em.  Left Eye is yearning for a man who adds spice to her life, whether it be with strong, protective tendencies or their partaking in hip hop; T-Boz prefers a gentleman who spends time with her at parties, with saggy pants and guys who wipe their butts after they use the bathroom; Chili wants a romantic, sensuality, and respect, Classic Chili.  The song famously sampled Naughty By Nature‘s “O.P.P.” and is one of the rare instances where all three women rap entire verses.

“If it’s the shit we’ll lift it off the plastic, The babes’ll go spastic, Hip hop gains a classic”

Digable Planets formed in 1987 in Brooklyn with members Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Mariana “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira, and Craig “Doodlebug” Irving.  “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” is off their debut album, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), which has been certified Gold in the U.S.  The single became a hit and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.  The song as well as the entirety of the album incorporates heavy jazz references as Butler produced most of their music and was surrounded by jazz as a child.  They are notable for their contributions to the subgenres of classic hip hop and alternative hip hop.

“So umm, let me loosen up my bra strap, And umm, let me boost ya with my raw rap, Cause I’mma break it down to the nitty-gritty one time, When it comes to the lyrics I gets busy with mine, Busy as a beaver, ya best believe-a, This grand diva’s runnin shit with the speed of a cheetah”

“Afro Puffs” is one of The Lady of Rage‘s most popular and hard hitting songs.  The song is from the Above the Rim soundtrack, which was executively produced by Suge Knight (emphasis on the executively) and regular produced by Dr. Dre.  Although all of the rap tracks on the album featured male rappers, The Lady of Rage’s slick delivery and boisterous lyrics made her song a standout.

“I’m in the underbucket blastin in the cut, It’s the Glock goin’ buck buck buck
I’m like ‘Damn, whats up?’, I had that Glock that fit the script, Some of that high powered shit, ‘Cause all along I was smoking out them tricks, Hot ones echo through the ghetto”

The Click formed in 1986 in Vallejo, California and was truly a family affair consisting of E-40, his cousin B-Legit, his brother D-Shot, and his sister Suga-T.  “Hot Ones Echo Thru the Ghetto” is off their second and most successful album, Game Related and originally heard in the 1995 film, “Tales from the Hood“.  As key players in Bay Area hip hop culture, all four members spoke to growing up in the ghetto in different ways and continue to stay true to their Bay Area roots.

“Claiming that you got a new style, your attempts are futile, oooh child, You’re puerile, brain waves are sterile, You can’t create you just wait to take my tape, laced with malice, hands get callous, from ripping microphones”

From The Fugees‘ second and final(?) album, The Score, “How Many Mics” was easily eclipsed by “Killing Me Softly” and “Fu-Gee-La” but is the sole track of the album where Lauryn “L Boogie” Hill, Prakazrel “Pras” Michel and Nel Ust “Wyclef” Jean equally unleashed their lyrical prowess.  However, Lauryn’s verse is a true standout; her signature intellectual urban rhymes with her seductive voice perfectly sets a high rhyming bar for Wyclef and Pras.  Even after her poetic verse, she continues to challenge you during the repetitive yet simple chorus, asking you how many mics indeed.

“Wanna bumble with the Bee, huh?, Bzzz, throw a hex on the whole family
Dressed in all black like The Omen, Have your friends singin’, ‘this is for my homie'”

“It’s All About the Benjamins” is the third single from Puff Daddy‘s debut album, No Way Out. Diddy gathered The LOX, Lil’ Kim and Notorious B.I.G. (before his death) to record one of the most influential songs about money to date.  While The LOX and Diddy’s verses were of course nothing short of spectacular, Lil’ Kim’s verse was a much needed break from the benjamins sausage fest.  Queen Bee cemented her status as more than just Biggie’s ex-lover as she stands completely above the rest of the boys in this banger.

“You ain’t gotta be rich but fuck that, How we gonna get around your bus pass
Fo’ I put this pussy on your mustache, Can you afford me, my n****z breadwinners, never corny, Ambition makes me, so horny”

“Can I Get A…”  received double the attention with its appearance on Def Jam’s Rush Hour Soundtrack and Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life.  At the time, it became Jay-Z‘s most commercially successful singles and popularized then little known young rappers, Ja Rule and Amil with their solid features.  The most critical verse comes from Amil as she chastises mediocre men with her rhymes about being broke and riding the bus, lack of ambition, and the trouble of affording Alizé and Baca.

“Hey, yo I don’t even know you and I hate you, See all I know is that my girlfriend used to date you, How would you feel if she held you down and raped you?, Tried and tried, but she never could escape you”

Off Eve‘s debut album, Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, “Love Is Blind” addressed violence toward woman through the eyes of a friend and is based off the true story of Eve’s best friend, Andrea, who was in an abusive relationship for several years. Eve structured the song so she speaks simultaneously to her friend and her abusive male partner. With this song, Eve established herself as a rapper for women, empowering our community during her decades long career.

“Doin royal things, lock em down for offspring, Whole team be a bunch of backpackers and mic fiends, We all first string, spittin them jewels that bling bling, And when I hit mainstream, y’all n****s can bite me”

“Special Forces” is from Bahamadia‘s second album, BB Queen.  She assembled a dream team of underground producers and rappers; Planet Asia, CHOPS, DJ Revolution and Rasco.  After a four year gap between her first and second album, Bahamadia’s intro verse on the song took shots at the glam female rap genre that would slowly take over the early to mid-2000s.  She also addresses the complicated issue of becoming mainstream.  Bahamadia’s career has expanded over two decades since her debut, she has released only three studio albums and remains one of the most respected female rappers alive.

“Comin live from the streets where some died tryin to eat, From Y.O. to Philly, from Harlem to Q.B, And when it drops, game over, you’ll see”

In “Live From the Streets“, Angie Martinez also assembled a dream team but of mainstream rappers; Beanie Sigel (Philadelphia), Kool G Rap (Queens), Styles P (Queens), Brett (Harlem) and Jadakiss (Yonkers).  As Angie raps the chorus, each rapper takes turns reppin’ their hoods aka the streets they lived on as youth with their Adidas kicks, sweats and thick chains.  Each rapper highlights the struggle of the streets as well as its hustle and communal elements.The song was a fresh revisit to the days of hardcore, location based rap.

“Roll for my bitches, that be droppin’ in the strip clubs, tryin’ get ’em a lil’ somethin'”

“R.P.M.” was straight up gangsta rap at its finest, brought to you by Disturbing the Peace aka DTP, an Atlanta based record label founded by Ludacris.  The song featured Ludacris, Twista and the key female of the label, Shawnna.  Her intro verse set a hardcore tone for the rest of the song with her bitches strapped as she puffs the sack.  Shawnna also pays respect to women who strip, acknowledging their hustle and struggle.

“Misdemeanor on the flow, pretty boy, here I come, Pumps and a bump make you wanna hurt something, I can take your man, I don’t have to sex ’em, Hang ’em out the window, call me Michael Jackson (hehehee!), I’m a pain in your rectum, I am that bitch y’all slept on, Heavy hitter, rhyme spitter, call me Re-Run, Hey, hey, hey, I’m what’s happ’nin”

From her fifth album, This Is Not A Test!, “Pass the Dutch” is quintessential Missy Elliott.  The most popular single off the album boasts a classic comedic intro which sets up Missy’s well-known and clever pop culture references (Michael Jackson, De La Soul, What’s Happening!!,etc.) while reviving the phrase “who-di-whooooo”.  “Pass the Dutch” is also the second time where Missy pays tribute to Aaliyah, as a photo of her appears on a desk in the music video.  This beat heavy banger remains one of Missy’s most popular songs.

“We gangsta, and gangstas don’t dance with boogies, So never mind how we got in here with burners and hoodies, Listen we don’t pay admission and the bouncers don’t check us, And we – walk around the metal detectors”

Fat Joe may be the most well-known living member of Terror Squad but on “Lean Back“, Remy Ma scoops up all the attention with her hard-hitting verse.  2004 was pre-prison Remy, and all you wanted to do after hearing her verse is immediately become a member of her opulent posse.  “Lean Back” was an instant club hit and made all types of common club folk feel like millionaires for the night.

“See I look too good for this necklace, And I look too good to be wearin’ this, You know I look way too good to be innocent, I’m conceited, I got a reason, See I look too good to be drivin’ that, And I look too good to be buyin’ that, You know I look way too good to be tryin’ that, I’m conceited, I got a reason”

Miraculous, phenomenal, outstanding; just a few words that Remy Ma uses to describe herself in “Conceited (There’s Something about Remy)“.  The song is peak Remy; she is unapologetically sexual without fear while spitting extremely clever yet observational rhymes.  The way she begins the song (You gotta have the mind state like I’m so great and can’t nobody do it like you do) is a subtle nod to woman everywhere encouraging them to confident, fearless, and ambitious aka conceited.

“Purple candy paint brand new think I ain’t, Same chick same click mo bricks in the bank”

Dem Franchise Boyz‘s biggest hit “I Think They Like Me” was a banger but it’s remix was even bangier.  They enlisted the long established So So Def crew including Bow Wow, Jermaine Dupri and the artist that really matters, Da Brat. Brat was quiet for a few years before she was featured on the remix but her verse showed no signs of rest. She came out in full force, talking about money, grinding and body in her undeniable rapid fire Brat way.

“M.I.A. coming back with power-power (Power-power!)”

Although M.I.A.’s second album, Kala, was considered a bit of a dud compared to the massive appeal of her freshman album, Arular, “Bamboo Banga“, the opening song to her sophomore release was anything but.  The song, which samples Indian Tamil filmi composer Ilayaraja, highlights the struggle of third world countries as they run alongside of tourists’ Hummers banging on their doors; moving like loyal packs of hyenas and hunting like ambitious wolves.

“I never told my mommy, I couldn’t break her spirit, She always wished her daughter, extraordinary thinking, So I traveled alone, young, sixteen got in the habit of not stayin’ at home, Doing the sad walk like, Bill Bixby, a dollar fifty, Trips to the hospital so that Medicaid could fix me”

Jean Grae is a lyrical giant and “My Story” is her beanstalk.  In full Grae fashion, the song offers no chorus allowing for a full frontal of extremely personal moments in her life.  It circles around the abortion experienced at a young age and how it affected her young life.  Every painful memory is expressed with a poetic delivery against a somber and simple beat. You have to listen to experience its full power.

“Now check it, give me a second to unwind, You’ll find all the pain and misery that nearly blew my mind, Can’t no fame and shivery compare to losing time, I’ll explain my history aboard the cools at nine”

Seven years after the world lost Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, we gained her first posthumous album, Eye Legacy.  The lead single, “Let’s Just Do It“, featured TLC members Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and Missy Elliott.  Although the song and the album weren’t overwhelmingly received positively, they still remain a testament to the talents of Left Eye and reminds audiences why she is remembered as one of the greatest musicians of all-time.

“About the war, brick city, see the streets respecter, Police on electro, I keeps the extra, the Gucci fleece sweaters, all I reeks of leather, The same grimy bitch now I speak better”

Rah Digga is another bad ass who’s only released two studio albums during her decades long career and as the lone female member of Flipmode Squad, led by Busta Rhymes, is considered one of rap’s finest MCs.  Ten years after her debut album, Rah Digga released, Classic, and proved that her spittin’ skills hadn’t changed on the track “Who Gonna Check Me Boo“.  She focuses on her growth as an MC, and of course boasts of her riches and bad bitch assery.  Rah even references pop culture, incorporating the infamous Taylor Swift – Kanye speech debacle.

“So, where the next meal comin’ from yo?, Turnin’ my verse into income no, Maybe next time, maybe next rhyme, Till then I’m, missin’ the bus”

Hopie is a Filipina rapper from the Bay Area.  She was born in the Philippines and they immigrated with her family to the U.S. when she was three where they settled in the Bay Area.  She turned to music to escape her abusive and toxic home life.  “Missin’ the Bus” revolves around Hopie’s early struggle as she tries to find her rap voice.  Although Hopie’s legacy is rooted deep within the uniquely Bay Area rap scene, the themes of poverty, conflict, and uncertainty of young lives is a universal experience.

“And the ad is global, yep, Your ad was local, Where we shot it was a lot of different agriculture’s, So I laugh at hopefuls, Nicki pop, only thing that’s pop is my endorsement, I, fuck around I have to go and reinforce the glock“

“Roman Reloaded” was the beat heavy second single from Nicki Minaj‘s highly anticipated second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, where it featured half hip hop tracks and half dance pop tracks; making it a crossover success.  Minaj raps in both her own voice and her alter ego voice, Roman, which is one of her signature traits.  She also enlisted a feature by Young Money family member, Lil Wayne.

“Miss Mary Mack in da all black, lookin’ like death’s on yo heels betta fall back, comin’ with that 1, 2 ready set microphone killa smash set like I’m heavy set”

Rocky Rivera is another gem in the Bay Area hip hop scene.  “Crime Stop” is from her sophomore album, Gangster of Love.  The album’s name is borrowed from Filipina writer Jessica Hagedorn’s novel of the same name, where the main character is named Rocky Rivera (ie how Rocky got her stage name).  The beat heavy “Crime Stop” spits a mixture of police brutality and Rocky’s solid delivery about her skills as an emcee.  Hidden subtly is a sample of KRS One’s “Sound of Da Police”, perhaps the most well-known rap song about police brutality.

“All these bitches throwin’ shots, come get you some free Henny, eh, Whoa, where she find that? She ain’t signed yet, She ain’t competing with these hoes, it ain’t no contest”

When Dej Loaf wrote “Try Me” she was very angry and it shows.  It went viral for its angry yet honest lyrics which people empathized with at the time.  The song spawned numerous remixes but none hit quite like Ty Dolla $ign and Remy Ma’s version.  Dej writes from experience and while writing the song she had her hometown of Detroit in mind; she was sick of being in the struggle and how outsiders viewed the people of Detroit.  “Try Me” is an anthem for those who are fed up and where emotion takes center stage.

“There is no part of me left in my brain, I am outside it, man I can’t complain, I have seen so much you cannot contain, Or even create or even explain“

When Angel Haze released “Impossible“, we hadn’t heard from her in two years but she came back swinging. It was an assertive, full frontal perspective of Haze’s reemergence in the rap scene and her public coming out as pansexual and agender.  Backed by an industrial orchestra of noise, her harsh rapping style had that much more weight to it.  With nothing to hide, Angel Haze returned to the scene with honesty, power and a fresh outlook on her identity.

“Lips are red, Pockets are green, Tis the season to be queen”

If you’re in need of an ass shaking or some ho ho hos to ring in your Christmas spirit, look no further than Big Freedia‘s “Make It Jingle“.  Featured on the Office Christmas Party soundtrack, the song helped bring the genre of New Orleans’ bounce to the table and secure Freedia as a much needed alternative to the cisgender macho male driven genre of rap; bringing attention to and validating the talent and experience of the LGBTQ community. The song perfectly blends traditional elements of Christmas music with the sounds of bells and talks of Christmas trees with classic rap lingo about riches and finesse over a beat heavy bounce sound. It sets the holiday mood while opening presents on Christmas Day with the family or dropping it down low at the club.

“Don’t bother with these hoes, Don’t let these hoes bother me, They see pictures, they say goals, Bitch, I’m who they tryna be, Look, I might just chill in some Bape, I might just chill with your boo, I might just feel on your babe, My pussy feel like a lake, He wanna swim with his face“

“Bodak Yellow” is the major-label debut single by Cardi B aka It’s Cardi aka okurrrrr.  Cardi’s abrasive, confident and no shits given rap style was a throwback to the early days of Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown and the beat of Jermaine “J. White Did It” White catapulted “Bodak Yellow” into a chart sensation and it blew up overnight.  The Grammy, Soul Train Music, Billboard Music, BET Music, and American Music Award-nominated song spent three consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the longest number one for a solo single by a female rapper.

“Take a trip to they crib and they ain’t got shit, But a hole in a wall and some washed up kicks, So you better back down before you catch you a brick, I’m a queen, bum bitch, don’t you see my crown”

In one word; Quay Dash is fearless.  “U.A.F.W.M.” (you ain’t fuckin’ wit me) is a brash and gritty, claiming of space track that will not soon be forgotten.  Having been marginalized, targeted and harassed as a Black Trans Woman, Quay has spent years building her no fucks given identity which translates to her style of rap, reminiscent to the early days of Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown.  Although an extremely personal song, “U.A.F.W.M.” is a perfect armor for anyone who needs protection from those who be fuckin’ wit me.