In this very moment, I’m king
This very moment I slay Goliath with a sling
MOMENT 4 LIFE, NICKI MINAJ
I think I’ve mentioned it in passing when I shared an interactive New Yorker article about Missy Elliot a year or so ago, but I’ve never actually shared how invested I am in hip-hop and R&B. Sara Bareilles is still my favorite singer ever, but there’s something about the beats and rhymes in raps that rouse my energy and creativity. Female rappers are incredibly confident, too — something I want to emulate.
Just listening to songs can already make you feel some type of way. (For me, rapper Cardi B’s Bodak Yellow makes you feel emboldened. M.I.A.’s Bad Girls makes you feel like walking into a party uninvited — post-pandemic, of course! — and just own it.) But, of course, it goes beyond that.
“The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman,” Malcolm X said in his speech on May 22, 1962. Even in our current climate, though, the statement still rings true. Even when you’re already successful, it remains true.
The injustice done against women, in general, is already astounding. But it’s a different battle when you’re already a woman facing many struggles — and then get judged just because of the color of your skin. This isn’t to discount anyone’s struggles, but there’s a lot to be learned from how black women rise above the challenges they are handed. From owning their sexuality to uplifting others, female rappers are creating more space for other women to be bold and true to themselves. Now, if that’s not good enough to get you motivated, you can listen to some of these rappers’ songs to get hyped. Here are a few of my current favorites.