User:Dorian.2x/Women & Hip Hop in the UK

Hip hop in the UK emerged and became significantly popular in the late 1980s. Music by female hip hop artists in the UK are taking over the music industry.

Artist based in the UK are becoming more diverse and versatile. Women in the hip hop scene have been experimenting with UK drill and trap. People are drawn to trap beats and different flows. Women in hip hop in the UK have shown they can just as easily do anything that a man can. Women MCs in the UK have continuously shown their skills in the hip hop mix. In the media, people tend to pin women against each other. Women MCs don't give in though. A lot of them are very supportive of one another. Many female artist around the world have collaborated with other female artist. Artists like Ray BLK, Ivorian Doll, Abigail, Br3nya, and Hamzaa are a few of the many female hip hop artists in the UK who have collaborated with other UK female hip hop artists.

Early Pioneers

Cookie Crew

The two MCs Reme Dee and Susie Q along with DJ Max make up the Cookie Crew, one of the first female hip-hop groups in the world from South London. The groups notoriety stated to escalate after recording two sessions on John Peel's radio show witch gained them their first contract from the UK record label Rhythm King. In 1987 they released their debut single 'Females' with a follow up collaboration song with the beatmasters called 'Rok da House' witch reached number five on the charts. Making them the first women to have record deals and reach top charts in the UK.

Monie Love

Monie Love had a huge impact on women in hip hop in the US and UK as a young protégée of Queen Latifah originating from Battersea, London in the late 1980s. She was one of the first British artist to signed to a major record label and music distributed worldwide. She later got a job in Atlanta, Georgia as a radio host.

Media

Dj Skit's Domestic Science, highlighted a multitude of Black Women MCs in the UK through feature performances including Estelle and Wild Flower garnering them media attention. This performance being imperative to what launched Estelle's solo career not long after. She would continue to make music as a solo Black artist in UK Hip-Hop, before her increased success following a Kanye West feature on her song American Boy.

Ms.Dynamite's Mercy Award winning album A Little Deeper garnered mass following for UK's ever adapting music industry in 2002. In the following year, 2003, she also obtained 2 Brit Awards for British Urban Act as well as, British Female Solo Artist. Following Ms. Dynamite's Mercury Award, Debelle was the first black woman to obtain the award following Dynamite in 2009. SBTV, LinkUpTV and GRM Daily, became substantial platforms during the earlier formation of Youtube that best highlighted talent in Black youth in the UK. Sound Cloud among other media players, built the careers of much of our largest UK Women MCs known today, such as, Lil Simz. Known as the first Black woman from the UK to have a BET cypher performance in the late 2010s.

Stefflon Don, a mixed black Hip-Hop artist produced multiple songs that reached UK's top 10, as well as later achieving the title of being the first British artist to make XXL's Freshman Cypher list. A list of the top newest artists who are examined through free styles, etc. to parade their talent.

Significance of Hip-Hop to UK Women MCs

Queen Latifa, during a 1989 interview on The Cookie Crew, noted the intense misogyny and sexism within Hip Hop on Ladies First. Professors Janell Hobson and Dianne Bartlow, noted that within International Hip-Hop black women were utilizing rap as a means to communicate their experiences within their own lives. This touched on micro-aggressions as well as the severe sexism faced within UK Hip-Hop at the time. It is well worth noting that, in a report produced by CTRL that less than 34% of the board members within the UK music industry are women, and of those women less than 3% are black. The significance of being a black woman within UK at the time and even now is incredibly important, as their experiences are often minimized due to being part of a marginalized group.

On top of the importance, it is addressed through multiple artists the issues surrounding UK Hip-Hop's issues with colorism. Being that lighter skinned artists are often given more support than darker skinned women, making the uplifting and empowering songs noted below all the more significant (Peng Black Girls, etc.).

Rewriting History

In today's society, black women are overlooked and underrepresented. They are constantly put under men and this is highly prevalent in the music industry all around the world. Usually, if a women's song became a hit, it was because there was a male feature on it. As time progresses women MCs are changing that narrative. In the U.S. artists such as Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Flo Milli, Latto, Bia, Asian Doll, Rico Nasty, and more are rewriting history. They, amongst other female hip-hop artist, have proven that they don't need men to be successful. The same goes for women in UK hip-hop. Artist like Little Simz, Nadia Rose, Ms Dynamite, Ivorian Doll, ENNY, Kay Young, and more have shown that they don't the help of a man to flourish.

These numbers and the women behind the numbers are changing the hip hop scene for black women in the UK forever. From once being excluded from the hip hop scene as whole, black women are now starting to take it over. The documentary Through the Lens of Hip Hop: UK Women shines a light on women in the hip hop industry giving them a voice and show what women in the hip hop industry really go through. Like Through the Lens of Hip Hop: UK Women, the documentary Grime Girls, does the same thing. Try and create a platform for women in hip hop, specifically black women and women of color, to voice their experiences and pave a way for more to come. It is a documentation, once again, about what black women in hip hop go through and empower more to come.

Women MCs & their Accomplishments

Women MCs in hip-hop based in the UK have been extremely successful.

Ms. Dynamite won the Mercury prize in 2002. Following, Speech Debelle also won the Mercury prize in 2009 for her debut album titled "Speech Therapy." Her label Big Dada is very supportive of her and really pushes her into the spotlight. She went on a tour for her album which was highly successful. She suffers from stage fright but since started to enjoy performing.

Woman MC Little Simz, is the first female artists from the UK that performed in a BET cypher. Since then, other female hip hop artists from the UK have made an appearance on a BET cypher. Those artists include:

1. Stefflon Don
2. Ms Banks
3. Nadia Rose
4. C-Cane
5. Paigey Cakey
6. Lady Lykez

An all female hip hop tour in the UK was introduced. Rapper Shay D is the organizer of this tour. Shay D has been constantly turning heads. Her sound is very different from the rest. She is known for her pen game and lyrical content. On top of that, her distinct flow allows her to stand out from the rest.

"Peng Black Girls" by ENNY featuring Amia Brave was a statement to say the least. The song exemplifies female boss energy. Society and the media would often tell black girls that they are unworthy. Black women all around the world have been silenced. In this song, ENNY explores this idea and makes it clear that all black girls, regardless of their body, sexual orientation etc are beautiful. The music video was definitely a staple. The video was directed by all black women. These black female directors did a great job of making the message clear. The video consisted of a variety of women with different skin complexions, different body images, different hair textures, different sexual preferences and more. The video genuinely captured black excellence and female empowerment.

List of Women in UK Hip Hop

• Estelle
• Ms Dynamite
• Pariz 1
• Nadia Rose
• Little Simz
• Br3nya
• Lioness
• ENNY
• Amplify Dot
• Lady Leshurr
• Shystie
• Speech Debelle
• Ivorian Doll
• Stefflon Don
• Miss Lafamilia
• Brixx
• Keedz
• Baby Elz
• Cristale
• Deyah
• Kay Young
• Shaybo
• Lavida Loca
  

References

“Women in Hip Hop - Femcees Take the Mic.” Audio Network, 2 Mar. 2021