MC Sha-Rock and the Funky 4 + 1 were the first rap group to ever appear on national television.
Getty/Anthony Barboza
Da Brat was the first ever solo female rapper to have a platinum-certified album.
Getty/Al Pereira
Lauryn Hill’s only studio album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” was the first by a female rapper to top the Billboard 200.
Getty/Chris Lopez
Salt-N-Pepa are widely known as the first ladies of rap.
Getty/Paul Bergen
Missy Elliott is currently the only female rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Getty/Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives
MC Lyte was the first female solo rapper to release her own, full-length album, 1988’s “Lyte As A Rock.”
Getty/Raymond Boyd
TLC had four No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, “Creep”, “Waterfalls”, “No Scrubs,” and “Unpretty.”
Getty/Michel Linssen
Eve had three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 between 1999 and 2002, which sold a combined 3.5 million copies.
Getty/Harry Langdon
Queen Latifah was the first female rapper to win the Grammy award for best solo rap performance with her song “U.N.I.T.Y.”
Getty/Al Pereira
J.J. Fad were the first act to release an album on Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records.
Getty/Raymond Boyd
Kelis, one of hip-hop’s most eclectic stars, has sold over 6 million records worldwide.
Getty/Patrick Ford
Rah Digga, a longtime member of Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad, is one of hip-hop’s most revered lyricists.
Getty/J. Vespa
Nikki D was the first female rapper signed to Def Jam.
Getty/Raymond Boyd
Cardi B is the only female rapper in history to have five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Getty/Christophe Archambault
