Lists have become lighting rods of controversy. Music fans are still reeling from the outrage that was sparked by Apple Music’s 100 greatest albums of all time. Now, it’s Billboard’s turn. The outlet put out a ranking of the hottest female rappers right now, and unsurprisingly, the comment section was flooded with complaints and/or talking points. Some fans felt that it was incomplete, others felt it was ignoring less popular but more artistically ambitious rappers. Some were mad that Nicki Minaj claimed the top spot.
To be fair, Minaj laid the groundwork for the rest of the rappers on the list. She’s also had a resurgence in the last year, thanks to a number one single and a record-breaking tour. Nicki Minaj is as big as a female rapper can get, according to the stats, and that’s not even taking her huge influence into account. Cardi B, GloRilla, and Doja Cat have all cited Minaj as an inspiration on their own style. GloRilla went as far as to say Minaj gets too much hate considering all the doors she opened for female rappers. Be that as it may, rappers like Sexyy Red and Megan Thee Stallion have had meteoric rises in recent years. They place at number two and three, respectively. Doja Cat and Ice Spice round out the top five, despite the former being more of a singer/pop star historically.
Nicki Minaj Topped Billboard’s Polarizing List
As some fans have pointed out, though, Doja Cat has had way more success than Megan or Sexyy Red. She’s scored multiple number one singles as a featured and solo artist, and her albums sell significantly more than everybody else on the list. “Why TF is Megan higher than Doja,” asked one user, which was a sentiment shared by another: “Lol in no world is Meg better than Doja.” Others felt that Megan should be at the top of the list. There were fans who believed Sexyy Red has had the most eyes on her in 2024, and therefore is most deserving of the “hottest” title. “Sexy [sic] is clearly the hottest out,” one IG user wrote.
Then the attention turned to commissions. The missing name that really rubbed fans the wrong way was Rapsody. The North Carolina native is the most respected female rapper working today, and she just put out another acclaimed album, Please Don’t Cry, in May. “No Rapsody is an automatic ignore,” one IG user posited. “Rapsody is LIGHT years better than this entire list,” another wrote. “No shade tho.” Other huge names who were thrown out as being worthy for consideration were Che Noir, Lola Brooke and Kamaiyah. What do you think of the Billboard list? Who got snubbed, and who was placed too high?
About The Author
Danilo is a writer based out of San Diego. He graduated from the Art Institute of Tucson with a B.A. in digital media, and has since forged a career as a pop culture journalist. He covered hip-hop for Heavy.com, Rhyme Junkies and PopMatters prior to joining HotNewHipHop.com. Danilo’s top five is constantly changing, but Biggie and Slug from Atmosphere remain permanent fixtures. His favorite rap album of all time is “Late Registration” by Kanye West, and that stays the same.
