Four women rappers you should stream


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Photo of Saweetie. She is dressed in purple, has bright pink nails and has sunglasses on. There is a dancer in purple behind her.
Saweetie, known for her 2017 hit “ICY GIRL,” uses her TikTok virality to expand her musical career. (Andrea Diaz | Daily Trojan file photo)

It’s no secret that women are dominating the hip-hop industry, and if you want to feel like the baddest person in the building, check out this list to upgrade your Spotify playlists with some certified bops from these talented rappers.

Saweetie

USC alumna Saweetie has been at the helm of short-form video virality before the nascent social media giant known as TikTok came into existence. Her 2017 smash hit “ICY GIRL” was ahead of its time, chock full of clever lines that could easily be memed and circulated on the lip-syncing platform Musical.ly. Racking up millions of streams on Spotify and YouTube, her popularity has only skyrocketed since Musical.ly rebranded as TikTok.

Saweetie used her virality to launch a career that led her original songs and features to carve out seemingly permanent places among Billboard’s Top 100. More recently, she collaborated with trending artists such as Dua Lipa and DaBaby and hosted (and performed at) MTV’s European Music Awards earlier this week. 

Saweetie’s verses are guaranteed to get anyone on the dancefloor, so if you’re feeling down and need a confidence booster, look no further than her growing discography.

Popular Songs: “My Type,” “Tap In,” “ICY GIRL,” “Best Friend”

Doja Cat

After publishing a few singles to streaming platform SoundCloud, Doja Cat eventually found her success on an entirely different platform — YouTube. In August 2018, Doja Cat uploaded a low-budget music video to her offbeat and absurdist song “Mooo!” The music video currently sits at 97 million views, as the song skyrocketed to viral success fueled by a younger audience.

While other artists may have used their 15 minutes of internet fame to recreate their first hit, Doja Cat used her virality to establish herself as both a serious artist and an offbeat internet personality. Doja Cat effortlessly shifted from a niche internet meme into the mainstream without sacrificing her unique social media presence. Albums released by Doja Cat following her viral fame have accumulated billions of streams and led the artist to collaborate with certified A-listers such as Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.

After her single “Say So” was remixed with a verse from Nicki Minaj, the song claimed a number one spot atop the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2020. After nabbing a Billboard Music Award earlier this year, it is safe to say that Doja Cat is not going anywhere.

Popular Songs: “Say So,” “Kiss Me More,” “Need to Know”

Rico Nasty

Maryland-born Rico Nasty marries punk-inspired lyrics and rowdy verses into music that feels like you’ve just chugged a Monster energy drink. 

Starting her music career after graduating high school, Rico Nasty soon reached internet success with the release of her 2016 mixtape, “The Rico Story.” Eventually signing with Atlantic Records, Rico Nasty released multiple studio albums and mixtapes to critical acclaim. One of her more popular tracks, the tongue-in-cheek song “Smack a Bitch,” made rounds on TikTok, accumulating nearly 100 million streams on Spotify. Performing at Coachella for the first time in 2019, Rico Nasty’s career is only just beginning, and the unique combination of her ever-changing pop-punk appearance and brash lyrics have found a mainstream audience among TikTok users.

Falling within a genre which Rico herself dubs “Sugar Trap,” her tracks meld an extreme delivery with subdued beats. Rico Nasty’s tracks have also been featured on the hit HBO series “Insecure.” 

Popular Songs: “Rage,” “Smack a Bitch,” “OHFR?”

Megan Thee Stallion

Certified hot girls unite! After skyrocketing to success with her 2019 EP “Tina Snow,” Texas-born Megan Thee Stallion has cemented herself as one of the most popular names in music. 

With catchy verses celebrating the joys of being a “hot girl,” it seems as if one of her lyrics becomes a viral TikTok trend every few weeks. Known for her creative freestyle and internet presence, Megan Thee Stallion’s new tracks and features are almost guaranteed a spot atop the Billboard Hot 100. Within a relatively short career, she has accumulated hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify and YouTube, and brought home three Grammy Awards in 2021, including Best New Artist. 

Popular Songs: “WAP,” “Savage,” “Body”