Before Cardi B: 11 Other Femcees Who Made Billboard's Hot 100 Chart
Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliott, and Lil Kim are just three of the female artists who once ruled the charts.
Cardi B made history as the first solo artist in 19 years to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for her single, "Bodak Yellow." It was the first time a female rapper reached the top slot since Lauryn Hill's 1998 hit, "Doop-Wop (That Things)."
While it's been awhile since any female talent has landed on top, there is a handful of artists who have managed to place on the trade publication's Hot 100 chart. Here are 11 other femcees who have made the dignified chart over the years with their own single and not as a featured artist on another's.
1. Salt N Pepa
On February 26, 1994, the hip-hop/rap trio and singing group, En Vogue teamed up for the sampled track, “Whatta Man.” The single hit the top 10 in just four weeks, eventually peaking at No. 3 during its 29-week stay on the chart.
2. Da Brat
The Chicago native was on fire in 1994. The rapper hit No. 6 on August 13 of that year with her first chart hit, “Funkdafied, which lasted 20 weeks on the Hot 100.
3. Queen Latifah
The actress and host may have been singing about empowerment, but the rapper managed to get on the charts as a solo act in 1994. On January 29th of that year, she peaked at No. 23 with “U.N.I.T.Y.” after a 10-week climb.
4. MC Lyte
The rapper and narrator called on Xscape for her single, “Keep On, Keepin’ On.” Together, their hypnotic track went to No. 10 on June 1, 1996, in its 12th week.
5. Foxy Brown
With JAY-Z on the track, the Brooklyn native struck Billboard magic with her single, “I’ll Be”. The song peaked at No. 7in its ninth week on the chart on April 12, 1997.
6. Eve
The former First Lady of Ruff Ryders was pretty much unstoppable in the early 2000s. In Aug. 2001, the actress joined forces with Gwen Stefani for “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” and literally blew all the way to the No. 2 spot in a span of 17 weeks.
A year after nabbing the No. 2 spot for “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” the rapper returned to the runner-up spot with “Gangsta Lovin'” with the help of Alicia Keys during its 10th week on the chart.
7. Missy Elliott
Throughout the 90s, it was very clear that Missy Elliott knew how to make a hit. On November 16, 2002, the rapper peaked at No. 2 with her addictive single, “Work It.” Despite 10 weeks in the runner-up slot, “Work It” never made it to No. 1 as Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” blocked her from the summit.
8. Lil Kim
The Queen Bee almost hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100chart in 2003 for her collaborative track, “Magic Stick” with 50 Cent. On July 12, she landed at No. 2. However, for five weeks in 2001, Kim reached the No. 1 slot for her contribution to the 2001 remake of “Lady Marmalade” alongside Christina Aguilera, Mya, and P!nk.
9. Trina
The Miami native and singer Kelly Rowland were meant to make music together. Two months and 12 days after its release, the rapper peaked at No. 17 on December 3, 2005, for their single, “Here We Go.”
10. Remy Ma
When the Bronx native and Fat Joe link up, it’s always amazing. The frequent Terror Squad collaborators peaked at No. 27 after their 10-week rise on June 18, 2016, thanks to "All The Way Up" featuring JAY-Z, French Montana and Infared.
11. Nicki Minaj
The Queens rapper struck pop culture gold when she released “Anaconda” on September 6, 2014. The single jumped to the No. 2 spot in just 3 weeks and created quite the wave online.
