25 Hip-Hop Albums By Bomb Womxn Of 2018

Noname, ‘Room 25’

There’s an existential rebirth that occurs after heartache. Thrust into emotional fragility when abandoned, the trust of deflowering is no longer gleamed as sacred, but rather gutting when there’s loss behind the love. Following her 2015 debut Telefone, the tightrope act teetering between pure and conscious, Noname opens the portal into Room 25, an orchestra-driven inundation within the depths of looking-glass self and unrequited love.
 
There’s a vintage air to Room 25, beginning with the soulful wails of “Self,” in which Noname prepares listeners for what’s bound to become the molding of the album (Maybe this your answer for that good p***y/I know ni**as only talk about money and good p***y). Somersaulting headfirst into the chilling enigma of “Blaxploitation.” Noname peers into the stereotypes of black Americans that even ’70s-nostalgic forefathers Digable Planets and Camp Lo would tip their hats to.
 
After the dust has settled, lost ones find their way to the pulpit during the nighttime revival of “Prayer Song,” exposing America’s facade of freedom and the trauma of police brutality. Assertiveness is also a relational factor that Noname knows all too well, as she plans to replace the cover of Room 25, originally created by artist Bryant Giles after he was accused of domestic abuse and rape. Despite the gray cloud that seems to follow Noname in reality and on wax, she still allows light spots to shine through, escaping the misery of a previous relationship by rendezvousing with a travel companion on “Montego Bae.” Fellow Chicagoan Ravyn Lenae replicates Noname’s flow on the chorus, but her soprano caresses are unmistakable.
 
A card table cipher with Smino and Saba ensues on “Ace” celebrating their humble beginnings and the places it’s taken them, but Noname doubles back into the original pace of the album (“I’m just writing my darkest secrets like wait and just hear me out”). Resting on the edge of survival and oblivion, Noname seemingly pens her own eulogy, isolated in the false reverie of Los Angeles, away from the familiar comfort of home. The crux of Room 25 stems from the harp pluckings of “Window,” and if you listen too lightly, you’ll almost mistake it for a fairytale. Instead, violins corral Noname into a recollection of a full-speed relationship that sent her flying, eventually landing into a pit of despair.
 
Sparring with the past, Noname comes to accept her journey, locking the door of Room 25 as a solace to heal. —Jaelani Turner-Williams

Cardi B, ‘Invasion of Privacy’

After topping the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017 with “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi B set her sights on 2018 and delivered beyond expectations. The frenzy surrounding the Bronx rapper shows no signs of halting anytime soon as the former reality TV star continues to rack up multiple accolades whilst making history in the process.
 
With the release of her critically-acclaimed album Invasion of Privacy, the projected 2019 Grammy frontrunner dominated the Billboard Hot 100 earning 255,000 album- equivalent units (103,000 of which were pure sales). Since debuting in April, the LP has been certified double platinum by the RIAA and produced a wide variety of hit singles including “Bartier Cardi” ft. 21 Savage, “Be Careful”, “Ring” ft. Kehlani and ‘I Like It” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin which topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the entertainer’s second #1.While breaking records seems like second nature to Cardi, the album is atop most, if not all “End of Year’ lists for a reason.
 
While Invasion of Privacy equips listeners with flashy anthems including “Drip” featuring Migos and “Money Bag”, the rapper’s vulnerability remains one of her biggest strengths, especially on “Thru Your Phone,” (“My heart is beating like it’s bleeding out / You sleepin’, you sleepin’, you sleepin’.”)
 
Presenting a fusion of sounds ranging from trap, reggaeton and R&B, Cardi B’s hunger from her mixtape days was felt throughout her debut. Opening the album with a flow reminiscent of Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares”, the Atlantic signee proves that she’s still that “regular, degular, shmegular” girl living her dreams on “Get Up 10”. (“And I got enough bras, y’all ain’t gotta support me / I went from rag to riches, went from WIC to lit..”) Notable standouts on the album include twerk-friendly “Bickenhead,”, “She Bad” featuring YG and “I Do” featuring SZA.
 
Since her smash hit “Bodak Yellow,”, Cardi B has inched her way to the top without letting pregnancy or controversy stop her grind. Gearing up for the deluxe version of Invasion of Privacy, if her new single “Money” is any indication, more hits and success will follow the modern-day Binderella —Wanna Thompson

Tierra Whack, ‘Whack World’

The born and bred Philly rapper, originally known as Dizzle Dizz is without a doubt one of the most talented voices to emerge in the last few years, whose creativity is on par with her distinctive wordplay. Dazzling the internet with her critically-acclaimed debut album, Whack World, Tierra Whack invites us on a visually stunning trip into a universe that is uniquely hers. Presenting 15 tracks exactly one minute long, the album differentiates itself from the traditional format and successfully satiates your musical palate despite the length. To reduce Whack World to just an album forfeits the brilliance of Tierra’s creative prowess which many believe mirror the legendary Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes’ visual concepts. Earning over 2 million views on YouTube, the vignettes showcase a wide variety of shapes and dimensions, whilst sticking to a pastel color palette a la Tim Burton’s classic film Edward Scissorhands.
 
Serving as a recurring theme throughout the audiovisual album, Tierra masterfully conveys the art of surrealism and fantasy. While there are various standouts on the EP, “Bugs Life,” “Flea Market,” “Pet Cemetery” and “Fruit Salad” are personal favorites. Mesmerizing both in sound and sight, Whack poetically sings and raps about love, loss and familial ties that take listeners on emotional highs and lows. On “Pretty Ugly” Tierra laments about her “ugly” flow is the reason why people are intrigued by her, despite the peculiarity.  (“Bet you ain’t heard no flow like this / Make you say yo excuse me miss / Go against me I’ll beat like Swizz / I like my paper nice and crisp.”)
 
In a recent interview with Pitchfork, Tierra spoke about her sound and why she likes to deviate from the norm. “In the industry, you’re told that you have to stick to one sound, but that’s boring to me. So I’m like, ‘Yo, I have to give people a taste of everything.’ I’m thinking about myself performing live, and I don’t wanna do the same type of song 10 or 20 times. I wanna mix it up.”
 
While Whack World is rightfully being heralded as one of the best albums of the year that deserves every inch of praise and glory, namely for the production and rhythmical flows, I anticipate the whimsical world Tierra Whack plans to reveal to us next. —W.T.

Rico Nasty, ‘Nasty’

Why should the boys who dominate rambunctious SoundCloud Rap get to have all the fun? With this summer’s Nasty mixtape and the eponymous tour, Rico Nasty welcomed more women into sonic and physical spaces to rage.
 
The refreshingly compact Nasty holds 12 raucous anthems for spitting hard and thrashing to. Her live shows gained notoriety for attendees doing just that. At the end of the Nasty tour, Rico revealed that 24 of its 28 dates at venues like Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, Atlanta’s Center Stage, and the DMV’s Fillmore Silver Spring had sold out. Three of the shows were a part of festivals. “Don’t wear heels,” Nasty warned fans. “And don’t wear like anything that you really care about, like designer or anything, because you are in a mosh pit with guys.”
 
Even with songs titles like “Ice Cream” and “Oreo,” Nasty mostly abandons the perversely honeyed tracks of her two previous projects to build a darker world. Rico may brag about her hair and nails, but pretty isn’t the purpose of Nasty. Rico plays the roles of the aspirant, the vixen, the stoner, the sage, and of course, the rockstar, but most of all, the threat. “Talkin’ sh*t on Instagram, that pistol make you log off,” she raps on mixtape standout “Countin’ Up.”
 
Rico’s boisterous bars, dexterous and clean, melt into the speaker-knocking and guitar-laden production of Kenny Beats, Tay Keith, Lex Luger and more. “I like recording. I spend weeks at a time in studio sessions,” she told VIBE this spring. Her dutifulness shows. Nasty boasts successful experimentation with the pacing and pockets of her flows, carefully curated sounds, and commitment to character, making it even more enjoyable than last year’s Sugar Trap 2. Sugar Trap 2 was fun. Nasty is righteous.
 
This year, Rico took her place as rap’s punk priestess, and we took notice. We listened to Nasty to conjure self-assuredness. We listened to Nasty to manifest energy. We listened to Nasty when we were sick of listening to the men of SoundCloud Rap dogging women.
 
As is rap tradition, she may do some of the same, but the reality of black womanhood isn’t liking every black woman on a personal level, anyway. And ultimately, Rico Nasty, and Nasty, the mixtape, likes us as a unit. “Black girls, stand up!” she exclaims to a beat-halt on the opening track. Nasty is for us. Black girls, stand up, indeed. —Mankaprr Conteh

City Girls, ‘PERIOD’

City Girls burst onto the scene with their track “F**k Dat N***a,” which was featured on Quality Control’s 2017 compilation, Control the Streets Vol. 1. The track highlighted the no-nonsense attitude of JT and Yung Miami as the hip-hop world was put on notice of their straight-forward, independent lifestyle. Their brand of raw and brash hip-hop hadn’t been felt in the mainstream since Khia’s “My Neck, My Back” and their debut album PERIOD, released in May, amplified that brand with an in-your-face introduction to the Miami rap duo.
 
PERIOD features the two rappers wasting no time kicking down the doors and asserting themselves in a male-dominated world. Over a variety of speaker rattling Miami bass and Southern trap beats, the girls dive into a whirlwind of unconventional lyrics about sex, power, and femininity. They speak of stealing boyfriends on “I’ll Take Your Man” while giving their fellow ladies lessons on finessing their male counterparts on “How To Pimp a N***a.” They even make the practice of gold digging a positive form of hustling on “Millionaire D**k.” PERIOD earned the duo their first taste of an album chart when it reached No. 16 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart in May and put the Miami natives on a number of radars.
 
The stories these girls tell on the album are entertaining and the reason why so many people took notice. It offers a refreshing perspective on everything that revolves around going out and getting yours. Besides a feature from Ball Greezy on the raunchy “Movie,” JT and Yung Miami carry the load of 16 tracks on their shoulders with no assistance. It’s a surprising feat that proves the girls can hold their own at their stacked label and in the crowded hip-hop landscape.
 
Taking elements from the risqué, hardcore women MCs that came before them (e.g. Lil’ Kim, Trina), the duo are a part of new wave of women rappers resurrecting a subgenre of hip-hop that’s been long forgotten. Through their efforts on this album, the duo nabbed a coveted guest feature on Drake’s “In My Feelings.” With PERIOD, the girls are taking a term used by the public to define the menstruation cycle (and all the negativity that’s put on it) and using it to symbolize courage and strength. They’ve made it their signature to say the word at the end of sentences to emphasize the seriousness in their statements and the idea that all women have to punctuate their voices in order to be recognized. —Mark Elibert

Nicki Minaj, ‘Queen’

Nicki Minaj had four years to round up the finest producers and songwriters to devise an album hoping to remind listeners of her lyrical greatness. Queen was supposed to be this, but the world had other plans. In a time where Cardi B is breaking records left and right, the entertainer found herself painted as the villain, a mix of her own devices and those who enjoy hopping on a hate “Artist A” bandwagon. Despite this, Queen still satisfied Onika enthusiasts but left others wanting more.
 
Her first single “Chun-Li” was a suitable banger to introduce the awaited album. If the intimidating beat didn’t give you ’90s nostalgia with Street Fighter vibes, you weren’t listening hard enough. She even brought it back to one of her early flows from the Playtime Is Over era with singles like “Barbie Dreams” and “Rich Sex” featuring Lil Wayne. Her lyrical game of the dozens shook up the industry as she named dropped peers like Dave East, Rae Sremmurd, Quavo, Drake and Lil Uzi Vert.
 
But Queen’s arrival came with a bit of drama. It landed at No. 2 on the Billboard album charts, causing a debate over merch-bundle sales with Travis Scott. Her Queen Radio show on Apple Music showed how she can keep people’s ears glued to the drama and some of her bars. While her album rollout was bumpy, seeing a candid Nicki was something worth admiring (her “To Freedom!!!” bit is a pop culture prose).
 
With the entertainer being one of the most globally known rappers, Queen ranks low in her discography, but as she’s proven time and time again, Nicki will push through the critics and lyrically reign again. —Clarissa Shine

Kelela, ‘Take Me a_Part, The Remixes’

On Sept. 12, alt-R&B songstress Kelela released “LMK (What’s Really Good)” featuring a powerhouse lineup of Princess Nokia— A Girl Cried Red made our top 25 list), Junglepussy’s JP3 appears on our list too, CupcakKe’s Eden also made the cut and Ms. Boogie. The song served as the lead on what would become the Take Me a_Part remix album, which dropped Oct. 5 in celebration of the one year anniversary of the singer’s critically-acclaimed debut studio project, Take Me Apart.
 
The 20-track offering is partly an exploration of Kelela’s wildly experimental tastes and partly a product of tapping into friendships with global underground music talents. By turns darkly sensual and other times frenetic and driving, it is a tumultuous sonic ride underpinned by production from Kaytranada, LSDXOXO, Joey LaBeija, GQOM pioneer DJ Lag, Serpentwithfeet and more.
 
Yet even with such an eclectic lineup of producers, it is the addition of liberated bars from staunchly sex-positive and unapologetically feminist rappers like CupcaKke and Junglepussy that both bolster the album’s exploratory themes of love, intimacy, vulnerability and independence, but also ground Kelela’s future-facing proclivities in universal emotions. And, for ‘90s kids who nostalgically remember the days of Napster and Limewire (song names were rarely correct and you never quite know what you were downloading)—the singer’s winking hat tip to free and easy piracy via stylized titles that include the BPM count—give the whole affair a sheen of lo-fi authenticity that feels at home with an artist whose ethos is deeply DIY. —Stephanie Smith-Strickland

Junglepussy, ‘JP3’

Just months before making an appearance as a swampy, sharp-tongued polemicist on the season finale of HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness, Junglepussy reaches her unapologetic apex on JP3.
 
Veering back the curtains on “State of the Union,” the Brooklynite commands her audience’s attention all before reviving Three 6 Mafia veteran Gangsta Boo on “Long Way Home” (“Nice surprise, now realizin’, I’m so poppin’, I melt ices/B***h so not hot, I cool your crotch, I take it slow, bring it back top”). Even with featuring someone of Boo’s legendary stature, Junglepussy holds her own, pressing her male conquest about the gargantuan size of his other head. Getting head is something that she’s is incredibly fond of, and she won’t hesitate to snatch your man, a skill that’s highlighted on the subtle steelpan bounce of “I’m in Love” (“Why we chose so freely? Why he watchin’ me? He admire me/How you feelin’? Bean spillin’ and he acquired me”). Putting sideline chicks to rest, Junglepussy’s Trinidadian roots hue JP3, and as the sex-oozing ‘Ready 2 Ride’ undulates island vibes, singer QUIÑ straddles the track with accented, whispery vocals.
 
Of course, JP3 is less about catering to men and more of being pampered with the splendor of having options, a la She’s Gotta Have It. On the muzak tonality of “I Just Want It” (with “it” being–you guessed it–head), Junglepussy cuts men off left and right, cackling madly after disapproving them from indulging in “chicken fried rices” at her next family affair and presumes that an ex has downgraded from her Jamaican-cooking abilities on “All of You” (“Papa was a rollin’ stone but you’re not/Pop up in my phone again, you get blocked/My ex-boyfriend is no longer hot/Probably somewhere laid up with a thot”).
Consistently whipping up sass, JP3 serves as a warning not to play with the p***y.
-J.TW

Leikeli47, ‘Acrylic’

Leikeli47 slowly peels back another layer to her mystery with Acrylic. The masked MC invites listeners to her hometown of Brooklyn, NY and the people and places that help her be the woman she is today. It also features the Brooklyn native celebrating blackness and black love while taking the word “acrylic” to symbolize the hard but durable life of a black woman.

On “Roll Call,” the artist shouts out the black Greek organizations at HBCUs then dips into recalling growing up in a poor neighborhood filled with drugs and gun violence on “CIAA.” The overall sound of hip-hop, art pop and R&B is balanced thanks to Leikeli47’s impressive ability on the mic to bounce between singing and rapping.

Continuing the same work ethic heard on her debut album Wash & Set, Leikeli47 has found a way to express herself in a way that separates her from her peers. —M.E.

OSHUN, ‘Bittersweet vol. 1’

When baptized by submersion, candidates arise with forgiveness and begin the lifetime journey of ascension. OSHUN begins their passage early, and with their chakras intertwined, they surface from the waters, radiating divinity and honoring their ancestral plane on Bittersweet Vol. 1.
 
Beaming up totemic worship, the Afrocentric duo, outfitted by D.C. natives Niambi Sala and Thandiwe plant themselves within the solid foundation of womanhood, rooted to transfigure from curious flirtation to lessons in Pan-Africanism on the guitar-tinged, cheeba-enthusiast anthem “Burn.”
 
Intergalactic jam “Solar Plexus” sends OSHUN levitating with a “warrior spirit,” and on their first COLORS performance of the song, they’re AFROPUNK ready, dripping in ankh and Africa-geographic pendants. Trekking beyond severed relationship ties on “Parts” their partner hints at relationship unpreparedness, sending OSHUN to a realm where their sole purpose is inward. Reveling in self-love, the ladies assume the role as defenders of their blue planet on “Me” (“Celebrate elements that keep my mind right/That’s right, I’m my own hero”). OSHUN’s voyage is orbital, fervidly paying homage to the celestial being of their namesake, immersing in the goddess’ purified oasis with their own self-manifestations. Leaving a message on the “Oshuniverse” hotline, the ladies predict the future with their partner and ask permission to bring him home, admitting naivety in love.
 
The avowing “My World” blends their vocals with ease, as English balladeer Jorja Smith also cascades on the track’s softness. Don’t mistake OSHUN’s grace for weakness, however, as they spit prophecies on “Blessings on Blessings,” ferociousness bellowing from the pit of their devotional essence (“Don’t you ever disrespect my god body/Whatever beef you got for you and God it ain’t ‘bout me). As emitted on the cosmoses of Bittersweet Vol. 1, the block is OSHUN’s cathedral, and we’re all in dutiful praise. —J.T.W.

Tink, ‘Pain & Pleasure EP’

Tink’s winter debut Pain & Pleasure is a 6-song EP filled with slow-burning love songs bound to make babies in the cold months of the new year. Coming in strong with bop after bop, this extended playlist features a sultry Trinity Laure’Ale Home, better known by her stage name Tink, showing off the magnitude of her musical talents. Switching between her well-known rap and singing skills the project showcases the versatility of the 23-year-old. Much like the track “Million” that interpolates and samples Alliyah’s classic track “One In A Million,” this EP uses two noteworthy samples.
 
“On to the Next One” takes inspiration from Timmy Thomas’ 1972 track, “Why Can’t We Live Together,” while “Part Time Love” borrows Xscape’s ‘95 classic “Who Can I Run To.” After officially parting ways with Timbaland, the 2015 XXL Freshman Class member put all her energy into revamping her well-known sound, executively producing the project. Tackling the topics of love, sex, and relationships, this beautifully crafted EP will have a bunch of Sagittarius/Capricorn cusps running around in 2019. —Zoe Johnson

Trina, ‘Blue Magic EP’

Trina is well seasoned and light years away from having to introduce herself as being the baddest bi**h. We know she is. Twenty years since making her spicy debut on Trick Daddy’s hit single “Nann Ni**a,” she subsequently secured her spot as the First Lady of Slip-N-Slide. Today is a new day and Blue Magic is Trina’s firstborn, solely under her care via her independent label, Rockstarr Music Group.
 
The Miami native opens her Blue Magic EP with an attitude and closes it out with a bigger one. At the top of the final track, “Tf U Think,” there’s an interpolation of the Miami MC going off: “I just wanna know why y’all h**s so jealous… Why y’all punk a** h**s can’t get out here, do what y’all do, get y’all own motherf**king money, put y’all own music out and do what the f***k y’all wanna do. Why y’all h**s hating on me? B***h, I been doing this sh*t. Seventeen years grinding. Ain’t none of y’all punk a** h**s gave me sh*t. Ain’t no ni**a gave me sh*t…” She’s indignant but she has a right to be.
 
While the album has underperformed on charts since it’s mid-October release, this album knocks with the self-assurance of a woman who knows what works for her. Fellow rap veterans like Boosie and Da Brat make for dazzling features on “Thug Song” and “Tf U Think,” respectively. And Trina manages to extend a hand to newcomers Ballgreezy and Kash Doll. While fans await her 6th LP, The One, the baddest b***h has ensured that they have something substantial to snack on. —Nadine Graham

Megan Thee Stallion, ‘Tina Snow’

Hailing from the southside of Houston, Megan Thee Stallion shows off her signature “hot girl” flow in the EP, Tina Snow. Drawing comparisons to Trina and citing Pimp C as one of her biggest influences, her slick mouth and sultry cadence has earned the rapper notoriety since releasing her now infamous “Stalli Freestyle” that went viral late last year.
 
The 10-track album features flirtatious, boastful rhymes from the 22-year-old rapper eager to prove why she’s up next. Debuting at No. 11 on the iTunes hip-hop charts, the EP has earned over 11 million streams since its June release. Album standouts include “Cocky AF,” “WTF I Want,” “Hot Girl” and the breakout single, “Big Ole Freak” which embodies Megan’s sex-positive image to a tee (“Ain’t nobody freak like me / Give ya what you need like me”). Tina Snow is a true testament to Megan’s unapologetic attitude and gives a voice to women who want to feel seen and empowered on their own terms.
 
Her electrifying bars will have listeners on the edge of their seats while she rides the Southern-influenced beats with the utmost precision. After inking a deal with 300 Entertainment recently, Megan Thee Stallion isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. —W.T.

Kash Doll, ‘Brat Mail’

After having persevered through a number of hiccups and missteps early in her career, Kash Doll made 2018 her best year yet. Peep the numbers. For some time, the Detroit rapper had been under a contractual obligation that forced her into a smaller avenue in which to grow her fan base.
 
Nonetheless, since her restart, she’s garnered the fervent attention of nearly 3 million people (Kash Doll has 2.9 million followers on Instagram, to date). On YouTube, her already exorbitant numbers climb even higher with every news bit. “For Everybody,” a track she dropped a year ago, is steady at 16 million views. So in the spring of 2018, Kash Doll dropped Brat Mail as a gift to her fans on March 14, simply because she felt they deserved it.
 
Bangers like the bouncy offering “Dancin” was dope enough for Rick Ross to jump on the remix that was placed on July’s follow up mixtape, The Vault. “Check” was one of the standouts on Brat Mail and it currently stands at 5 million views on YouTube. Atlanta rapper Scrilla is featured on two Brat Mail tracks (“I Want,” “Rich Talk”) and songstress Natasha Mosley lends her vocals to “Serious,” but otherwise, the Motor City MC holds it down all on her own—talking cash, gifts and overall flyness. —N.G.

Qveen Herby, ‘EP 4’

Amy Noonan’s transformation from ’50s-style pop star to gritty ’90s vintage rapper prompts many thinking emojis. Previously known for her time in Karmin with husband Nick Noonan, the former YouTube sensation took a permanent hiatus from the group to create the lyrical persona Qveen Herby. While songs like their Top 20 hit “Brokenhearted” featured animated bars from Nooan, her alter ego is soaked in hip-hop and R&B influence with her 2017 single “Busta Rhymes” showcasing her focused flow.
Three EPs later has brought about the fourth installment of her EP series, showing more variety than ever before. Inklings of love crawl out of slow jam “Alone,” while “$ip” borrows trap hip-hop and high hats to represent her bossy crew. Yes, Noonan hails from Nebraska and is beyond weird as she’s pointed out in the past, but there’s a difference between trivializing black culture and being inspired by it. Her twang might be a bit awkward (she asks “You put a towel down there?” referring to a ganja session”) but she’s harmless in her Tumblr Morticia Addams-like persona. —Desire Thompson

Kodie Shane, ‘Young HeartThrob’

Don’t let Kodie Shane’s album title fool you. The stellar project by the Atlanta native isn’t about becoming untouchable but, in contrast, the ups and downs that keep Shane’s creative heart beating.
 
Following a bout with depression, Kodie Shane returned to the scene with sultry vibes of after-hours R&B with her pleasant, vulnerable vocals and sharp lyrics. Touching on the subject of love from a queer perspective, and the aspects that make the feeling so hard to deal with in general, Shane flips the switch on the idea that women are to be weak in dealing with love on Young HeartThrob.
 
From breaking up (“Hiatus”) to the intense feelings of yearning for someone (“Lost”) to the process of moving on (“Flex on Me”), Shane tackles the various aspects of love in a manner that’s emotional but prideful. With this album, Shane transformed from the upbeat, lively teen that made her debut with the Sailing Crew to a young woman dealing with her emotions entering adulthood. The transition offers Shane new material to tackle, but also shows she’s still trying to figure out who she is.
 
The musical evolution that Shane displays on Young HeartThrob proves that she’s in a lane of her own. Kodie Shane is one of the brightest, young stars in the game with room to grow into a potential superstar. —M.E.

Stefflon Don, ‘Secure’

Stefflon Don has a knack for hijacking attention. Only two years into her rap career, she caught the eyes and ears of music fans—on either side of the pond—scoring a summer smash with the effervescent dancehall record “Hurting Me,” and as a testament to her team, there are two versions of the song. One rendition features French Montana and the other serves as a nod to her Jamaican roots, with Sean Paul, Popcaan and Sizzla on the assist. The French Montana version charted as high as No. 12 on the Billboard Rhythmic Chart.
 
The U.K. native also raised some eyebrows when she released the artwork for her second project, titled Secure. It was an image of Stefflon aptly replicating the cover of Lil Kim’s 2000 LP, The Notorious K.I.M. And even though she does an extraordinary job of paying homage to her Caribbean background on tracks like “Pretty Girl” featuring Tiggs Da Author and “Senseless,” it’s the very first track that bears the closest resemblance to the Queen Bee. On “Lil B***h,” Stefflon runs a few ominous bars over heavy production in the same throaty register as Kim circa ‘95: “I ain’t come into the game to play no victim / I’ll tell these b***hes suck d**k before I play the victim.”
 
The truth is: if Stefflon Don can garner a head nod from rap fans worldwide, announce her project’s release at 2018’s XXL Freshmen list show and work her way up to the top 20 during the most crucial summer months, we all ought to be paying attention. —N.G.

Mona Haydar, ‘Barbican’

Mona Haydar’s style of rapping is very distinctive which irresistibly makes her stand out within her class. Deriving from Flint, Michigan with Syrian-American roots, it is no surprise that this poet-turned rapper has created a wave of music that naturally classifies her as an activist for matters not normally discussed.
 
Haydar’s EP Barbarican is a combination of her knowledge in Christian ethics with her experience as a Muslim woman living in today’s society. Haydar dissects topics of colorism to cultural appropriation from a no hold bars perspective. Title track “Barbarican” opens up the dialogue for a call to action against the western world’s concept of beauty and how people of color are recognizing their own allurement/attraction. There’s also soul-stirring tracks like “Suicide Doors,” an audio journal about the plight of mental illness and the loss of a friend to suicide.
 
Haydar’s sarcastic and emotional undertones captivates any listener. Exposing the deep truths and cultural storytelling, especially as a woman of color, makes Mona Haydar and Barbarican very relatable. —C.S.

Saweetie, ‘High Maintenance’

Throughout Saweetie‘s commanding EP, the Bay Area emcee remains bold and honest, from calling out men who can’t handle monogamy on “B.A.N” to “Agua,” where she politely checks haters (cc: “I got more money than your baby father”). Within the first three tracks, Saweetie cements her place in the female rap lexicon next to her inspirations such as Khia and Trina.
 
Navigating the complexities of being an educated bougie female rapper on “Good Good,” the rapper dominates a potential sexual partner by reminding him that she’s a boss who is unafraid of pulling up on you in the hood. Emphasized in her breakout hit “ICY GRL,” the University of Southern California graduate checks her haters within two minutes about her bougieness, a high social status maintained by her continuous hustle towards wealth, “You tryna get a bag of weed? I’m tryna get a bag a week/Put it in my savings and invest in the right companies,” she spits. In the modern era of rap moguls, Saweetie reminds women of the importance of financial security and not interacting with individuals who can’t afford your time.
 
The gems sprinkled through Saweetie’s High Maintenance lets us know the rapper has plenty more to offer than just a pretty face. —Taylor Crumpton

CupcakKe, ‘Eden’

At the age of 21, CupcakKe is the definition of a millennial MC. Her verses are filled with witty pop-culture references to Real Housewives of Atlanta, My Name is Earl, and cultural traditions acquired from endless binge watching of adolescent TV shows that influenced a raunchy generation. Throughout Eden, her aggressive tone emphasizes the bluntness of her personality in the rap game, one in which she has fought to garner recognition for her lyricism.
 
Rarely seen in modern rappers, CupcakKe possess the ability of storytelling reminiscent of an early Slick Rick to illustrate the experiences of her life, from getting her p***y eaten out to farting on a sexual partner because they weren’t fulfilling her sexual needs. There’s also slick rhymes like “his d**k ain’t got nowhere to stay, so I let him sleep in this p***y to help out the homeless” on “Blackjack.” Her tracks incorporate various sub-genres of hip-hop from reggaeton, Latin trap, and heavy synth production elevated by strategically placed metaphors to depict the life of a sex-positive young Black woman. Eden cements CupcakKe’s status in the rap game as an emerging innovator who blends several concepts of rap and pop culture to define her artistry as a female MC. —T.C.

Queen Key, ‘Eat My P***y’

Through soft drill beats and a monotone lyrical delivery that sometimes feels like dripping molasses, Queen Key is delivering a message of staunch female empowerment simply by not caring. In her seven-track EP, Eat My P***y, the Chicago native is testing the waters by trying to arrive at the current of rap superstardom with ballsy rhymes about money, cars and making a man go down on her. Ke’Asha McClure runs the show and dictates whether you’re worthy or not—especially if you’re a man.
 
“I’m a spoiled a** b***h, ima get what I wish/If that ni**a got a problem, he can suck his own d**k,” she brashly spits on “My Way.” On the following track “Spend Nite,” she recruits fellow Chicago songstress Tink for some assistance on denying men the right to satisfy their sexual desires with her. The track’s repetitive use of the phrase, “not tonight,” makes you wonder if the 22-year-old is paying homage to Lil Kim’s “Not Tonight” off 1996’s Hardcore.
 
Key’s presence on the Chicago rap drill scene is pivotal considering how male-dominated it is with the likes of G Herbo and Lil Bibby, among many others. Amid her feminist discourse, she isn’t afraid to take your man on “Tell,” it’s contradictory, dirty, mischievous and wrong—but remember Queen Key doesn’t care, what matters most is that she’s arrived. —Richy Rosario

Tommy Genesis, ‘Tommy Genesis’

It’s hard to label Tommy Genesis’ stellar artistry. The model, visual artist and rapper—who more often times than not doesn’t sound like a rapper—hails from Canada and fixates on not fitting into any box ascribed to her. With her self-titled major-label debut, Tommy Genesis, she creates a sonic kaleidoscope of pink clouds underneath a sky of shooting stars. It’s trippy, salacious and fresh. It feels like something I’ve never heard before, but at the same time reminds me of M.I.A.
 
Tommy isn’t afraid to push the envelope and brashly includes dirty vignettes on sex on her 12-track offering. On “Daddy” moaning sounds are heard underneath her ribald lyrics about oral sex, and the desired trappings of materialistic wealth while denying her male suitor any real affection. “He just say he love me, I can’t say it back/He just bought me diamonds, I don’t feel bad/Let ’em smell the flower ‘fore he go down,” she raps.
 
On “Drive” she gets introspective and seeks an escape from her mundane realities, even if that means retreating back to an old flame that might bring trouble. In the midst of all of the music industry’s knack for pigeon holding women, it’s refreshing to see a relatively new artist take the reins on her career, and unapologetically be herself. She solidifies her stance on “It’s Ok,” where she asserts her right to simply do her—like on everything else she does. —R.R.

Princess Nokia, ‘A Girl Cried Red’

If you were expecting Princess Nokia‘s succeeding projects to sound anything like her debut album 1992, chances were you were in for a surprise the moment you pressed play on A Girl Cried Red. The 8-song mixtape shows us another side of the Harlem-bred Nuyorican that is oddly a far cry from her bold “Bruja”-esque bangers, yet it still bares the gritty candor that made fans fall in love with Destiny Frasqueri in the first place.
 
The intro record “Flowers and Rope” sets the tone for the soft rock mixtape that’s heavily driven by guitar strings, gloomy lyrics and Nokia’s animated delivery. Her deep-rooted sadness and desire for vengeance bleeds through the entire record; especially with lyrics like, “Everyone I love leaves me when I need them most / My little heart is broken and the world will pay the cost.”
 
AGCR reminds us of emo tunes of yesteryear but this time, we’re holding the mic. The line “Smash my heart in pieces, it looks so good on the floor,” is repeated several times throughout the mixtape, which is probably Nokia’s way of reminding listeners that she’s on her “heavy metal Papa Roach” tip.
 
Nokia’s music is notorious for delivering powerful messages that may make folks uncomfortable upon first listen. But her sweet and plain-spoken demeanor softens the squalid blow. While your year might be full of rainbows and butterfly emojis, A Girl Cried Red is the ghetto goth goddess fairy you never knew you needed in life. —kthewriter

Bbymutha, ‘Muthaz Day 3’

Chattanooga’s Bbymutha‘s southern twang adds a flurry of flair to her convivial rhymes. Flowing over the seven tracks that make up her fourth project of the year, Muthaz Day 3 is all about confidence, self-love and independence. There’s the witty “R.I.P.” that acts as a break-up anthem against all f**kbois, “Toxic” with Kindora that points out the battle of resisting a toxic partner (with a smooth interpolation of Britney Spears’ “Toxic”) and “D.I.Y.” that pays respects to Memphis greats Three Six Mafia.
 
In between the tracks, her youngest children (she has two sets of twins) call her a rockstar which makes total sense. The rapper’s style consists of colorful wigs, eclectic fits and goth-like accessories that shatters traditions of what moms can and should look like. Her EP cover also takes things to spiritual waves as she’s gathered with her children in red velvet cloaks while posing the illest smirk.
 
Like many of the artists on this list, Bbymutha stays true to herself and lethal with her rhymes. “I’m still a legend if I’m never f**king famous,” she boasts on “D.I.Y.” It’s true. Bbymutha is leading the pack for the next generation of southern rap artists. —D.T.

Asian Doll, ‘So Icy Princess’

So Icy Princess tells a story of a young chick utilizing her swift words to prove her naysayers wrong. Not exactly the type of women empowerment some are used to hearing from this Dallas native but we’re intrigued. The rapper’s get-in-my-bag mantra seemed fitting for her first project since signing with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Eskimo label.
 
Asian Doll‘s “1017” single with her new mentor demonstrates her lyrical worthiness in addition to the project’s other collaborations like “Kit Kat” with Lil Yachty, “Headspin” featuring YBN Nahmir, “Running Man” with Smooky Margiela and more. Asian Doll constructs her verses is reminiscent of a young Mia X with her hardcore sound combined with her southern tone.
 
Doll’s career is not only surrounded by support from the label– she also received noteworthy co-signs from Nicki Minaj and Erykah Badu. Her style of rapping may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is no denying her skills set her apart from the male-dominated industry. So Icy Princess is a soundtrack for the women who dare to be different, without caring who is offended by it. —C.S.

Honorable Mentions

Azealia Banks, “Anna Wintour” 
With an undeniable beat backing her powerhouse vocals, Azealia Banks made her return to music this year with “Anna Wintour.” It’s tricky to describe the track (it has glorious spiritual undertones) but it’s easy to allow Banks hypnotic callings of a higher power to take over the soul and toes on the dancefloor. But her rap skills are just as sharp as she precisely sketches a portrait of her place in the rap game. Sure, people are caught up in her opinions, but you can’t deny the talent the 27-year-old possesses. “Anna Wintour” was snubbed in the Dance category for the 2019 Grammys, but it still floats over Kiki Balls and NYE bashes. —D.T.
Maliibu Miitch, “Give Her Some Money”
Prophesized as the Bronx’s next rap superstar, Maliibu Miitch’s fate is in the hands of her upcoming EP, Come So Far. In the meantime, we were gifted with the rowdy “Give Her Some Money,” where her smooth yet raspy voice managed to cut through the production. Pretty-girl-trapping and a well-developed flow like no other the “Gwapamole” mastermind finds herself in a lane of her own on the track.
 
Speaking to the rapper’s true life, the 20-something has made her way from Youtube to the Hood Foreign; a record label with a name closely related to her 2013 extended playlist, to the mainstream. Working with Lee On The Beats & Hitmaka as producers, Maliibu turns girl power on its head with a single destined to become a bad b***h anthem praising women for making their paper the best way they know how. “Head good, better give her some money/P***y good, better give her some money/Attitude, give her some money/Give her some money/Drop low, give her some money.”
 
Reaching a larger audience by way of the small screen (a la Insecure), the show helped propel the song forward. —Z.J.
 
 
Iggy Azalea, “Kream” feat. Tyga
Making her way back into music, Iggy Azalea’s “Kream” is a promising return to music after taking a long-winded break from hip-hop. Sampling Wu-Tang Clan’s, 1993 hit “C.R.E.A.M.,” the track interpolates the hard-hitting classic, centering the chorus around the legendary lyric “Cash rules everything around me.” Joining forces with Young Money’s Tyga, “Kream” put’s the 29-year-old back in the spotlight. Finding himself in a similar predicament as the Australian rapper, Tyga’s 16 is the redemption we didn’t realize we were waiting for. —Z.J.
 
 
Latasha, “Sumptn”
Latasha made her mark as an industry rule breaker with the delivery of “Sumpn.” Enthralling fans with a sound that is wildly different than hip-hop’s Top 40, the Brooklyn-based artist begins “Sumpn” with some home-grown Haitian ritual changing before ascending into her confident bars and bass-led instrumental. Produced by Segnon Tiewul & irCasim, the track’s soft beat stands at an interesting opposition with it’s strongest suit: Latasha’s fierce lyricism. —Lydia Arevalo