In a recent episode of the Bootleg Kev podcast, rapper Saweetie shared her thoughts on why women MCs are running Hip-Hop right now, believing men have taken a backseat due to the prevalence of “violence and disrespect” and lack of “empathy and love” in their music.
“I mean, L.A. and other cities, it just goes to show that this is the reason why women is running rap and Hip-Hop,” the Northern California native said. “Because there’s just so much violence and disrespect in the male music. You gotta think, like, remember, what was it, like ’16/’17, remember when like YG, Tyga, Chris [Brown], Big Sean, TeeFlii was out? It was fun, party music.
“It wasn’t like, ‘I’ma do this to you, and this, and this,’ you know? I feel like we gotta raise the vibration with the music and get back to having a good time. [I feel like there’s definitely a lack of] empathy and love, for real,” she added.
Saweetie has championed her love for camaraderie among women rappers and even spoke on a few women who have influenced her along her journey as an artist.
“My mom listened to a lot of Lil’ Kim and Foxy [Brown],” she told Issa Rae during an episode of Issa’s Raedio Show on Apple Music in 2021. “I’ve always liked their demeanor. I know that when they step into the room you can just feel that ‘boss-ness.’ They just always felt so powerful to me. Fast forward, I love me some Missy [Elliott]. I always tell people, if I’m gonna get nasty, I’m gonna get nasty like Missy because she’s always creative and she’ll make you think. That’s what I drew from her.”
She went on, “I love Trina‘s attitude. I love how comfortable she was in her own body. Then in high school, Nicki [Minaj] dropped like two or three mixtapes that I just super loved and it just opened my eyes to what a modern day female rapper may felt like. Because everybody else — you know, my aunties and mom was listening to them — but I discovered Nicki on LimeWire.”
Saweetie then shifted gears to speak on the fun of making music with fellow rap girls and how — on the flip side — female rap beef is often “made up” from social media.
“To be honest with you, I don’t believe it unless I hear it from their mouth,” she started. “I just think that we have to sift through fake beefs or people or blogs trying to create something that’s not there. And I think we’re all starting to like realize it’s not the other person — it’s just social media. That comes with the territory, but unless someone tells me themselves, I don’t believe it.”
Ahead of her slated album Pretty B*tch Music, the “Tap In” rapper recently dropped the EP The Single Life — which is her first and only project since 2022 started. Prior, Saweetie released her seven-track ICY EP in 2019.
“I just feel like I took a year off,” she previously told VIBE. “So I’d be doing myself and the world a disservice by just throwing a whole bunch of music at you and being like, ‘This is my debut album.’ So I’m just warming up and heating back up Saweetie’s music again.”
Check out Saweetie talk about women MCs running Hip-Hop right now and listen to The Single Life EP below.