5 essential female hip-hop albums to listen to this summer

You don’t need to wait for Nicki Minaj’s new album to drop to start populating your summer playlists with hip-hop queens.

Either unintentionally or shamelessly with plausible deniability, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea’s aptly named upcoming album “Surviving the Summer” is seemingly gunning for the top of next season’s charts. Although it feels like years since a female rapper claimed the crown of the song of the summer, Iggy could find that this year’s competition is crowded with rivals thanks to Cardi B’s recent debut and Nicki Minaj’s impending release.

But you don’t have to wait for these albums to drop to begin pre-gaming summer. Here is the tentative list of essential hip-hop albums by female rappers to listen to right now, including classics that will never outlive their stay on summertime playlists everywhere.

Cardi B — Invasion of Privacy

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 10: Cardi B visits Music Choice at Music Choice on April 10, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Anyone who thought Cardi B would be relegated to the fate of essentially one-hit-wonder Iggy Azalea was promptly shut down when Invasion of Privacy dropped to fans’ delight and with critical acclaim. Part of what made her first single “Bodak Yellow” such a smash was its unabashed self-confidence and indulgence. And the album continues that trend, turned up to 11.

Missy Elliot — Under Construction

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 21: Missy Elliott performs onstage during day 1 of FYF Fest 2017 on July 21, 2017 at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for FYF)

Nearly everyone on this list owes their success in some way, shape or form to pioneers like Missy Elliot. Anyone who saw the legendary rapper’s rise knows exactly why. Choosing a favorite album is like choosing between children, but if there’s one album to soundtrack your summer, it’s Under Construction for “Work It” alone.

M.I.A. — Kala

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 16: M.I.A. performs onstage during the Meadows Music and Arts Festival – Day 2 at Citi Field on September 16, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Image

M.I.A.’s long-awaited biographical documentary MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is both a painful reminder how the media punishes pop stars who don’t follow the script and the unjustly overshadowed talent of the Sri Lankan rapper, particularly her breakout album Kala. If the name is unfamiliar, its the biggest hit isn’t. “Paper Planes” is the most famous single, but the entire album shares the track’s innovative global sound thanks to recording sessions everywhere from Trinidad to Liberia.

Nicki Minaj — Pink Friday

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 16: Nicki Minaj performs onstage during the Meadows Music and Arts Festival – Day 2 at Citi Field on September 16, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)

We could encourage readers to revisit Nicki Minaj’s debut album Pink Friday, but there’s really no need. Despite being released in 2010, powerhouse singles like “Super Bass” are still standard radio airplay and streaming in the millions regularly. Why? As the Washington Post said, the album “nibbles at the edges of what female rappers are allowed to do, even as it provides a steady helping of pop hits.”

Eve — Scorpio

LA QUINTA, CA – APRIL 13: Rapper Eve performs onstage during NYLON x BOSS ORANGE Escape House – Day 1 at Lake La Quinta Inn on April 13, 2013, in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)

Did you know that Eve (and Gwen Stefani) was the inaugural winner of first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” off her second album Scorpio? The track is a surprisingly timeless hint of how fantastic that album was and solidified the Philadelphia rapper as a hip-hop artist with mainstream appeal to spare. “Who’s That Girl” is as worthy of a music festival sing-along today as it was then.

This is just a short list of the best ladies in hip-hop and rap, but you’ll definitely enjoy listening to these all summer long. Which album are you going to listen to first?

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