The Best Female Rappers Of 2023

Akansha Kakkad
Updated September 16, 2023 3.8K votes 423 voters
Over 400 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Female Rappers Of 2023
Latest additions: Brooke Candy, Leikeli47, Queen Key
Most divisive: Iggy Azalea

Female rappers continue to shift and adapt and now encompass all kinds of different styles from conscious to cocky. From Grammy Award-winning Traumazine queen Megan Thee Stallion to rage rapper Rico Nasty, 2023's hottest female hip hop artists are constantly dropping new bangers. The one-and-only Nicki Minaj continues to sit on her throne, and 2019 XXL Freshman Tierra Whack is fresh off the heels of a collaboration with the legendary The Roots. 

Which trending female hip hop artists are you most excited to see live, and whose records are you currently listening to? Vote below for the best female rappers of 2023, and be sure to also check out this year's top new rap albums here.

Ranked by
  • Nicki Minaj
    1

    Nicki Minaj

    394 votes
    Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidad and Tobago-born rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Born in Saint James, Port of Spain, and raised in Queens, New York City, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009). After signing with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj released her first studio album, Pink Friday (2010), which peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was ultimately certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was released in 2012 and debuted at number one in several countries. Minaj made her film debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift. In 2013, she was a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol. Minaj's third studio album, The Pinkprint, was released in 2014. She subsequently played supporting roles in the films The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). Her fourth studio album, Queen, was released in 2018. Early in her career, Minaj was known for her colorful costumes and wigs. Her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents, primarily British cockney. Minaj was the first female artist included on MTV's annual Hottest MC List. In 2016, Minaj was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. As a lead artist, she has earned four top-five entries on the Billboard Hot 100: "Super Bass" in 2011, "Starships" in 2012, and "Bang Bang" and "Anaconda", both in 2014. She has accumulated the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among women of all genres. Minaj has broken other records including the most top 10 hits among women on the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Airplay chart.Minaj has been called one of the most influential female rap artists of all time. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including six American Music Awards, 11 BET Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award, and 10 Grammy Award nominations. Minaj has sold 20 million singles as a lead artist, 60 million singles as a featured artist, and over five million albums worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists.
  • Megan Thee Stallion
    2
    Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion (pronounced "Megan the Stallion"), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention in 2013 when videos of her freestyling in cyphers became popular on social media platforms such as Instagram. In 2016, Megan Thee Stallion began writing, performing and releasing raps exclusively onto SoundCloud. She has commercially released three EPs since 2017—Make It Hot, Tina Snow, and Suga—with the latter two charting on the US Billboard 200. She signed to 300 Entertainment in 2018, where she released her first full-length mixtape, Fever, in 2019 to critical acclaim.
  • Doja Cat
    3

    Doja Cat

    307 votes
    Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat, is an American singer, rapper and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Doja Cat signed a joint record deal with RCA Records and Kemosabe Records at the age of 17 and subsequently released her debut extended play, Purrr!, in 2014. Doja Cat is known for creating music videos and songs that achieve popularity on social media apps like TikTok and YouTube. This online success is credited with helping promote her from "one-time curiosity" (with "Mooo!"), to "bona fide star". Since the start of 2020, she has received nominations for four American Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and four MTV Video Music Awards, winning one of the latter for Push Best New Artist.
  • Cardi B
    4

    Cardi B

    307 votes
    Belcalis Almanzar (born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and media personality. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, she first attracted attention for discussing her career as a stripper on social media; coupled with her "no filter attitude", she became an Internet celebrity through Instagram. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York. In February 2017, she signed her first major label record deal with Atlantic Records. Her debut single for Atlantic, titled "Bodak Yellow", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. She has worked with artists such as Migos, Bruno Mars, 21 Savage, and Juicy J.
  • Ice Spice
    5

    Ice Spice

    261 votes
    Isis Gaston (born January 1, 2000), known professionally as Ice Spice, is an American rapper. She began rapping in 2021, and she rose to popularity with her 2022 single "Munch (Feelin' U)." Ice Spice's music is primarily Bronx drill. Her name came from the name of a Finsta she made at age 14. She was first inspired by Sheff G and Pop Smoke to start rapping, and has listed Cardi B and Nicki Minaj as influences on her music.
  • Saweetie
    6

    Saweetie

    204 votes
    Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper (born July 2, 1993), known professionally as Saweetie is an American rapper. Saweetie released her debut extended play, High Maintenance, in 2018. Her second EP, Icy, was released in March 2019 and spawned the top 40 single "My Type". Her debut album, Pretty Bitch Music, is scheduled to be released in 2022 and was preceded by the singles "Tap In" and "Best Friend" (featuring Doja Cat), both of which reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2021, she received two nominations for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards including one for Best New Artist.