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The first rap record by an all-female group, “Funk You Up,” was released in 1979 by Sequence. This was a huge milestone in the journey for women to gain recognition in hip-hop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flG4hOD3wZk -
In this song, Roxanne Shanté, at age 14 started call-and-response diss battles of hip-hop by fighting against the objectification of "Roxanne" in the song, "Roxanne, Roxanne" by U.T.F.O https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eckRNcHCKA -
"Push It" made a significant impact on the world and elicited a lot of controversy because of the provocative music video and sexual objectification of women. The song highlights the sexual desires between two people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCadcBR95oU -
Latifah's feminist, anti-violent anthem won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8cHxydDb7o -
Lil' Kim's song contains sexually explicit lyrics meant to empower women to embrace their sexuality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2StcXjwrGHY -
Elliot's song encourages sexual autonomy, especially through the chorus that continuously tells the listener to "get your freak on" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPoKiGQzbSQ -
While female rap artists had been exploring sex in their songs years before, this song made a huge impact on the industry as Khia boldly challenged the norms of the genre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW92agO2NxY -
Anaconda does not shy away from explicit language as it pays tribute to women with curvy figures. The song generated a lot of controversy in the media specifically because of the racy music video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDZX4ooRsWs -
"Act Up" centers on women's power to control their own lives. Through the explicit and raunchy lyrics, City Girls highlight how women should not care about a man unless he has money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrfIZgAfhAM -
The song was highly controversial because of its outwardly explicit language about female sexuality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsm4poTWjMs -
In 'Woman," Doja Cat celebrates her femininity, but also rejects the expectations that come with being a woman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxW5yuzVi8w