One Australian rapper with a southern American twang has caused quite a stir in 2014. From Iggy Azalea’s lackluster lyrics to her appropriation of Black women. Many critics of the “Fancy” artist feel that a myriad of other women rappers could easily and rightfully so take her place. Without even entering Azalea into the equation, there are a myriad of women in hip-hop who possess the skills and creativity, that should garner them an opportunity to shine. Although the latter is not a complete list of current dope women rhyme spitters, EBONY presents five women MCs you should know about.

 

1. Detroit Che

Referencing justice in the deaths of Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin and Renisha McBride, the motor city rapper impressed BET Hip Hop Awards watchers during her television debut in the 2014 cypher. Following her win of BET’s Sprite Hot 16, Che went on tour alongside Dee 1, Retro Tha Kid, Luke James and Mila J for BET’s 2014 college tour. Unafraid to speak about serious issues, Che has touched on everything from suicide to police brutality to in her music. “I’m going to be that person that’s going to talk about these issues whether people are going to make it a headline or not,” she said during a recent interview with 4sho Magazine. Che recently released her new 6-track EP, Before the Storm and can be found performing around Detroit and the nation.

 

 

2.  Nitty Scott MC

The Rap Game Little Buddha, who has mastered the art of chill burst on the scene in 2011 with her first offering, The Cassette Chronicles, presented by Mick Boogie. Back then the Michigan-born, Florida-raised and New York-paid rapper was known for paying homage to the golden era of hip-hop. A little while after taking her fans on a trip to “Auntie Maria’s Crib,” the self-proclaimed flower child got on her “Feng Shui.” Now, a little bit more in touch with her feminine side and spirituality, Nitty Scott MC is like the Jhene Aiko of rap. MC has collaborated with a myriad of artists from Styles P, to Rah Digga, to Kendrick Lamar.

 

 

3. SA-ROC

When most artists can be heard on the radio talking about going up on a Tuesday and being in love with the “CoCo,” rhyming about revolutionary warfare isn’t expected. In fact, it’s refreshing now to hear artists sporadically color outside the lines. Always remaining true to herself, SA-ROC isn’t new to the scene and she hasn’t just started rapping about revolution and consciousness. The Atlanta rapper has been a part of the God Hop movement since its inception, offering a positive counterpoint to typical tracks on the airwaves. “Catching bodies on that Bobby Seale and Kwame Toure/ pardon self I’m just Assata with the llamas on fleek/ spitting hollows out the left and right sides of my cheeks/Watch me fire then release, all the rhymes in the clip, then expose all your illusions like a holographic/ No Coachella, but I’m still on my bohemian chic/ black Angels on the brim, and moccasins on them feet,” she raps on her “G-Train” single, where one would surprised to hear such grit come from such a petite artist. SA-ROC recently released her album, Nebuchadnezzar and was a part of the “Nobody’s Smiling” tour alongside Common and Jay Electronica.

 

 

4.  Raven Sorvino

Texas born and California raised, Sorvino’s music is the perfect combination of southern trap and West Coast personification. It’s as if Snoop Dogg and Gangsta Boo had a love child. The Los Angeles rapper started dropping music in 2009, but it was when the “GoYard” artist released her 2012 album, Paper Girl that people really started to gravitate towards her music. That album was followed by her 2012 summer mixtape, Playa Del Rey and her 2013 EP Queen of HeArtz, which helped Sorvino carve out her own lane. The Leimert Park rapper is currently bi-coastal splitting her time between LA and Brooklyn, where she frequently performs. She recently released her new single, “Planet of the Bape” and is currently working on her new EP, Life$tyle with producer Woody’sProduce.

 

 

5. Sharaya J

Sharaya J, Missy’s new protege and artist is reminiscent of a young Elliott. Before being signed to the veteran rapper, singer-songwriter and producer’s imprint, The Goldmind Inc., J was a choreographer and dancer for artists such as Alicia Keys, Diddy and Rihanna. With dance as her foundation, J creates fun music, that gets people on the dance floor. Early 2013, she dropped her hit single, “Banji,” which became the start of a movement. Alongside Elliott, this fall, the bright-haired Hawaiian rapper and dancer made an appearance on Faith Evans’ latest single, “I Deserve It.” She followed up that track with her own single, “Takin’ It No More/Shut It Down.”

 

 

 

Glennisha Morgan is a multimedia journalist, writer, photographer and filmmaker. Follow her on Twitter @GlennishaMorgan or at www.GlennishaMorgan.com.