A Woman's Touch: Hip Hop Edition Vol. 1

get to know our writers through a list of our favorite tracks by or featuring women emcees

Chicken Grease, walela Nehanda, Lee Claymore, and Miss.Education

Jun 28, 2026

Femmes have been central to the creation of music since the first song,

the first drum that was ever beat, the first lyric ever written. Yet they’re consistently written out of that history. We’re made to believe it’s mostly men who make all the bangers. So, we at Chicken Grease decided to create a recurring series listing some of our favorite songs by or featuring women artists, as a way to help you get to know those you might be unaware of. It’s also a chance to get to know our writers through our tastes!

Miss.Education’s pick: House of Ravens, Yugen Blakrok (2013)

Yugen Blakrok is a South African rapper known for her otherworldly bars. Both spiritual and urgent, she raps like she’s sending a transmission from the future. If you’re not familiar with her music, it’s hard to do it justice here with words; her music is an immersive experience.

She is at home on any mic (check out some of her freestyles, for sure) and states that her style “is very obviously rooted in the 90s - the Golden Era - it’s quite lyric-heavy. I’m not afraid to get wordy.” While she certainly has the writing chops to identify as a lyricist, her flow cannot be divorced from the macabre, ambient, and discordant notes she raps over - her choice of music equally shines. Over time, she’s built up a catalogue of ethereal, Afro-futuristic, and gothic music videos that are unique to her vision and art.

It’s hard to choose just one song, but I landed on a track off her Return of the Astro-Goth album. This is the same album that got her noticed by TDE, who hand-picked her for the 2018 Black Panther Soundtrack. I love everything about the “House of Ravens” song and video, from the lyrics to the play with light and shadow, to producer Kanif the JhatMaster’s eerie, avant-garde sound:

Lee’s pick: Stand Up, Charli Baltimore ft. Ghostface Killah (1999)

Charli Baltimore in her music video *Stand Up*

Although originally from Philly, Charli Baltimore chose her name after a character Geena Davis played in movie, The Long Kiss Goodnight. And after recording a rap verse on Biggie’s answering machine and getting encouragement from him, she began pursuing a career in music.

The sharp and playful banter between Charli and Ghostface is the reason I love this song. There’s something about a woman talking shit directly to a man on a record. Plus, their chemistry in the video is off the charts. I’m also a sucker for funk and soul and the smoky vocal from Lyn Collins on both Me and My Baby Got Our Own Thing Going and We Want to Parrty, Parrty, Parrty really sets it off. And RZA using Frédéric Chopin’s Étude Op. 10, No. 12, a classical tune made in the late 1820s-early 1830s, helped make it a classic. Not sure Chopin thought razor threats would rest atop his masterpiece when he composed it though.

walela’s pick: Picky Bitch Checklist, Junglepussy (2014)

Known to the public for her role in One Battle After Another, Junglepussy is a alternative rapper from Brooklyn, New York. “In a 2014 interview with Interview, Junglepussy cited she has taken inspiration from musicians such as Erykah Badu, Missy Elliott, Lady Saw, Kelis, Busta Rhymes, Vybz Kartel, Mavado, The Veronicas, Metric, Gossip, and Soulja Boy.” She has released four projects, the most recent one leaning towards nu metal, afro funk, and alt rock.

My homegirl and I found this on Spotify in 2015 and used to play it driving between USC and Chapman University whilst being menaces to men in our early 20s. I will forever salute Junglepussy for this bad bitch anthem.

Miss.Education’s pick: Love Song, Jean Grae (2002)

Jean Grae is best described as a jack of all trades. She is a rapper, singer, dancer, producer, screenwriter, and author of the 2025 memoir In My Remaining Years. One of the best rappers to ever do it, she effortlessly mixes storytelling with poetry and emotion. Definitely check out her 2008 masterpiece Jeanius as an introduction, if you’re new to Grae’s rhymes.

“Love Song” is my personal favorite Jean Grae song. She’s so raw and vulnerable here. It’s a great song to cry to (don’t ask me how I know that). It samples The Stylistics’ “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)” and also has one of my favorite lines:

“What I thought was gold was only gold-plated”

walela’s pick: We on Dat, Monaleo (2025)

Houston based Monaleo rose to popularity for her 2021 single “Beating Down Your Block,” n ever since she been releasing banger after banger with features from Kaliii, Flo Milli, Anycia, Mello Buckzzz, Summer Walker, Teezo Touchdown, and more. She has released two albums to date and is known for actively speaking out about mental health and suicide prevention.

I found Monaleo during lockdown and immediately fell in love with her music. She no bullshit on every song while also equally vulnerable with her physical and mental health.

Lee’s pick: Underground Lockdown, Hurricane G (1997)

With the ferocity of a natural disaster, Hurricane G swooped in outta Brooklyn into hip hop with a unique delivery style that graced the tracks of rappers like Redman, Keith Murray and the Cocoa Brovaz. She was the first woman to join the Def Squad.

I chose this track cuz I love her rhyming style and commitment to her cultural roots. She opens up with “Hurricane G to the rescue, here to bless you, with a bilingual special,” and she does just that to clue you in about her Afro-Boricua background. Underground Lockdown was one of her most successful songs, next to Somebody Else. We lost Hurricane G to lung cancer in 2022. R.I.P to a muhfuckin’ legend.

Miss.Education’s pick: Poetry in Motion, The X-Ecutioners ft. Helixx C. Armageddon (1997)

Helixx C. Armageddon is a self-described “storyteller intrigued with exploring the human condition.” This storyteller has had their hand in a lot of different media, but in the late 90’s you would usually find them rapping (check out “My Time” or “Blacklisted” for some stellar examples).

“Poetry In Motion” is one of the final tracks closing out The X-Ecutioners 1997 album X-Pressions. It’s one of those approaching Y2K, “where do we go from here” type songs. Over a stripped-down track made out of a keyboard sample, looped percussion, and what seems to be water dripping somewhere in a concrete tunnel, Armageddon delivers her lines as a spoken word poem.

“Poetry In Motion” begs the question, if hip hop is no longer maintained solely by Black people, and the younger rappers are no longer being taught the foundations and principles of the art form, how will they know they need a DJ? And in today’s time of AI-generated songs, the question feels especially prescient.

walela’s pick: White Caprice, Kari Faux feat. Gangsta Boo (2023)

Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, Kari Faux released White Caprice in 2023 featuring a verse from Gangsta Boo who tragically passed away after its release. Known for her flamboyance and genre bending skills, Faux was heavily influenced by soulful gospel and bluesy funk contributing significantly to her sound.

Gangsta Boo was the only femme member of Three Six Mafia. Discovered at 14 years old after by DJ Paul, she was featured on six albums before going solo in 2001 with the release of Both Worlds *69. She collaborated with La Chat, Foxy Brown, Run the Jewels, GloRilla, and more. In 2023, Gangsta Boo died of an overdose. We honor her. Rest in Power.

Gangsta Boo in death remains one of the most cutting-edge powerhouses in music and Kari Faux follows her footsteps in elongating her legacy.

Lee’s pick: Strive, Apani B-Fly Emcee (2003)

Queens rapper, Apani B-Fly Emcee, aka Apani B initially broke out in ‘96 with the single Estragen, ft. Jean Grae, Helixx C. Armageddon, Heroine, Lyric, Pri The Honey Dark and Yejide—an all women led classic. Apani also boasts features with Yasiin Bey, MF DOOM (as alter ego, Viktor Vaughn), Pharoahe Monch and Organized Konfusion, among numerous others.

Strive is one of my picks because it’s a song of personal affirmation and a go-to for when I need a boost. I love the hook, where Apani B tells herself to keep going and not to pour from an empty cup: “Don't stop striving, it's all to the good, baby/If you need guidance, take a minute and marinate/Who ya gonna help if you can't help yo'self?/Where you gonna go when there ain't no place left?” The late, great Nujabes produced and released this track on the album, Hydeout Productions First Collection.

Chicken Grease pick: Daddy Died, earthsignchels (2026)

We don’t know much about her yet, but we have a feeling she’s here to stay. Chicago rapper, earthsignchels’ passionate flow on her brand-new track Daddy Died is a far cry from what you might expect in a delivery. She’s got a unique and choppy style we don’t hear often. As an ode to her late father, detailing her grief and the ways his passing has affected the way she moves in the world, this is a track anyone who has ever lost a loving parent can relate to.