Rap, in Nigeria and the whole world at large, has always been centered around men with women usually referenced as appendages to the ‘hardcore’ genre. In the past five years, the Nigerian music industry has seen a growth in the number of female rappers unafraid to challenge the norm and lead with passion-filled bars and punchlines much like predecessors like Sasha P, Bouquoi, Eva Alordiah did in their heyday.
Contrary to the notion that female rappers have to be ‘special’ to rise to any occasion, these nine women are storytellers, just like their male counterparts. They rap about everything from status to strength, relationships, and career.
These women have grabbed the bull by the horn and are redefining rap in Nigeria which is why we should all be paying attention to them and adding their music to our playlists.
Shaybo
Shaybo’s brand of confidence is one major reason she’s able to play in the big league of rappers in South London. Her bars are as formidable as she is and Dobale is one song that defines her persona.
Detoblack
Despite having no solo single to her name, Detoblack has been able to stir things up with her feistiness and breezy flow. Her contribution to Odunsi’s Body Count was the starting point of her looming mainstream breakthrough.
Candybleakz
Candybleakz went head to head with Naira Marley and Zlatan on one of her hit singles, her punchlines put theirs to shame. This feat is enough to toot the street rapper’s horn.
SGawD
Top on the list of features that ensures SGawD’s relevance is her penchant for song’s with depth, high-quality beats, along with her ability to manoeuver genres. All of these are indicative of how she views music in general, an exquisite art to which she continually dedicates passion.
Ictooicy
This rapper’s name is as eponymous as it can get. Her flow is cold, stories chilling and personality, icy.
Tinuke
Tinuke is a conventional rapper but what sets her apart from her contemporaries is the palpable passion she infuses her punchlines with which is exactly why each line dropped on every song feels like a ton of bricks dropped on her listener.
Yazavelli
What brightens Yazavelli’s menacing persona is the relatability infused in her songs, the bravery with which she approaches subjects, and the carefree attitude inhabiting her signature chopped flow.
Phlow
Also known as Phlowetry, Phlow’s name speaks for her passion. It’s almost as if her power to dispense relevant lines is embedded in her name and while it might seem like a cliche the rapper does have a unique flow.
Bête
Bête is the Capital City’s hidden gem that spells hope for the sleepy city’s future in the industry in terms of genre boundless artists. She’s not defined by demands but by her truth which she so clearly and audaciously offloads on her songs.