It’s about that time! Another Wednesday, another time to give Props to Women in Hip Hop!

This week I’m featuring two artists. MC Lyte, who happens to be one of my favorite MCs of all time, has been in the rap game since the 80s. She’s calm, cool, and collected and gave us hits such as Cold Rock a Party, Cha Cha Cha and Lyte as a Rock.

Then there’s Rapsody who you might know from the hit television series, Empire, or from her being featured on records with Kendrick Lamar, Big Krit, Marsha Ambrosius and more.

The two came together this week for Billboards article, “Black History Month: Rapsody & MC Lyte Discuss Being a Woman of Color in Hip-Hop”.

I grabbed an excerpt from them explaining what it’s like to be a woman of color in hip hop.

MC Lyte: As it relates to now, this is not enough. Not enough voice, not enough variety exists. There used to be a time where female MCs sort of spoke for a sector of the female population and I don’t know that those on the front lines actually reflect all of us nor do they speak for all of us. I can only hope for more variety. I get the question all the time [talking about] there’s no female MCs and I’m like, ‘What? Are you kidding? There’s so many female MCs waiting for their opportunity to be heard by the masses.’ They do what it is they do anyway because of their love for the craft, the urgency to say the words that aren’t being said. However, there are very few opportunities where they’re able to be heard by a multitude of people that can carry that message and actually have change occur.

Rapsody: It was about camaraderie. I would go back and you would have “Ladies First” [with Queen Latifah and Monie Love] and see all these women working together. We don’t have that sisterhood today. I think being in this business, you get so frustrated because there is no balance. It seems like there can only be one [female MC] at a time now. Growing up, I remember seeing you, Latifah, Missy and everybody co-existed together. Everybody was different but everybody was dope because they had their own style. Now, it seems like we think we have to be so competitive with each other and I feel like that’s part of the main problem where they use that against us to divide us instead of bringing us together. This one female [artist] was ragging on female artists and I tried to have a talk with her. I was like, ‘I understand the base of your argument as far as the quality of music but why do we have to attack each other to get that point across?’

I agree with both of them. In the 90s, women would get together and spit dope rhymes while supporting each other. We need to get back to that or at least recognize the women out there who are all about uplifting and celebrating other women. That’s where I come in…to give props to women in hip hop!