Today's Top Ladies of Hip Hop
The three newest established female emcees are all around the same age, all rose from underground to mainstream recognition in 2012 thanks to Internet hype and all respectively have their own styles. But the question has to be asked, which one will out last the others and which ones just got lucky?
Kreayshawn, the oldest of the three, rose to fame, after her ‘Gucci Gucci’ video went viral last year. The Odd Future cameo didn’t hurt, but it was mainly the catchy hook, weird fashion sense and dope beat that had people spreading the word. Now signed to Columbia, her career is already playing out like it was scripted. Now sharing creative control with a major label, she hasn’t fully lost her originality, but its kind of become obvious that she has a team behind her saying the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of the newly established Kreayshawn Brand, at least in terms of the product she’s now putting out. It’s nauseating how mainstream she’s become and swiftly moving toward the path of playing mall shows to hoards of 12-15 year olds who think they’re ‘bad’. I mean that’s still success in some people’s minds and kudos for the 2 Chainz collab, but still what the hell happened to this artist?
Kreayshawn- Go Hard (La La La) Official Video:
Iggy Azalea is the wild card of the three. For those who have been under a rock, she’s an Australian emcee with model looks, puts on an LA twang while rapping and loves talking about her lady parts, well just ‘Pussy’ in general, among other things of course. She rose to fame following the release of her mixtape ‘Ignorant Art’ and the various videos that rose from the EP. Currently signed to TI’s label Grand Hustle, this year saw her bring out her second mixtape ‘Glory’ as a free download. (Good on you Iggy.) She’s the pinnacle depiction of what it is to be a modern artist, perfectly balancing out the content she releases, causing just the right amount of controversy while always maintaining the ‘good guy’ status, and let’s not forget to mention she’s also a perfect ten.
Iggy Azalea- Murda Bizness Official Video
Finally, Azealia Banks, the youngest of the three, but definitely the last one you’d ever want to fuck with. She’s already caused a ruckus in the industry; her first year has seen her beef with the likes of Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim and of course Iggy Azalea. She’s the most original, especially seeing as the other two show their influences to the extent that they are just repackaged goods with slight alterations. Yet Banks is undoubtedly the most unafraid, most controversial and by far the most versatile. The fluctuation in BPM and style from song to song is almost becoming her niche. Expecting the unexpected is becoming her trait and she’s worked with the dopest producers of the three. Banks is clearly the most exciting to watch progress thus far and has the biggest UK following of these three female emcees.
Azealia Banks- Liquorice Official Video
So there’s a basic run through of where they stand now. Make your own mind up on where you see these three artists going from here and who is likely to have the most long lasting career. Banks has my vote.
Johno Donnachie
