Whatever you think, Female emcees have never had it easy or been able to catch a break in hip hop, a male dominated industry. With the exception of a very few, they just cannot be taken seriously. So what is it about a Woman that she can't be rated on the same level as a Qtip or a Redman?, is it the femininity of their voices, their subject matter or just the fact they got tits and ass while rocking a mic that distracts us?.

Is this a problem in any other form of music?, no its not seen as an obstacle if your a female singer or musician, but emcee?, c'mon please!!!??!!. Its not as if they ain't got lyrics, half of these girls got more flow than most of their male counterparts, they show intelligence and good content but their ignored and dismissed. Very rarely do they make it to their second album and even if they do its cos they on some commercial Rap & Bullshit.

Salt N Pepa were the ones to start taking things to the next level in the mid 80's, it was pretty much a novelty so commercial success beckoned, they've held it down over the last 15 years but you just couldn't imagine them dropping some ill rhymes over a Havoc beat, see even i can't take them seriously. MC Lyte is on album number 7 but she didn't get there through the ill dropping lyrics route it was cos of the pop appeal, and her best days are behind her. Same goes for Queen Latifah, these days i prefer her singing even though she sounds like Faith, for someone with a lot of talent shes had to resort to watering things down to carry on in the game, i mean did you get her last album?.

Then you got whore hip hop in the forms of Foxxy Brown and Lil Kim, all they talk about is how much money they spend on their designer gear, how much f**king and head they getting but hey back up and rewind there, ain't that what about half the hip hop groups and emcees talk about?, why should it be seen differently if women talk about it, its REAL, its reality, it goes on but no, theres a double standard in there somewhere. Maybe its the way we've been raised but you think a lady should act like a lady, its all well for us to leer at their bodies on the front of their latest album but when they start talking like us its different. And do we really believe all these girls are packing heat and they'd beat you down if you stepped outta line (well maybe Mia X, shes a big girl you know!).

If you were gonna count your favourite 5 female emcees, in no particular order, who would they be? Well you can't deny that Laurn Hill has definately gotta be in there somewhere, forget the Pop appeal shes gained, she should be crowned for her verse on 'How many mics' alone, and even though Missy and Latifah sing, do they do it as well or rap as well as Ms Hill?, like hell they do, they've never given me goosebumps like this lady has, and she holds her feminine side down without having to show some flesh. Then theres new emcee Free who ripped it on 'Another one bites the dust' and Canibus' 'Patriots' not many emcees can rock with Canibus let alone be female as well. Another one whos had little exposure is Jane Doe who is one of my current faves, she just let loose on Black stars 'Twice inna lifetime' and ATCQ's 'Rock rock ya'll'. I gotta include my 4th as well, i couldn't complete this piece without mentioning Paula Perry sadly lacking exposure despite displaying on numerous occasions a talent to be reckoned with, just go and listen to 'Extra Extra' again. Representing the totally hardcore, its gotta be Heather B, watching her display her early rhymes on MTV's The Real World, 7 long years ago in '92 you knew the potential was there, and how many women you know that can flow alongside MOP?, sadly cos she's the wrong sex shes been ignored and until she comes out sampling something like New kids on the block for some pop shit it will stay that way. An honourable mention goes out to Bahamadia, shes not really one of my favorites but she can really drop some mindblowin words.

Its not just the role of being an emcee thats held females back in this industry, how many female producers do you know of? see its hard ain't it and I bet you can't count 10 female deejays without struggling. I'm not protesting for things to change it just seems a bit one sided and theres more to it than thinking 'Ah shes a woman so she can't cut it like MC(insert male rapper name here)'.

Theres hope on the horizon this year, Charli Baltimores skills are still questionable but it looks like shes gained some respect from the hip hop community otherwise RZA and Premier wouldn't be lacing here with treats along with Clark kent for debut album 'Ice'. New emcees Free, Shorty Deck and Deja Vu have shown much promise on what little appearences they've had already. Rah digga should be dropping something on the solo tip after bringing strength to the Flipmode Squad and on the Wu side theres the Deadly Venomz, brought together by a shit industry that shunned them like the Wu to make em stronger.