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Could we get a few more lady emcees to the front, please?!?

Two things before we get into this week’s column; One, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! (Yeah, I know January is half-over at this point, but I think the whole month is a good grace period to express the sentiment.) Two, I have to apologize for letting my column languish for so long without anything new to say. It really is inexcusable, and very unprofessional on my part. I could blame it on my travels, or personal issues, etc. But no, I was just lazy. And I know that’s not fair to the people who actually make an effort to read this column on the regular.

In any event, I wanted to get back to something I touched upon briefly in our Best Music Of 2008 feature, as I thought long and hard about the place of females in rap music. Believe me, I realize this is a topic that gets brought up at least once every two to five years, and I’m certainly not going to act like females have never gotten a real chance to shine as emcees. But let’s face it, the current landscape is a bit depressing for ladies looking to make their voices heard. Has anyone really held it down for females as far as the mainstream is concerned in the last five years or so? Maybe Missy, but beyond that, no one really comes to mind. I was actually looking forward to Eve’s fourth studio album that was supposed to come out over a year ago, but now who knows when it’ll ever see the light of day? Which is a shame given her growth as an artist over the course of her previous albums. Not just in terms of lyricism, but her overall image as well. She’s one of the few female emcees I’ve encountered who’s been able to strike a good balance between the gritty street attitude we’ve come to expect from most rappers, with style and sexiness to accentuate her femininity. Usually, you only either get “the tomboy”, or “the stripper” when it comes to female emcees. Each has redeeming qualities, but too much of either can eventually wear thin. Even Lauren Hill went from media darling to “Shut your preachy-ass mouth, woman!!”. And poor Lil’ Kim, she’s gone so far beyond becoming an inanimate object, I doubt she even has full mobility of the facial muscles necessary to spit competent verses!

Ultimately, male or female, there’s also the issue of skill. It call comes back to skills. I definitely want to see more females spittin’ on the mic, but PLEASE, for the love of all that’s decent and holy, make sure the rhyme skills are tight! The same way I don’t get too hung up on whether a rapper’s rapping about killing, or slingin’ dope, or bustin’ out broads, etc., the same applies to females. Whether you be on the “tomboy” end of the spectrum, or the “stripper” end, just come correct on your rhymes. Too many females at the moment feel they can either get by on being conscious **cough**Amanda Diva**cough**, or the fact that they’ve got a thunderous booty **cough**Lola Luv**cough**.

The sad thing is that I’m personally quite stumped on what I’d do to change this situation. The way I see it, popular music works in cycles. Eventually the tide will turn in the ladies’ favor. It’s just a matter of patience.