Billboard drops best female rappers ranking — netizens crack up with hot takes

It’s Billboard ranking in again, and this time, it is the ladies stepping up to the mic. A newly released list of the top 10 female rappers of all time has sparked equal parts celebration, confusion, and full-on digital side-eyes. The Queen of the Barbz, Nicki Minaj tops the list—a move that surprised no one but still managed to break the internet.

The rest of the Billboard ranking leaned heavily into ‘90s hip-hop royalty, with icons like Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, and Lil Kim rounding out the upper slots. But the absence of some very popular modern names had fans ready to drop diss tracks of their own.

As @PopCrave helpfully shared:

---

Billboard’s top 10 has bars, backlash, and no Cardi B

The digital streets were buzzing, and Twitter did what it does best: turning a rap list into meme-worthy chaos. Some fans like @seb_astian_c popped virtual champagne:

"No men YUPP 😍👏"

But perhaps the loudest noise came from fans asking where their faves were— especially Cardi B and Doja Cat.

"NOTICE THERES NO CARDI" -@themluvvash

"Cardi and Doja Cat are nowhere to be seen 😂 "- @mr_possessivex

"Damn wheres cardi b i know she ain’t making the top 1,000,000 and there ain’t even a million female rappers" - @whooshtherehego

Some folks couldn’t help but highlight a few odd placements on th Billboard list:

"Megan outsold 6 on this list. Be fr 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣"- @bigtooley

"Not top 10 for botched b" -@corneil_ri

But die-hard Nicki fans weren’t here for the slander:

"As long as y’all know who #1 is 😌" -@SleezePetty

"Notice how Nicki is the only one who debuted in the 2010s and she’s still above all who came before" -@MlNAJMOGUL

Whether it was cheers, jeers, or sheer disbelief, one thing is clear—the list did precisely what it was meant to do: spark conversation.

---

How the Billboard list was made and why it matters?

The Billboard ranking came from an editorial staff list celebrating the legacy of women in hip-hop. While only the top 10 were publicly highlighted in viral tweets, the full list honored 25 female rappers, each selected based on factors including cultural impact, bars, influence, longevity, and legacy, and not just chart stats or TikTok trends.

The top pick, Nicki Minaj, was praised for her genre-defining flow, record-breaking success, and ability to juggle alter egos, bars, and beef like a pro. Her reign in the 2010s and beyond made her a standout among '80s and '90s legends. Think Missy Elliott, the creative genius who turned music videos into art, Lauryn Hill, whose The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill remains untouchable, and Lil Kim, the blueprint for style, swagger, and unapologetic lyrics.

Other icons like Queen Latifah and MC Lyte paved the way when few women had mics in hand. Salt-N-Pepa brought girl power to the mainstream, Roxanne Shante pioneered the battle rap scene, Eve dropped hits and became a sitcom star, and Foxy Brown was all edge and attitude.

So yes, while modern chart-toppers like Cardi, Doja, Megan, and even Ice Spice didn’t make the Billboard cut, the list leans historical—recognizing foundational artists whose fingerprints are all over today’s rap game.

---

Keep reading SoapCentral for more information.