Female rap is getting a revival thanks to Nicki Minaj. The femcee is dominating music with her guest features and solo single “Your Love,” which became the first song by a female artist unaccompanied to reach No. 1 on the Rap Songs chart since Missy Elliott’s “Work It” in November 2002. The Associated Press interviewed some of Minaj’s peers and collaborators, including Pharrell, Ludacris, 50 Cent, Eve, and Queen Latifah, to get their thoughts on her and female rap in general. Here’s what they had to say.
Pharrell: “I think since Nicki came out there’s going to be a lot of new girls coming out. There’s always one that paves the way and opens the door [and] I think she reopened the door to hip-hop for females.”