Yesterday, my latest piece, “Where Did All The Female Rappers Go?” went live at NPR.  In this one, I look at the significant decline of women in mainstream rap music and consider some of the reasons for it.  I was fortunate enough to interview hip hop pioneer MC Lyte, who was very candid about her disappointment in the current industry climate for women.

The piece ends with the upside:  the “underground.”  I’ve been listening to a lot of women who are far more talented than many of the artists (e.g., 2 Chainz, Waka Flocka Flame) who are on major labels.  There are a number of really skilled MCs out there, but check out Awkwafina, Ruby Ibarra, Nitty Scott MC, and Gifted Gab for some different styles.