By Women in rap have dominated the spotlight throughout the 2020s, and 2024 is no different.
It is disappointing to see reports of year-end rap rankings giving little to no credit to women who contributed to some of the year’s most culturally impactful songs.
The public beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, two of the biggest names in music, may have contributed to the lack of yearly roundups featuring some of rap’s most significant releases from women this year.
From chart-topping albums to underground standouts, here’s a look at 10 female rap albums that stood out in a stacked year for music that may have gone under the radar.
Honorable Mention: “In Sexyy We Trust” by Sexyy Red
Sexyy Red is not an artist known for her complete body of work, but ignoring the album that gave us the smash hit “Get it Sexyy” would be criminal.
Sexyy Red also contributed to many standout tracks on her peers’ albums this year that elevated songs to being addicting and impossible not to dance to. In Sexyy, we do trust.
10. “PRINCESS POP THAT” by Anycia
Anycia’s introduction to the rap game was a bit of a slow burn, as she first found success in 2023 with her song “BRB.” Many features on albums by Flo Milli and Maleigh Zan allowed her to gain more of an audience and bring her unique sound to PRINCESS POP THAT.
The rasp and baritone of her voice, accompanied by the girly electronic beats of her production, provide one of the most unique and atmospheric rap albums released this year.
9. “GLORIOUS” by GloRilla
GloRilla became a household name in 2024, and “GLORIOUS” provided us with another viral hit with “WHATCHU KNOW ABOUT ME,” featuring Sexyy Red.
There seems to be a new air of confidence in GloRilla’s cadence and style that shines through in her visuals for this album and its overall sound. Every song on this album takes up space, with big production and a big presence that can be felt through the speaker whenever GloRilla makes her entrance on a song.
8. “MERCZONE” by Mercury
An album that truly feels like the sonic equivalent of an ice-cold Red Bull before a night out, MERCZONE brings an infectious energy with its buzzing production reminiscent of jungle dance tracks.
Mercury has a silliness to her rapping style that makes this album feel light, energetic and fun.
7. “Sugar Honey Iced Tea” by Latto
Latto has consistently improved in skill year after year, and 2024 propelled her to stardom thanks to the series of hits from her latest project.
“Georgia Peach” as an intro establishes this album as a testament to her growth as an artist and an homage to her southern roots with its nostalgic guitar instrumental.
Her ability to make a catchy hit is paired with more solid production and witty songwriting that shows she can get in the booth and prove any allegations that she does not deserve her status wrong.
6. “WORLD WIDE WHACK” by Tierra Whack
Coming back from a 6-year hiatus, Tierra Whack gives us a life update on “WORLD WIDE WHACK.”
Extremely candid and sometimes heartbreaking lyrics tell the story of the rapper’s inner world, living through a post-pandemic social life as an artist. Songs such as “IMAGINARY FRIENDS” and “SHOWER SONG” showcase Whack’s ability to use irony to describe the feelings of isolation and growing up throughout the entire project.
5. “Ehhthang Ehhthang” by GloRilla
GloRilla’s first album this year produced the rapper’s biggest hits and notable collaborations with Megan Thee Stallion and Latto.
“Yeah Glo!” reached virality not only because of its catchy refrain and the way GloRilla relentlessly rides the beat, but also because you can’t help but root for her by the time the song is finished. GloRilla was able to have fun on this album while also touching on her struggles and how she built herself up to exceed others’ expectations of her as an artist.
4. “The Drive Home” by Samara Cyn
Los Angeles-based artist Samara Cyn debuted this year with a melodic rap project titled “The Drive Home.”
The album flows effortlessly, making it feel like the perfect track to play while stuck in LA traffic at sunset. Her lyricism is authentic, her vocals are soothing, and she is even comedic at times, making it feel like an honest and comforting piece of work that many can relate to.
3. “MEGAN” by Megan Thee Stallion
It can be argued that the real catalyst for the Kendrick and Drake beef was Megan thee Stallion’s track “HISS,” one of Megan’s best works to date.
Following public comments made by Drake about her validity as a victim of domestic abuse, the song was released, calling out his hypocrisies as an artist. When Kendrick chimed in, the general public never heard the end of it.
Exploring new sounds and melodies, “MEGAN“ shows off her versatility and agility as an artist. She also allows herself to be cocky, honest and vindictive on songs like “BOA” and “COBRA,” showing that the struggles she had to undergo publicly allowed for a more precise sound from her as an artist who speaks to her audience directly.
2. “Fine Ho, Stay” by Flo Milli
No one touches Flo Milli’s cleverness by miles, and the third installment of her discography proves it.
Following “Ho, Why is You Here?” and “You Still Here, Ho?,” Milli allows herself to tap into a more pop-rap sound without neglecting her ability to have conviction lyrically. Many tracks provide a softer and more melodic sound, such as “Toast” and the chart-topping “Never Lose Me,” that we can expect more of from Milli.
She no longer fights off those who do not understand her sound and instead invites listeners to stay for the ride.
1. “Alligator Bites Never Heal” by Doechii
An artistic, ambitious, personal mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal” showcases Doechii’s authenticity and musicality in a beautiful light, leading her to four Grammy nominations despite not having released an official debut album.
The mixtape is even more fascinating because each song started as a challenge Doechii gave herself to make one song daily with whatever beats she had.
Despite the randomness of making the mixtape, every track still seems intentional and thoughtful, making the project an easy listen from front to back and one of the best albums of the year overall.
