XXL Lists "The 20 Best Female Rappers Of All Time" & Greatest Rapper-Producer Duos Of All Time

by SOREN BAKER

"Nicki is arguably the best rapper - female or otherwise - in the game," XXL says of Nicki Minaj in its list of "The 20 Best Females Rappers Of All Time."

XXL published a list of “The 20 Best Female Rappers Of All Time” today (April 30). 

Queen Latifah made the list. "Queen Latifah was one of the first ever to provide a voice for women in Hip Hop,”XXL’s story says. "Her top chart singles like ‘U.N.I.T.Y.'—which won her a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo performance in 1995—allowed her to use Hip Hop as a platform to address the disrespect surrounding women.”

While Queen Latifah emerged in the 1980s, Foxy Brown rose to prominence in the 1990s. "She definitely held it down for females in Hip Hop during the mid-to-late 1990s,” XXL says of the former Def Jam Recordings artist. "Her album Ill Na Na hit strong with sales the moment it dropped, debuting at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 in 1996 and eventually being certified Platinum by the RIAA.”

Nicki Minaj also makes XXL's list. "Nicki is arguably the best rapper—female or otherwise—in the game,” the list says of the YMCMB artist. "Ever since she first stepped onto the scene with Young Money, the Jamaica, Queens rapper has grown into one of the most popular artists on the label."

XXL’s “The 20 Best Females Rappers Of All Time" is as follows:

Queen Latifah

Da Brat

Eve

Foxy Brown

Gangsta Boo

Jean Grae

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

Trina

Lil’ Kim

MC Lyte

Missy Elliott

Monie Love

Iggy Azalea

Rapsody

Remy Ma

Roxanne Shante

M.I.A.

The Lady Of Rage

Nicki Minaj

Lauryn Hill 

by ANDRES TARDIO

XXL lists Eric B. & Rakim, Gang Starr, Blackalicious, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and Atmosphere among its 15 greatest rapper-producer duos of all time.

XXL has made a list of its 15 greatest rapper-producer duos of all time.

"From Eric B. & Rakim to Prodigy and Alchemist, these one-two punches offer a different variety, one in which a single rapper has developed such a chemistry with a producer that they became, in a way, synonymous with each other," XXL says of its unranked list.

"For the most part, this means that the duo has worked together for more than one album," XXL continues. "We've made exceptions to include dynamic twosomes such as Marley Marl and Big Daddy Kane, who laid the groundwork for Kane's fantastic solo career, as well as KRS-One and Scott LaRock, who were the minds behind Boogie Down Productions before LaRock's untimely death robbed them of further collaboration. But when it comes to this list, we made one major distinction: the two must have, at one point in their careers, been synonymous with each other. 9th Wonder may be more well-known from his work with Jay Z and Little Brother, but his five albums with Murs can't be ignored, either. Timbaland and Missy Elliott may have gone their separate ways, but without Timbo's beats we would never have had Missy's flair; Snoop and Dr. Dre, for all their collaborations on The Chronic and Doggystyle, always identified as individuals first, rather than partners."

Eric B. & Rakim, Gang Starr, Blackalicious, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Madvillain, KRS-One and Scott La Rock and Atmosphere are among those named in the list.