Top 10 Music Videos by Female Rappers

The rap world may be run by men, but that doesn’t mean these women don’t kill the music video scene! Welcome to MsMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 music videos by female rappers.
For this list, we limited our picks to only one video per artist.

The video for the Dr. Dre-produced track begins with Eve stopping at a red light and Gwen Stefani literally ditching her car to hop on a four-wheeler, as they all head to this luxurious party they’re about to crash. As Gwen and the Ruff Ryder’s first lady stroll into party, they’re met with looks of disapproval from the members of the rich. Eventually Gwen hijacks the mic and Eve is behind the bar, and it seems like everyone’s having a great time… until an old lady decides to be a snitch and call the cops on them. Finally, Dre comes to the rescue as he proceeds to empty his moneybag onto the police officer’s desk, bailing his friends out of jail.

Black and white footage shows a group of women kidnapping a man via a net, and then the video cuts to someone else in an empty room being dragged off to face his destiny. Then the beat drops. It’s revealed these men have been taken prisoner by a group of sadists led by Nicki herself. Playing the role of a dominatrix, Nicki raps her verse next to Chris Brown and her Young Money family, Drake and Wayne. Shots of the women turning up to the song in the forest, as well as footage of Drake looking sad as women peer into his cage plays while he raps his verse. Wayne spits his verse and the video ends with a masked Nicki making her way to her next victim.

Although many probably know Azealia Banks for her internet infamy, we should also recognize that she makes great songs. And 212 is the song that started it all. Finding beauty in simplicity, the video for 212 is mainly Azealia performing in front of a brick wall. The video is very punchy as there are multiple cuts every few seconds. Some only focus on Azealia’s mouth, others are shots of her dancing goofily. From time to time, there are a few frames featuring phrases from the song in all caps. The video features cameos from Lazy Jay, better known as Basto, and Jacques Greene, and Lunice who can be seen also happily dancing to the music. Even without all the bells and whistles of a million dollar music video, 212 still proves to be iconic.

Finding inspiration in the hip hop history of her hometown, the video for Young M.A’s OOOUUU is a blend between the ‘90s and present day. Opening with Young M.A, decked in Tommy Hilfiger, taking a swig of Hennessy straight from the bottle in front of her crew, you know this video breathes New York City. Facts. Although there’s not too much going on, the video achieves exactly what it needs to. Multiple bottles of Hennessy, and wads of cash next to Young M.A and her food like they were napkins, the music video takes a new spin on the classic rapper persona. This is the breakout video that launched Young M.A into the mainstream, and it will leave you saying OOOUUU.

After the release of her only solo album, Lauryn Hill has been known to keep a very low profile. However, even with only one project under her belt, Lauryn Hill is still a legend and the video for Doo Wop (That Thing) shows off her many talents. Through the power of editing, the video is mostly divided in two sections with two different Lauryns paying tribute to both hip hop and doo wop. Set in both 1967 and 1998 New York City, the two versions of Lauryn sing and rap at a block party. The video is a testament to the fusion of the old and the new.

In this video, Lil’ Kim releases a line of 3 “fully edible” dolls that all resemble her in one way or another. Their purpose? They are used for men to practice their cunnilingus skills. The first doll is “Candy Kim” and she recounts many of her sexual escapades with her multiple partners. The second doll is “Pin-Up Kim” and this part of the song goes out to the dudes in jail who admire Kim. She goes on about how even a poster of her could start a fight in jail. The third and final doll is “NightRider Kim.” She rides a black Lamborghini and it is explicitly stated that she doesn’t satisfy you… you satisfy her.

U.N.I.T.Y. preaches unity between women and men, and the Queen speaks against disrespect towards women. The video is also a tribute to her brother who passed away in a motorcycle accident. In the beginning, Queen Latifah catches a pair of her brother’s keys and wears them around her neck throughout. Over the course of the video, Queen Latifah raps on a suspended cradle while being cheered on by the apartment tenants, she also rides a motorcycle, and she raps in front of a neighborhood crowd. Along with that, she talks about being sexually harassed in the streets, she describes leaving her partner and that she, and all women, deserve more than an abusive partner. The heartbreaking backstory and the empowering message all contribute to why this video is one of the best.

M.I.A. takes her artistry very seriously. Over the course of her career, she has rightfully earned herself a reputation of making amazing music and amazing videos. Ranging from the controversial Born Free, to the liberating Bad Girls, M.I.A. is a master at her craft. No stranger to insane production value, the video for Bad Girls looks like it’s straight out of a movie. The video features dozens of actors just being badass in general. Eventually, we find M.I.A. sitting on top of a car that’s “skiing” along the road. They even got a glow-in-the-dark, see-through, car made for the video!

Coming out at the height of the AIDs craze, Let’s Talk About Sex is topical, fun, and a classic. The video starts with a young boy picking up a tape labeled “talk sex.” You know, you have to teach them when they’re young anyways. The girls hang out at a construction yard, in front of a black backdrop, and at one point, Salt is a disc jockey. Regardless of what the trio may be doing, they’re at least informing the nation by talking about sex. This video screams retro. But in a good way! The choreography, the costumes, the style – it’s all so ‘90s and all so good.

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Cold Rock a Party”
MC Lyte feat. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott

“Fancy”

“I’ll Be”
Foxy Brown feat. Jay Z

Picking the best Missy Elliott video is like picking your favorite child. It’s really difficult because maybe it’s “Work It”, which has live bees, or maybe it’s Get Ur Freak On. Known for the zany production that she spits on, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott is equally known for her amazingly wacky videos. Get Ur Freak On is set in what looks like a sewer, but also like a dancehall because of the decor. As everyone’s getting their freak on, Missy swings from a chandelier. Around the end, the song switches to “Lick Shots.” The vibe changes completely as the dancing gets more aggressive and Missy raps next to Timbo. Meanwhile, the entire video is filled to the top with celebrity appearances ranging from Eve, Busta Rhymes and Ludacris.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favourite music videos by a female rapper? For more compelling top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.