Billboard names Nicki Minaj the greatest female rapper of all time

Iconic female rappers from different generations made the star-studded list.

Billboard has released its staff list of the 25 greatest female rappers of all time, which featured iconic female MCs across the four decades of American hip hop.

Despite breaking into the mainstream barely one year ago, Grammy winner Doechii made the list as she was ranked NO. 24.

Hip Hop stars Latto, Glorilla, Doja Cat, and Megan Thee Stallion made the list thanks to their success as some of the most influential female rappers of the last decade.

Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B almost cracked the top 10 but had to settle for a NO. 11 spot on the list. Her album ‘Invasion of Privacy’ is ranked one of the most iconic rap albums of all time.

Acclaimed lyricists Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliot were ranked third and second, respectively in what spared reactions by some fans who believe Lauryn Hill whose debut album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ won the 1999 Grammy Album of the Year Prize.

Topping the list is the remarkable Nicki Minaj AKA The Queen, whose rap music has redefined what it means to be a female rapper.

With nearly two decades of consistency, Minaj is a sex icon and illustrious rapper who has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her male counterparts.

“She’s the first female rapper to eclipse triple-digit Billboard Hot 100 hits in 2018 with 149 entries to her name as of publishing,” Billboard highlights in what captures her strides as the most commercially successful female rapper of all time.  

Throughout her career, she has consistently recreated herself by adopting different rap personalities and enjoying success and enduring cultural impact with all of them.

From her famous feuds with other female rappers, show-stopping guest verses, collection of hit singles, and iconic performances, Nicki Minaj is the most iconic female rapper of all time.

Billboard’s 25 Greatest Female Rappers of all time (Staff List)

1. Nicki Minaj

2. Missy Elliott

3. Lauryn Hill

4. Lil Kim

5. Queen Latifah

6. MC Lyte

7. Salt-N-Pepa

8. Roxanne Shante

9. Eve

10. Foxy Brown

11. Cardi B

12. Da Brat

13. Trina

14. Left Eye

15. Megan Thee Stallion

16. Doja Cat

17. Rapsody

18. Remy Ma

19. Latto

20. Monie Love

21. GloRilla

22. Lady of Rage

23. Gangsta Boo

24. Doechii

25. Tierra WhackMusic

‘The Machine Is Coming’: OdumoduBlvck expresses his readiness to dominate [Review]

This is OdumoduBlvck’s time, and he’s fully aware of it. He has turned deaf ears to the pessimistic predictions of his short reign and the indictment of his abilities.

Whatever Nigerian mainstream pop music is today, it owes in no small part to hip hop, which laid the sonic structure, approach, and even dressing.

So it was only fair that amidst Afrobeats’ global surge, a rapper stood up to be counted.

It is important that when Nigerian music is at an all-time commercial high, a rapper stands tall next to the pop stars, just like other iconic rappers did in the 2000s and 2010s.

This rapper is OdumoduBlvck and the magnitude of the responsibility he shoulders isn’t lost on him.

Dominance in hip hop requires confidence, whether aggressively or calmly.

Dominance calls for breathless, successful releases that leave peers, oppositions, and fans in no doubt of who runs the scene.

In Nigeria, there’s an additional requirement of domestication which requires range and malleability to shape and fit into the soundscape.

OdumoduBlvck shows this ability to domesticate on his 2023 project ‘Eziokwu,’ which has since gone on to become one of the most successful rap projects of the Nigerian streaming era.

Since then, he has displayed an ambition to dominate. In the last 18 months, he made over 40 guest appearances, including on songs with Pop superstars Rema and Davido.

He released a joint album with his crew Anti World Gangsters in 2024, and barely three months later, he’s back with a new album (he calls it a mixtape, but this it’s an album) ‘The Machine Is Coming.’

After spending a better part of 2024 preparing listeners for the release of his next album ‘Industry Machine,’ OdumoduBlvck decided to release a surprise 16-track project to further drum home the message that ”The Machine is Coming.”

With a combination of his hyper-masculine rap flows, aggressive chest-thumping writing, colorful use of Nigerian lingo, and stunning melody-wielding abilities (he calls it Okporoko flows), he tells listeners that he’s the leading hip-hop protagonist in the country who is ready to dominate.

Across the album’s 41-minute playtime, OdumoduBlvck explores a wide spectrum of Nigerian pop sounds while using hip-hop as the anchor that gives the project its identity.

OdumoduBlvck has perfected his genre-fusing rap style through a blend of rage verses and catchy melody-filled choruses, and it’s through this effective cocktail that he delivers a compelling project.

He continues his penchant of name-dropping pop cultural figures on the opener ‘Legolas’ where he celebrates winning on his terms through rap verses that are perfectly paired with what might be his best hook yet.

Known for his use of explicit language, OdumoduBlvck blends his aggressive technique with the sultry melodies of singers Juno and Valentina Ross on the log drum-punctuated ‘Toy Girl,’

Uptempo Afrobeats is seeing a gradual resurgence, and OdumoduBlvck appeared to have caught the bug, thanks to his appearance on Rema‘s ‘War Machine.’

Party-starting jams ‘Early Morning’ and ‘Barrister Tofo’ featuring Lawyers turned rappers Fatboy E and Falz are nods the growing influence of the Mara sound, which is the latest strain of up-tempo street pop music.

Mixtapes (even if this isn’t one) have delivered hit songs for several rappers. This is the case for OdumoduBlvck, thanks to his hit collaboration ‘Pity This Boy’ featuring Victony, who is also known for his colourful use of Nigerian lingo.

If OdumoduBlvck‘s aggressive writing and hyper-masculine delivery make sex feel like a UFC match, he also enjoys spoiling his woman like a fine gentleman.

Rapping over the Niphkeys‘ Afropop beat, he raps about his capacity to “chest billing” (Nigerian street lingo for being capable of funding a woman’s lifestyle) while not so subtly flaunting his melody-wielding ability by insisting on taking the hook.

OdumoduBlvck again uses Afropop production to rap about spoiling a steadfast lover on ‘Kylian,’ which continues his propensity for naming songs after popular figures.

While he has melodies for days, where OdumoduBlvck’s artistry shines the most is in hard-hitting hip-hop cuts where his aggression finds the needed targets.

On the drill beats of ‘Go Report,’ he sends shots to the kill joys and naysayers. He shows his superstar status and ambition by tapping Italian rapper Rondodasosa for ‘Isakaba Man’ (a suitable soundtrack for the Nollywood blockbuster should it ever have a sequel) where he declares his supremacy and dares anyone to challenge him, whether in his home city of Abuja or the larger context of Nigerian hip hop.

Not one to mince words, OdumoduBlvck took shots at his ops in ‘Pussy Niggas’ with lines that aim to provoke a reaction. And should anyone dare, he confidently announces his intention to wage war while suitably giving a shout-out to Nigerian politician and activist Omoyele Sowore.

The few touches of a mix tape that exist on the project can be found in the collaborations that spotlight new talents, as mix tapes are meant. Also, he experimented with partnerships that might not make an album like ‘BTC’ featuring Bobby Ibo and popular comedian Sabinus.

OdumoduBlvck makes a Port Harcourt connection on ‘Ajebo Hustlers’ where the hitmaking duo Ajebo Hustlers and rapper Dan Dizzy combined to deliver a solid hip hop cut drenched in rich southern Nigeria street lingo.

OdumoduBlvck’s impressive Biblical allusion to the story of Mordecai, Haman, Esther, and King Ahasuerus to Dan Dizzy‘s swaggering delivery makes the track one of the major highlights in a project filled with notable moments.

Another mix tape element present in the album is the inclusion of two of his guest appearances that flesh up the project and show just how in demand he is.

Ultimately, the fact that OdumoduBlvck can release such a quality project as a precursor to one that he boasts is even better is a testament to his status as Nigeria’s biggest hip-hop protagonist.

This is OdumoduBlvck‘s time, and he’s fully aware of it. He has turned deaf ears to the pessimistic predictions of his short reign and the indictment of his abilities.

The Machine Is Coming, and this album makes the wait worthwhile.

Ratings: /10

• 0-1.9: Flop

• 2.0-3.9: Near fall

• 4.0-5.9: Average

• 6.0-7.9: Victory

• 8.0-10: Champion

Pulse Rating: /10

Album Sequencing: 1.6/2

Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.6/2

Production: 1.6/2

Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.6/2

Execution: 1.7/2

TOTAL – 8.1 – Victory