With few exceptions, female involvement in today's hip-hop seems to be restricted to being a music video groupie or a provocative stage dancer rather than being a headlining performer at a major concert or music event. Sure, hip-hop is male-dominated. But even so, it wouldn't be fair to overlook or ignore its scarce yet influential female contributors. Throughout hip-hop history, women have inspired their fellow females to take part in the elements: from legend graf writer Lady Pink's aerosol artistry and Sugarhill Records' The Sequence's party raps in the '70s and '80s, to more recent fames like Pam the Funkstress of the Coup (representing female DJs) and Asia One of No Easy Props, Rock Steady Crew, and founding committee member of the popular, annual B-Boy Summit (holding it down for B-girls worldwide).

Out of all the elements, women are found to be more involved and advanced in rapping. Many of them use pure poetry talent to represent themselves and their gender, while a few entice with raw sex appeal and tantalizing narratives to gain recognition. Either way, the ladies know how to bring it.

Below are some of the female MCs that have held it down for all womankind.

Female Foundation

Roxanne Shante

At the tender age of 14, Roxanne Shante released "Roxanne's Revenge," a heated response track to U.T.F.O.'s "Roxanne, Roxanne," a song about a stuck-up girl named Roxanne that U.T.F.O. continues to claim had nothing to do with her. The song began her career as the first lady of battle raps...as well as one of the most aggressive females in hip-hop to date. Revenge was so hot that Roxanne couldn't even attend school, because all her fans followed her every footstep. She was taken under the wing of legendary hip-hop producer Marley Marl, who produced Revenge, and became a part of his infamous Juice Crew, alongside MC Shan, Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, Big Daddy Kane, and Biz Markie. She released a number of credible hits that can be found on many hip-hop compilations, like "Have a Nice Day," "Go on Girl," "Big Mama" (where she dishes out a barrage of insults to practically all other female rappers at the time), and one of the most famous beatbox/MC showcases in history: "Def Fresh Crew." Although most of her recorded songs were written by Big Daddy Kane, when it came to freestyle battling, Roxanne was quick to lyrically abuse her opponents every which way, in addition to moving the crowd in so doing...a once-deadly threat to male and female rappers.

Salt-N-Pepa

Theirs was the first big-time female rap duo to also incorporate a female DJ in the group. Salt, Pepa, and DJ Spinderella (and former DJ Pamela Green) surfaced with their pro-feministic anthems that set the bar for all female rappers that came after them. They exploded with hit singles like "Expression," "Shoop," "Push It," (one of the first rap songs to receive a GRAMMY nomination), and the controversial "Let's Talk About Sex" remake. All these songs aided in the crossover of hip-hop into the mainstream. Although they were blessed with chart-topping records and GRAMMY presence, their greatest accomplishment was opening the door for women rappers around the world. With that strength and with five strong albums, they are definitely hip-hop hall of famers and icons in the music business.

MC Lyte

Before transforming herself into a successful R&B rapper, MC Lyte was one of the baddest sisters rapping in New York, and she's also one of the few longest-running hip-hop artists to have emerged pre-Golden Era. Her cocky delivery and rugged style is well-renowned and can be clearly heard in many of today's female rappers. Lyte's full-length debut album, Lyte as a Rock, earned the respect of the streets with such classics as "I Cram to Understand U," "Paper Thin," and the title track. Her best release of true hip-hop form, All Eyes on This, featured the songs "Cappuccino," "Stop, Look, Listen," and the infamous "Cha Cha Cha." After breaking through the mainstream during the early '90s, Lyte scored a few roles in such movies as Sunset Park and Playas Ball, as well as made appearances in TV comedy sitcoms such as Moesha, In the House, and Half & Half. She would eventually earn a GRAMMY nomination for the single "Ruffneck," off her 1993 album Ain't No Other, which was also the first single from a female hip-hop artist to reach gold status. Lyte's truly an ambassador to all women in hip-hop.

Queen Latifah

Back in '88, female rappers were few and far between. But it wasn't long before everyone was hailing to the Queen Latifah. She jump-started her astonishing career by releasing All Hail the Queen, which included her hit debut single "Ladies First," featuring Monie Love, thus bringing the presence of women and Afrocentricity in hip-hop to higher ground. She is a member of the Native Tongues coalition, made popular by the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Her success and popularity as a leading female in hip-hop earned her a TV sitcom, Living Single, and several motion picture roles in movies like Jungle Fever, Juice, Set It Off, and the multi-Academy Award-winning movie/musical Chicago. On her latest endeavor, Latifah shows her multiplicity of influences and talent with The Dana Owens Album, a throwback ode to big band on which she covers classic tracks, jazz-style, by renowned artists like Al Green ("Simply Beautiful"), the Mamas and the Papas ("California Dreamin'"), and Bill Withers ("The Same Love That Made Me Laugh"). Latifah has definitely come a long way and has come full circle as a multileveled artist.

Mainstream Mamas

Lil' Kim

The Queen B might be all plastic on the outside, but her talent as a rapper is genuine from the inside. This one-time gold-digging "street corner hustler" was taken under the wing of the late B.I.G. and turned into one of the hottest female rappers in recent years. Many females may despise her provocative nature, but you can't blame Lil' for incorporating her troubled childhood and former lifestyle into her image as a performer. Parallel in style to archnemesis Foxy Brown, Kim developed a new breed of rappers that blended hip-hop with sex, money, and fashion from a female's perspective. She debuted as a member of Biggie's group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and quickly made a name for herself with her verse in their debut hit single "Player's Anthem" and throughout their Conspiracy LP. As is customary with any Bad Boy record, the production for her debut solo album, Hard Core, was jam-packed with an all-star cast. It came as no surprise, then, that the album was a commercial hit for both Kim and the Bad Boy label.

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott virtually monopolized the game when it came to any involvement in both hip-hop music and lifestyle. Known for her outrageous videos, dynamic beats, playful raps, and hit singles, like "Sock It To Me," "Work It," and "Get Your Freak On," her accomplishments are not even close to reaching a professional peak. Add to that acting, owning a clothing line with Adidas, and a reality TV show, and you have yourself a megastar. She's currently enjoying the success of her reality show, Road to Stardom, where Missy has her hands full helping fresh talent get their feet wet in the biz. Voted twice by Rolling Stone magazine as Best Female Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, this Supa Dupa Fly powerhouse will continue to dominate for a very long time.

Lauryn Hill

Who would have thought that little Rita--the temperamental yet talented little girl in Sister Act 2--would grow up to be one of the most respected and influential women in hip-hop? Lauryn "L-Boogie" Hill epitomizes the ideal lyricist: one who is real to her passion and determined to stay that way. Her 1998 classic, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, was the fastest-selling debut album for a female artist, and it quickly established her as a prominent solo performer. Breakthrough joints like "Everything Is Everything," "Doo Wop (That Thing)," and "Ex-Factor" illustrated her personal and political viewpoints, as well as demonstrated her unrelenting talents as a producer. Lauryn is currently prepping for her highly anticipated sophomore album, and there are talks of Kanye West lending a hand with some production duties. And whether or not she reunites with her former group, The Fugees, Lauryn will always be remembered as a key factor in prospering the female voice in hip-hop.

From Beneath the Surface

Medusa

Both a powerful singer and a champion battle-rhymer, Medusa possesses one of the most powerful voices to ever come from a female hip-hop performer. Her name itself suggests strong-arm tactics, but Medusa's relentless flows and refined talent definitely back up such intimidation. Occasionally found performing with her 12-member band, Feline Science, Medusa always knows how to bring her crowds' spirits to maximum levels, and in doing so, she's earned LA Weekly's "Artist of the Year" honors in 2001 and 2002. Another accomplishment of hers is receiving a GRAMMY with the band Ozomatli for her collaborative contributions on their 2001 sophomore album, Embrace the Chaos, a triumph not too many underground acts can claim. She has also had onscreen presence in HBO's film Stranger Inside, where she played a spoken word artist locked up in a female prison system, as well as starred in a film festival favorite about women in hip-hop called Nobody Knows My Name. And if that wasn't enough, Medusa was one of the key producers in scoring the movie Gridlock'd, which starred the late Tupac Shakur. As you can tell by her impressive resume, the soulful Medusa breathes, eats, and sleeps music 24 hours a day. I had the rare opportunity of catching a performance of hers with Blackalicious in Audiotistic 2003, and I must say, if you ever see her name printed on a flyer--no matter how big or small--I suggest you make plans to attend the show.

Jean Grae

Jean Grae is without question the hottest female on the M.I.C. right now. Her incomparable poise and articulate lyrics are far superior to most mainstream female artists--as well as numerous male artists-- and the respect she receives in the underground/indie scene is prominently deserved. After parting ways with underground act Natural Resource in the late '90s, and after countless singles and collaborations crossed her path, Jean Grae (initially known as What? What?) released her solo debut, Attack of the Attacking Things, in '02. The album immediately caught the attention of the music media, and it was highly acclaimed by the indie hip-hop community. A year later, she signed with Chuck Wilson's Babygrande label and quickly followed her previous effort with the Bootleg of the Bootleg EP, where Ms. Marvel displayed her destructively raw lyrical flavor and set up anticipation for one of 2004's best hip-hop releases, This Week. She was also featured in one of the better tracks in Talib Kweli's The Beautiful Struggle LP, called "Black Girl Pain." There is no classifying Jean Grae's music and abilities. Both are just sheer hip-hop in all aspects. I seriously doubt there will be another female that can match her skill and grace on the microphone or with the pen and pad.