Published on August 22nd, 2024 | by Jameelah "Just Jay" Wilkerson

Women in Urban Music: Breaking Barriers and Redefining the Industry

Urban music is a force to reckon with, a fusion of raw energy from the streets and the poetic pulse of life’s challenges and triumphs. From hip-hop to R&B, it’s been the marginalized voice, a showplace for untold stories. It was then a preserve of male voices while women struggled to find space in a world that often sidelines them. But that has changed. Today, not only are women part of the urban music scene, but they are changing it.

Resilience Is a Tradition

In their journey through urban music, the majority of women have shown a lot of resilience. It was much respect with huge climbs just to get heard back in the early days of female emcees. Icons like Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, and MC Lyte hit the music scene in the late ’80s and early ’90s, creating a space in a male-driven industry.

Their success was a statement to the world, a loud voice that wouldn’t accept the gender norms of that time. They were not artists but groundbreakers whose actions made the way for others. For those interested in how trailblazers in other fields have similarly challenged norms, you can read more about betting and the impact of women breaking barriers in traditionally male-dominated industries.

But with fame came the stereotypes and double standards. They were criticized far more than men; their looks, sexuality, and lyrics were constantly under the shade. Yet they just kept coming, no matter what was thrown in their direction, proving that women could hold their own—and then some more—in a genre that wasn’t always friendly or welcoming.

The Evolution of the Female Voice

Fast-forward to today, and the landscape has irrevocably changed. Women in urban music no longer crave a seat at the table; they’re creating the table. Artists such as Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B have all seriously challenged the outdated definition of what it is to be a woman in the industry. They are showing how to be unapologetically themselves and balance that with serious business acumen and fierce lyricism. They are not just in the game; they lead it.

Beyoncé has personified empowerment in albums such as “Lemonade.” Not only is a musical journey phenomenal, but cultural moments also spark conversation on race, gender, and identity.
Nicki Minaj thrived and set a record for being the first female soloist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at one time.
Cardi B, who had no inhibitions, became the first woman to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album as a solo artist. These triumphs changed the game: now women are appreciated in the music industry not only because they are beautiful starlets dating some other music mogul.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

The ascendance of women in urban music is not just about individual achievement; it’s about raising the bar for other women to cross. Now, those who have been able to do it are actually turning back and picking up the next generation, whether as mentors, collaborators, or innovators. These already established women are creating space for other women to grow either with all-female collaborations like that of Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s “WAP” or through platforms that celebrate new voices.

Women in urban music are also increasingly running the show behind the scenes. They are producers, label execs, and entrepreneurs. Rihanna, for one, has created a billion-dollar empire with her Fenty brand, proving to young women in music that they should be just as successful in business as any man. Missy Elliott was a visionary in both music and production, shaping the sounds of urban music for years to come and still does today.

But that’s not all roses, as most women in urban music are still facing challenges despite such progress. The industry remains rife with sexism, and female artists often have to navigate a minefield of expectations their male counterparts simply don’t face. There’s still a lack of representation in the key areas of production and executive leadership, where men dominate the roles that shape the music we hear.

But the tide is turning. The Recording Academy’s Women in the Mix initiative is part of a growing wave of efforts to make production and engineering roles less of a boys’ club. Social media has also greatly contributed to this trend, creating a democratized landscape in which female artists now have a direct line to their followers and a multiplied voice in speaking out against industry injustices.

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