Rap music has been a mainstay of the music business since the 1970s, when it first gained popularity. Female hip hop performers have consistently broken barriers and records throughout the history of music, making room for one another's success. We decided to carefully choose the best 10 female rappers of all time.

To be honest on our part, creating such a list is challenging from any perspective, especially given the range and depth of talent throughout the history of hip hop. We therefore created this list specifically for them in order to recognize all the talented female MCs who have competed head-to-head with their male peers (and frequently out-rapped them). Here are the top 10 female rappers of all time, ranging from vintage pioneers like MC Lyte and Queen Latifah to contemporary rap queens like Rapsody and Nicki Minaj.