Girl Rap 2024

Y2k

Naming your album Y2K sets high expectations, especially for an audience who experienced that era firsthand, as we anticipated strong and accurate references to the time period. However, it seemed younger fans were more forgiving, considering it marks Miss Poopies’ birth year. Usually, you don’t fully experience or connect with the era you were born in, as your clearer memories are often shaped during your teenage years. So, I can overlook a few inaccuracies. That said, nostalgic themes have been overdone as of lately, and it doesn’t always hit the mark. With Y2K, the title felt more like a vague reference point since the music didn’t align with the vibe of that year, which ultimately made the album’s concept feel a bit confusing. However I appreciate when a project feels cohesive — from the music videos to the styling, the promo, and the sound. That said when it came to the 11 song tape, I think it’s perfect. Short, sweet and spicey. Ice isn’t known for having a wide range of flows and works with one producer who excels in drill beats. So expecting anything more would have been unfair. However, there’s a noticeable evolution compared to Like..? And I didn’t want to hear any complaints about her bars being subpar or her sound repetitive — after all, artists like Carti, Lil Baby and more have earned recognition by sticking to what works for them.

Phat Butt it’s a solid B if you’re grading it side by side of Nicki Minaj’s homework, with only about five lines changed. It feels like ever since Nicki dropped that Getty bar, all the rap girls have been extra camera-ready, leaving no room for slip ups. The flow, playful delivery and confident tone in Phatt Butt seem to draw inspiration from Nicki’s many iconic freestyles which has been a pinkprint for many artists.

The Oh Shhh… music video starts off with Ice Spice in GCDS fall 24, shot in a glass box, it reminds me of Megan thee Stallion’s Good News album cover. The ginger hair Ice Spice has been rocking since the beginning of her career feels very BIA-inspired. It’s like she pulled elements from other rap girls that worked and crafted a whole new character out of them.

The standout track for me is POPA, with its catchy chorus and two well-executed verses. The song has a playful delivery that feels reminiscent of Lil Yachty’s style. It’s almost conversational quality, making it feel like you’re eavesdropping on her bragadosha in a girl chat. The production complements Ice Spice’s laid-back delivery, giving the track an effortless yet memorable vibe.

Bitch I’m Packin features Gunna who complements the track effortlessly, due to their smooth synergy. He has supported many female artists individually and here, his sultry, laid- back delivery on the his verse gave allure. His ability to adapt shines here. The seductive vibe of the song feels effortlessly cool — he fits perfectly on this beat with an incredibly sexy chorus. If Carti made this you’d be all over it.

BB Belt pays homage to the iconic staple piece of the 2000’s fashion culture. Ice Spice weaves these nostalgic references “Trueys on and I BB my belt” seamlessly into the song, creating a vivid sense of the era while maintaining her signature style. The track Gimme a Light on initial listen was underwhelmig, but upon re-listenting the 2001 ‘Gimme the Light’ single was well engineered despite the song creating a lacklustre moment. While it might not have made immediate impact, there are layers revealed that elevate the inital listening experience.

GYAT bonus hit is the stand out for me, showcasing Ice Spice’s ability to step beyond drill while maintaining her unique delivery and wordplay. The song is fresh, with a catchy quality that’s perfect for her TikTok audience, proving she can experiment with different sounds, while keeping her signature flow style intact.

Sugar Honey Ice Tea

Latto’s Sugar Honey Ice Tea is the standout female rap album of the year for me. This project fully displayed all aspects of Latto’s artistry. From changing her name, to embracing constructive criticism about her musical direction and styling, it’s clear she’s carefully crafted her image and sound to resonate with her audience. She’s honed in on what her fans love and delivered more of that. However, while the album showcases significant growth, there are moments where the subject matter felt repetitive for a 22 song album, several tracks covered similar themes.

Settle Down is where Latto wisely (addresses her opps??), thankfully she doesn’t try to sing on this sweet sweet song. The double etendre remincient of falling 4 you, Latto checks her oops and her man.

Latto steered away from a mainstream pop direction that could have gave her potential hits (after she was criticised in the past and fell out with Nicki Minaj over), to embrace a more R&B focused sound for this album. Tracks like Squeeze featuring Megan thee Stallion and Good 2 You with Ciara are the only pop leaning songs, while others like Copper Cove ft Huncho, Ear Candy ft Coco Jones and Look What You Did ft. Mariah the Scientist highlight her exploration of smoother, more soulful vibe. These collaborations and production choices emphasise her versatility and growth as an artist, moving beyond the pop realm into a more cohesive R&B style.

City Cinderella

JT delivers a laid-back, raspy vocal performance on “Sideways,” effortlessly giving her opps a chill read. The track feels less like recounting past petty dramas with opps but more like catching up with your nail tech during a two-hour appointment — offhand, conversational, and perfectly unbothered.

The “OKAY” music video alone was iconic, due to Mowalola’s artistic direction. The standout adlibs and Jeezy’s verse added extra vim to the remix. Sukihana’s felt like she caught a stray dissed back, which lead to OKAY (extended) when JT went back into the studio for a third verse; this played a significant role in fueling the momentum behind JT’s solo project and building excitement for the City Girls “Cinderella” era, since No bars released in summer 2023. Both music videos perfectly captured JT’s creative vision for her brand while serving a dose of classic nostalgia.

Overall I felt like JT had a variation of beat selections and she managed to make them work in her favour for the most part of the album. I get that she wanted to give us plenty songs, as we’ve only heard her on features since the City Girls hiatus. I genuinely feel like every song served a purpose and weren’t just fillers. She didn’t stray far from the CG sound, there was heavy sampling but she proves herself with full verses and appropriate features.

MEGAN

Hiss set the tone for the three act albums direction with bold confidence. Megan Thee Stallion has clearly reached a point where she no longer cares about holding back. The decision to self-title the album highlights her unwavering self-assurance. While she dropped a diss track with an ambiguous “Megan’s Law” bar which stirred the pot, leaving listeners guessing about the target. Following Nicki and Drake’s reactions, it seemed to have swayed PR around the industry heavyweights both public and subtle. To a broader audience that aren’t either’s of the rappers’ stans, it exposed flaws in their carefully maintained public personas whether that was intentional or not. She continues digging at unknown suspect on ‘Rattle’ but the “ain’t got no tea on me, this hoe think she TMZ”, bar makes her feelings about the situation unmistakably clear bonus points for the catchy chorus.

Where Them Girls At and Find Out are the stand out songs for me. The beats are vibrant and dynamic, showcasing Megan’s strongest work with catchy choruses and seamless verses and flows. They evoke the energy of her Fever mixtape. “Find Out” features a standout second and third flow, while “Where Them Girls At” is the ultimate club anthem ( I would ask the DJ to spin that perso), with clear tutorial dancing steps. These two tracks truly steal the spotlight for me.

Songs like “Downstairs DJ” delve into Megan’s bold exploration of her sexual side, offering an empowering perspective on bisexuality (I usually get this energy from the R&B girls). Maybe i’m just used to her celebrating her confidence and autonomy, these tracks became anthems in my house. Megan’s bold lyrics are infectious however she vented enough on Act I, i’m glad Act 2 focused more on her flows and ability to flow on any genre. Overall some songs could have been scrapped making Act 1 and Act 2 a singular more refined album.

Bigger in Texas is the kind of music I LOVE from Megan, she has a few sultry songs like this where she tends to sing her own choruses, but fully rapping to this slow sensual beat was everything I needed… and need more of on Act 3.

Glorious

Listening to Glorilla’s GLORIOUS album is great time if you ask me — packed with those viral, hype-heavy moments we already know her for. Performance wise she equally delivers that same energy, as much as she seems new to this choreography stuff, I be engaged. You can really tell she has a gift for getting her audience locked in, with feature heavy album (with the likes of Kirk Franklin, Muni Long, T-pain, Sexyy Red, Meg Latto) and only 6 solo tracks she bounced off each track with ease. What stood out most was was how she flexed her rap ability while sliding into different genres so naturally — it made her debut feel way more versatile than I expected.

Fine Ho, Stay

Flo Milli had a star moment in 2024 — Never Wanna Lose Me wasn’t just a banger, it was her breakout on so many fronts. It was her first time hitting the Hot 100, climbing all the way to Top top 10. Then there’s the TikTok domination — I fullt appreciated and participated in. What I liked is that she didn’t just stick to her usual playful flexing — she found a more mature, polished sound that shows she’s thinking about longevity, not just momentary hits. The confident cheeky bars are still there, but it felt like she was experimenting and pealing layers back of her artistry.

Alligator Bites Never Heal

Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape has been exceptionally well received by my ears. The press tour has been immaculate, and she continues to outperform many self-proclaimed “doers” who are already two or three albums deep. The level of self-trust Doechii has shown proves that when you truly believe in your work, it radiates. I especially love that she believed at least one person would want to hear about the darker side of her newfound fame — it resonated deeply. Beyond the refreshingly honest subject matter, which breaks from what we’re often fed from female rappers, her Hip-Hop roots really stood out. With the backing of a strong team, a discerning creative direction, and impeccable styling, this organic rollout felt intentional and impactful. It even prompted me to revisit the project in July 2025. While many of the songs from these albums have aged well in my seasonal playlists, the emotions this one evokes make it truly timeless in my book.