WAzealia Amanda Banks is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actress. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. In 2011, her debut single "212" went viral and entered several international charts. Banks subsequently signed with Interscope and Polydor Records before later separating in July 2013. Banks ultimately became an independent artist and started her own independent record label, Chaos & Glory Recordings, after multiple negative experiences with previous labels.
WBrooke Dyan Candy is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, director, model, and fashion stylist. Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, daughter of Tom Candy, former CFO for Hustler magazine, Brooke rose to prominence after starring in Grimes' music video for "Genesis" (2012), which went viral. Following its success, Candy's status in the underground scene rose as she began to release her own material: "Das Me" (2012), "Everybody Does" (2013), and "I Wanna Fuck Right Now" (2013). In 2014, she signed with RCA and released her debut major label single, "Opulence", with an accompanying EP of the same name on May 6, 2014. Later, she joined Columbia's UK roster. Both are divisions of Sony Music.
WBelcalis Marlenis Almánzar, known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actress. Born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, New York City, she became an Internet celebrity by achieving popularity on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York, which depicted her pursuit of her music aspirations. She released two mixtapes—Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, before signing with label Atlantic Records in early 2017.
WAaron Charles Carter is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and record producer. He first came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the first years of the 21st century with his four studio albums.
WFergie Duhamel, professionally known by her stage name Fergie, is an American singer and songwriter. She first achieved chart success as part of the hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas. Her debut solo album, The Dutchess (2006), saw commercial success and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles: "London Bridge", "Glamorous", and "Big Girls Don't Cry". Although she vocally incorporates rapping into her performances, she does not consider herself a rapper.
WHeather Keisha Hunter, nicknamed Double H, is an American rapper, painter, author, and former pornographic actress.
WKesha Rose Sebert, usually known professionally by the mononym Kesha, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on American rapper Flo Rida's number-one single "Right Round".
WGustav Elijah Åhr, known professionally as Lil Peep, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter and model. He was a member of the emo rap collective GothBoiClique. Helping pioneer an emo revival style of rap and rock music, Lil Peep has been credited as the leading figure of the mid–late 2010s emo rap scene and came to be an inspiration to outcasts and youth subcultures.
WJanelle Monáe Robinson is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, actress, and record producer. Monáe is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Monáe won an MTV Video Music Award and the ASCAP Vanguard Award in 2010. Monáe was also honored with the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award in 2015 and the Trailblazer of the Year Award in 2018. In 2012, Monáe became a CoverGirl spokesperson. Boston City Council named October 16, 2013 "Janelle Monáe Day" in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, in recognition of her artistry and social leadership.
WMichelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and although she has never won a Grammy Award, she has been nominated ten times. She has been credited for helping to have "sparked the neo-soul movement."
WDestiny Nicole Frasqueri, better known by her stage name Princess Nokia, is an American rapper. She released her debut studio album, Metallic Butterfly, in 2014, followed by the 2015 mixtape Honeysuckle. As Princess Nokia, she rose to prominence for her 2017 studio album 1992 Deluxe. She released another mixtape, titled A Girl Cried Red, in 2018, followed by the release of two studio albums, Everything Sucks and Everything Is Beautiful, in 2020.
WAlida Kinnie Starr is a Canadian multidisciplinary recording artist.
WKatrina Laverne Taylor is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and television personality. She first garnered much attention in 1998 with her appearance on the single "Nann Nigga" from Trick Daddy's second studio album www.thug.com.