Women have been integral to hip-hop from the beginning, contributing to its growth despite encountering barriers and significant challenges. As early icons like MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, and Queen Latifah used the their bold lyrical styles to advocate for women's rights, they paved the way for Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, and Ms. Lauryn Hill to command the spotlight in the '90s and 00s through their diverse expressions of confidence, femininity, and allure.
Today we are in a golden era of women in hip-hop, one in which MCs like Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat have simultaneously enjoyed unprecedented success. To celebrate this renaissance, Spotify hosted The Gold Standard, a special art exhibit in NYC spotlighting the new generation of women in hip-hop, celebrating their influence on music and culture from 2018 to today.
Featuring the work of fine artist Manon Biernacki, The Gold Standard features Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, City Girls, Saweetie, Latto, Sexyy Red, Ice Spice, GloRilla, and Flo Milli as subjects in a series of Spotify-commissioned portraits.
Sexyy Red attends The Gold Standard: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Women in Hip-Hop Presented by Spotify. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Cardi B (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Doja Cat (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Megan Thee Stallion (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Latto (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Sexyy Red (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Saweetie (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Ice Spice (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Flo Milli (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
GloRilla (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
JT of City Girls. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Yung Miami of City Girls. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
NEXT
Following a Renaissance theme, each piece in the series nods to each woman's artistic mastery and honors their contributions in shaping the genre.
A playlist like Feelin' Myself continues to prove that there is strong demand for women in hip-hop and the music they make. The listeners are often early adopters, and they tend to go hard for their faves, said Briana Younger, Spotify Editorial Lead, Hip-Hop. Over the years, we've seen more women than ever breaking out and having these big cultural moments that energize people. The playlist is best for being a snapshot of the most recent stuff, but with the exhibit, we wanted to showcase the longevity of this era. All of the women we included and even others that we didn't-they aren't just one-hit wonders or has-beens. They've consistently been a part of the conversation, evolving the way artists can function and have success in this landscape, and it's important to celebrate that.
The Gold Standard: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Women in Hip-Hop Presented by Spotify. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Latto and Flo Milli attend The Gold Standard: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Women in Hip-Hop Presented by Spotify. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Latto attends The Gold Standard: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Women in Hip-Hop Presented by Spotify. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Flo Milli attends The Gold Standard: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Women in Hip-Hop Presented by Spotify. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Manon Biernacki attends The Gold Standard: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Women in Hip-Hop Presented by Spotify. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
Manon Biernacki speaks at The Gold Standard: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Women in Hip-Hop Presented by Spotify. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
The Gold Standard: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Women in Hip-Hop Presented by Spotify. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Spotify)
NEXT
Spotify has been proud to support the rise of women in hip-hop through special moments like The Gold Standard. From their expressive lyricism to their kaleidoscopic personalities, these women paint the town red, and we'll continue to amplify them as they raise the bar for artistic excellence.
Discover more of the biggest hits from rap's leading women on Feelin' Myself.
Most recent headlines
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
Women have been integral to hip-hop from the beginning, contributing to its growth despite encountering barriers and significant challenges. As early icons like MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, and Queen Latifah used the their bold lyrical styles to advocate for women's rights, they paved the way for Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, and Ms. Lauryn Hill to command the spotlight in the '90s and 00s through their diverse expressions of confidence, femininity, and allure. 
