Hip-hop's new golden age is here, and it's being led by women. There's arguably more female rap stars now than ever before in hip-hop history, and these women-including City Girls, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion-have influenced the taglines and catch phrases that are now part of the cultural vernacular. Yet, the majority of Spotify hip-hop playlists still have a predominantly male listenership.
In 2019, Spotify launched a new playlist, Feelin' Myself to start to equalize the barriers to entry for female rappers. The playlist has since become the second-fastest-growing hip-hop playlist on Spotify with over 1.7 million followers. And starting today, we are launching a full-scale campaign to transform the playlist from innovative to truly impactful.
Carl Cherry, Spotify's Creative Director, Head of Urban, developed the idea for the playlist a few years ago, and formed a passionate team to help make it a reality. One member is Sydney Lopes, Spotify's Head of Hip-Hop and R&B, Artists and Label Partnerships. We brought the pair together to discuss the campaign, the importance of spotlighting female rappers, and where the playlist goes from here.
Sydney Lopes: Can you explain the essence of Feelin' Myself? How did the playlist come to be?
Carl Chery: The essence of Feelin' Myself is confidence, edge, and high self-esteem. If you look at the songs that have been playlisted on Feelin' Myself over the course of the last year and a half, there are a few songs that really embody the playlist. I'm thinking about Erica Banks, Buss It or Best Friend from Saweetie or even WAP by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. They exude confidence, self-esteem, and sexiness.
The playlist came about because there's an industry-wide gender bias when it comes to women. It came about as an attempt to level the playing field. What can we do to create a space where women can thrive? The first step was really reaching out to my female colleagues to see how they felt about creating a space for women only. The answer was to create a space where women can thrive-and then go on to other playlists.
Sydney: This isn't the first time we've seen women in hip hop, but it's the first time there seems to be a dedicated platform and playlist for them. What makes this the right time for it, and what would the mood of the playlist be if this playlist was created 20 years ago, for the rappers who were in the game?
Carl: Wow. Well, 20 years ago, I think it would have been a little bit more split in terms of the aesthetic of the playlist. It wouldn't have been all women who are from the lineage of Lil' Kim. There would have been Lauryn Hill, Da Brat-there would have been like a little bit more diversity 20 years ago. But right now, trap is the dominant sound. It's not only specific to women-there's always a dominant aesthetic in hip-hop-same around RapCaviar. They want to hear Saweetie, they want to hear Doja Cat, they want to hear Cardi.
But also, from the time we had the idea for the playlist, to the time it launched, to now, the field is completely different. When we first had the idea, we actually would have struggled to find artists to populate the playlist. We probably would have added a few male artists with big female fan bases, to just round it out and make sure there was enough music. I don't think Doja Cat was having a moment just yet. I don't think Meg was what she was just yet. But by the time it launched there was enough, and now a year and a half later there's just a lot more activity like that. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.
Sydney: On our team, we constantly talk about all the different sub-genres of hip-hop, but we're always thinking about men, right? We talk about lyricists, we talk about West Coast versus East Coast, Down South, trap; we never really think about how that applies to women. As more female rappers enter the landscape, I'm curious about how we will start to think about the sub-genres and how they apply to women.
Did you have a specific vision of how you wanted this campaign to roll out? What was your thinking around the energy you wanted to bring to the campaign?
Carl: Feelin' Myself is the second biggest, second-fastest-growing hip-hop playlist on Spotify. I knew it was something that needed to be marketed. So, part of the idea or the goal was to have the playlist become such a destination for women in hip-hop that some of these women would then migrate to other playlists, and hopefully change the audience and in turn, help improve the performance of songs by women on a lot of those playlists. We're starting the campaign by featuring women on all of our hip-hop covers, and they're going to remain there the rest of the month of June.
A lot of it was more collaborative-I had shells of ideas-but I have to give credit to the team, it was important to have a full female team behind this. The director, Jillian Iscaro; visual identity artist Laci Jordan; the production company, Spang TV; and some of the merch, designed by Divine Individual, all of that was created by women.
Sydney: We're even seeing female vocalists and lyricists on the playlist. You've got SZA, Yung Baby Tate, talented singers, too. There's a wide breadth of what could be on this playlist and a part of this brand.
And so, as our first big push on the marketing side for this playlist, not only are we gonna make sure that editorial is supporting in a significant way on platform, but we'll have a couple of social ads featuring Coi Leray and Iamdoechii, who are rising artists right now that have made an enormous impact in what feels like a really short amount of time. Carl, can you speak to the reason for choosing these two artists and bringing their energies into this campaign?
Carl
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
02/10/2026
v1.9.3 introduces AUv3 support
Roland have just released an update that kits their free iPad-based software synth out with AUv3 support, meaning it can now ...
02/10/2026
Dolby Atmos support, AI-powered stem separation & more
The latest version of MOTU's DAW software is now available, and marks a major step forward with t...
02/10/2026
Portable DAC created in collaboration with Steve Levine
British hi-fi experts iFi audio have unveiled a new Master Tuned variant of their praised iDSD GR2 p...
02/10/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson looks at streaming piracy from a different lens, focusing on digital trust, consumer risk, and the future of subscriber protecti...
02/10/2026
Friday 2 October 2026
Crystal Lake, a Friday the 13th' prequel series, com...
02/10/2026
Friday 2 October 2026
Sky VIP helps families celebrate the Christmas season wit...
02/10/2026
How the fertility sector in Ireland remains unregulated
Undercover filming reveals how without proper regulation the promotion of controversial fertility treat...
02/10/2026
Transforming Homes, Transforming Lives
Presenter Baz Ashmawy and his team take on four life-changing builds across Kildare, Limerick, Wicklow and Offaly in the...
01/10/2026
Third collaboration with celebrated composer
Spitfire Audio have once again teamed up with Grammy-nominated composer, producer and technologist BT, creating...
01/10/2026
FL Studio gets dedicated grid controller
Novation have teamed up with FL Studio developers Image-Line to create another dedicated controller for the popular...
01/10/2026
Six new USB interfaces introduced
Universal Audio's USB audio interface line-up has just been refreshed, gaining six new models aimed at musicians, prod...
01/10/2026
Siretta's SNYPER-5G cellular network analyser has been shortlisted for the IoT Global Awards 2026.
The IoT Global Awards recognise products, services and o...
01/10/2026
Mesh Broadcast Services Fits Big-Truck Audio Power into Compact Eclipse Unit with Calrec Argo M Canadian OB company Mesh Broadcast Services has fitted its Eclip...
01/10/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Spectura to Advance Connected Color Quality from Lab to ...
01/10/2026
Thursday 1 October 2026
Nominees revealed for 2026 Sky Arts Awards
Current slide, 0 0, undefined1
0
Irish National Opera and Jennifer Walshe: MARS
Jacob Al...
01/10/2026
Vital TV antenna replaced at SudburyHelicopter and broadcast engineers work together to upgrade TV services for 1.5M in the East
--
Share to Linkedin
Octobe...
01/10/2026
Arqiva appoints Simon Duffy as ChairSimon Duffy joins as Chair effective 01 October 2026
--
Share to Linkedin
October 1, 2026
Press Office
01 October 2026...
01/10/2026
Season 4 of the multi-award-winning hit entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back, serving up another round of unpredictable laughs, unforg...
01/10/2026
New season begins Sunday, 4 October at 6pm on RT lyric fm and RT Listen
RT lyric fm's arts and culture documentary series The Lyric Feature returns on S...
01/10/2026
RT is proud to continue its commitment to supporting and celebrating the arts across Ireland this October, highlighting a vibrant programme of theatre, music, ...
30/09/2026
Add an envelope generator to any plug-in
Sync Audio's latest creation is a handy utility plug-in that can be used to combine and modulate other effects ...
30/09/2026
All-analogue tape-style drive joins Series A
Strymon's reputation was built on their digital knowhow, so many were surprised (and intrigued) when they a...
30/09/2026
Two new expansion packs released
Sonuscore have just introduced two new expansion packs for The Pulse, its production engine instrument for modern cinematic...
30/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
30/09/2026
New Solution Expands Harmonic's Network Intelligence Portfolio and Brings Comcast-Developed Fiber Monitoring Technology to Broadband Operators, Providing Re...
30/09/2026
How to Shop Well Now starts Monday at 9.35pm
on RT One and RT Player
On the...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
EQ plug-in can now be played via MIDI
Scaler Music have recently released a new and improved version of their patented musical EQ plug-in, kitting it out wi...
28/09/2026
New synth developed in collaboration with philterSoup
Boutique effects pedal and Eurorack manufacturer Animal Factory Amps have announced that the new compa...
28/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz adds an integrated multi-channel pulse analysis option to its FS...
28/09/2026
Monday 28 September 2026
Sky launches Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps for millions of homes
Sky has launched a new Full Fibre 1.6 Gbps product, rolling out from today, gi...
28/09/2026
Arvato Systems Highlights It's Role for Automotive Manufacturers and Suppliers
TISAX
Arvato Systems has successfully completed the TISAX Level 3 assess...
28/09/2026
Crimecall, presented by Carla O'Brien, returns tonight for a brand new series at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player.
In tonight's episode, alongside appe...
28/09/2026
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AT THE HEART OF NEW IRISH WRITING
LIVE FROM POETRY IRELAND, DUBLIN AND ON RT RADIO 1 FROM 7PM
DETAILS: www.rte.ie/writing | FOLLOW: #r...
27/09/2026
New compact pedal packs in 120 effects
The latest multi-effects pedal from Boss is a compact unit that promises to give any pedalboard a massive boost in s...
26/09/2026
Launched alongside three new expansion packs
In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Native Instruments have released a major update for their Maschine 3 ...
25/09/2026
Algorithm update & new DVA vibrato-detection engine
A new flagship version of Antares' iconic pitch-correction software has arrived, and along with a co...
25/09/2026
New flagship unit to arrive in early 2027
Two notes Audio Engineering have revealed that a new and improved version of their hugely popular reactive load bo...
25/09/2026
AI-free mixing tool gets an upgrade
Launched in October 2025, Tim Exiles Finalist is an algorithmic mixing tool that's been designed for those who don&#...
Hip-hop's new golden age is here, and it's being led by women. There's arguably more female rap stars now than ever before in hip-hop history, and these women-including City Girls, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion-have influenced the taglines and catch phrases that are now part of the cultural vernacular. Yet, the majority of Spotify hip-hop playlists still have a predominantly male listenership. 
