10 Sexy Female Rappers That Should Make A Comeback

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With her combination of skillful rhymes and unmistakable sex appeal, it seemed like Lady May had all the makings of the next big female rapstar. However, quickly after she emerged with her steamy debut single “Round Up,” featuring Blu Cantrell in 2002, buzz about her faded and she was relegated to being a guest artist on other singers’ tracks, such as Willa Ford’s “A Toast to Men.” After taking a backseat to other artists, including being a songwriter for several tracks off J.Lo’s 2007 Brave album, it’s time for her to get a second chance at the spotlight she never could capture.

After growing out of the teenage hip hop trio Da Kaperz, Rasheeda embarked on her own solo career with her debut album Dirty South in 2001. Although she released four more subsequent albums, with her most recent one being Certified Hot Chick in 2009, none of the work she has put out has equalled the success of our guilty pleasure single, “My Bubble Gum.” Although name-dropping Juicy Fruit and Bubble Yum doesn’t exactly make her the next Maya Angelou, the music world could use another addictive combination of eye-candy, ear-candy and literal candy.

After breaking out as Ice Cube's protege on his track "It's A Man's World" in 1990, Yo-yo established herself as a true solo artist with two critically acclaimed albums Make Way for the Motherlode and Black Pearl in 1991 and 1992, respectively. 

But Yo-yo's talents weren't limited to stereo speakers. She appeared on the big screen in Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society and had a recurring role on the hit television sitcom Martin. 

Although her career quieted down in 1998 after fifth album Ebony was never released, she's been steadily putting out singles since 2009, such as “Give it t’um," from her latest EP, My Journey to Fearless: The Black Butterfly. Hopefully, 2012 will be the year when one of her next singles finally goes viral. 

At the turn of the millennium, Shawnna’s career prospects were on the up and up. Despite parting ways with Kanye West and No I.D. in 1999, Shawnna bounced back in a big way by linking up with Ludacris on “What’s Your Fantasy.” Things came full circle in 2003 when Ludacris recruited the female emcee for to appear on “Stand Up,” a track produced by none other than Kanye West. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 2003, making Shawnna one of four female rappers to have ever held down the No. 1 spot.

In 2007, Shawnna made an amicable departure from DTP. She bounced around between labels for a couple years before signing with Nappy Boy Entertainment in 2009, where she has yet to land a hit despite help from the hook-maker himself, T-Pain. 

A woman of many talents, as some might argue, Jacki-O experienced various success as an artist in the burgeoning Southern market. As one of the only female rappers to put on for Miami, Jacki was able to make a name for herself by hustling mixtapes and built and hit paydirt with her 2003 underground smash, “Nookie.” However, as other prominent rappers from southern Florida began to emerge in the early 2000s, Jacki-O struggled to build her brand and quickly lost her fan base to the likes of Trina, Pitbull, and Rick Ross. That didn’t deplete her well of creative juices, however. Jacki went on to pen her first novel Grown & Gangsta in 2008.

Although she hasn’t released new music since 2010, a song with viral potential more than merits a phone call from DJ Khaled. If Omarion can sign with MMG, why can’t YMCMB counter with a huge 360 deal with Jacki-O?

The politically inclined British MC/R&B singer broke out in the early aughts with her Mercury Music Prize-winning debut album, A Little Deeper, which produced the hits “It Takes More” and “Dy-Na-Mi-Tee.” Almost immediately following the release of her second album, Judgment Day, Ms. Dynamite, whose name is apparently metaphoric, was arrested and convicted of punching a male police officer, which resulted in her retreating from the public eye.

While Ms. Dynamite has yet to put out her third album (which was due out at the top of 2012), her return is slowly burgeoning. In 2010, she was featured on Katy B.’s top ten hit “Lights On” and, in September 2011, she released the first single off her next record, “Neva Soft.”

Although the inclusion of other female artists (namely Charli Baltimore and Ashanti) to Murder Inc. kept Vita’s solo album La Dolce Vita from ever releasing, Vita was still featured on a few memorable classics, including Ja Rule’s “Put It On Me” and “Down 4 U,” before leaving the label and stepping out of the spotlight. However, after remixing Drake’s “Headlines” late last year and releasing her newest mixtape Pre-Cumm earlier this month, the sexy MC is poised to redeem her music career.

Whatever Charli Baltimore’s career amounts to in the future, she will always have the distinction of being a Grammy-nominated rapper. Which means not only did she have the look, but she had rhymes to match. As Murder Inc.’s flagship female rapper, Chuck had the opportunity to appear on records with some of the biggest names in the industry in the 1990s and early 2000s, including B.I.G., Cam’ron, Big Pun, Wyclef, and, of course, Ja Rule.

Although it’s been 13 years since she last released an official studio album, Charli Baltimore is poised to get back in the game with her upcoming project True Lies, which is slated to release this summer.

One of a handful of female rappers who could hold her own in the South, Diamond gained distinction as a member of Crime Mob, who penned notable club anthems, including “Knuck if You Buck” and “Rock Yo Hips.” Diamond broke away from Crime Mob shortly after in 2007 to pursue a solo career and has released several relatively underwhelming mixtapes since. She did, however, cash in on the “My Chick Bad” remix, also featuring Trina and Eve. 

Diamond has proven she has the ability to create a hit record. So, we wouldn’t be surprised if she caught lightning in a bottle somewhere down the line. Could 2012 be her year?

Eve established herself as rap’s HBIC when her debut album Let There Be Eve... Ruff Ryders’ First Lady hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts and went double platinum. Building on her successful debut, Eve enlisted the help of No Doubt’s lead singer Gwen Stefani for her sophomore project. The collaboration earned the two a Grammy for “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” in 2002. Eve continued to churn out hits over the next few years until she caught the acting bug. The allure of the Hollywood proved too much to ignore (e.g. her most recent stint on Glee), and Ruff Ryders’ first lady has been relatively quiet since 2007, only making sporadic appearances on remixes and marginally successful singles. 

One thing is certain, however. Eve is never more than 16 bars away from being a trending topic, which leads us to believe that a triumphant comeback is imminent.