Nicki Minaj tops our 2026 list of female rappers, with more than 100 million records sold, ahead of Cardi B, who has the most Hot 100 number ones for a woman in the genre. This October 2026 list ranks ten female rappers on verified career facts only: records sold, chart-topping singles, awards, touring and business ventures. We replaced the old appearance-based ranking with measurable results.
| Rank | Rapper | Standout achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicki Minaj | 100 million records, three number one albums |
| 2 | Cardi B | Five number one singles |
| 3 | Megan Thee Stallion | Grammy Best New Artist (2021) |
| 4 | Missy Elliott | Rock Hall inductee (2023), four Grammys |
| 5 | Queen Latifah | Oscar nominee, Kennedy Center Honors (2023) |
| 6 | Lil’ Kim | Hard Core (1996), Lady Marmalade number one |
| 7 | Eve | Number one debut album, Grammy winner |
| 8 | Iggy Azalea | Fancy at number one (2014) |
| 9 | Trina | Six studio albums, Diamond Doll Foundation |
| 10 | M.I.A. | Oscar and Grammy nominee |
1. Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday and a record-setting tour
Nicki Minaj has released five studio albums, from Pink Friday (2010) to Pink Friday 2 (2023), which gave her three US number one albums. More than 100 million records sold, and in 2024 she became the first female rapper with two diamond-certified solo songs.
Her Pink Friday 2 World Tour is the highest-grossing tour by a female rapper. She also founded the Heavy On It label imprint in 2023 and sells a fragrance line, press-on nails and a sneaker collection.
Valuation basis: top place on total sales, chart records and touring gross together.
2. Cardi B: five chart-topping singles
Five US Hot 100 number ones (Bodak Yellow, I Like It, Girls Like You, WAP and Up) make Cardi B the leader among female rappers. Invasion of Privacy (2018) opened at number one and won the Grammy for Best Rap Album, making her the first solo woman to win it.
Her second album, Am I the Drama? (September 2025), also opened at number one, and it is triple platinum. Her Little Miss Drama Tour ran for 35 arena shows in the US and Canada from February to April 2026, and it reportedly grossed $70 million.
Valuation basis: most number one singles, plus two albums that both debuted at number one.
3. Megan Thee Stallion: Grammy Best New Artist
Megan Thee Stallion won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2021, along with Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for the Savage remix with Beyoncé. Her number one Hot 100 singles are Savage (Remix), WAP and her first solo number one, Hiss.
She graduated from Texas Southern University with a health administration degree in December 2021. She runs Hot Girl Productions, signed a distribution deal with Warner Music Group in February 2024, and her Hot Girl Summer Tour of 2024 reportedly grossed more than $40 million.
Valuation basis: awards, number one singles and a first headlining tour with reported gross over $40 million.
4. Missy Elliott: first woman rapper in the Rock Hall
Missy Elliott began as a songwriter and producer in the 1990s, then released Supa Dupa Fly (1997) and a run of albums through The Cookbook (2005), with the Iconology EP following in 2019. Four Grammys sit on her shelf, and her catalog has reportedly sold about 40 million records.
She was the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2019) and the first to be nominated for and then inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2023). She also received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2021 and began her first headlining tour in 2024.
Valuation basis: awards and honors, with the longest list of firsts for a woman in the genre.
5. Queen Latifah: Oscar nominee and Kennedy Center honoree
Queen Latifah released All Hail the Queen in 1989. Her 1993 album Black Reign was the first gold album by a solo female rapper, and its single U.N.I.T.Y. won a Grammy.
She earned an Academy Award nomination for Chicago (2002), starred in Living Single (1993 to 1998) and led The Equalizer on CBS from 2021 to 2025. She co-founded the production company Flavor Unit in 1995 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2023, the first female rapper to get one.
Valuation basis: career span and range, from music to film and television to business.
6. Lil’ Kim: Hard Core and a five-week number one
Lil’ Kim’s debut Hard Core (1996) opened at number 11, a high debut for a female rap album, and went double platinum. Lady Marmalade (2001) spent five weeks at number one and won a Grammy.
Her catalog has reportedly sold around 45 million records. Releases continued with the album 9 in 2019 and singles through 2025.
Valuation basis: debut records and one Hot 100 number one, with a sales figure we label reported.
7. Eve: Grammy winner and TV host
Eve’s 1999 debut, Let There Be Eve… Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, topped the US album chart and went double platinum. Let Me Blow Ya Mind, with Gwen Stefani, won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and peaked at number two.
She starred in the sitcom Eve (2003 to 2006) and co-hosted The Talk from 2017 to 2020, with two Daytime Emmy nominations. She announced a Scorpion Tour for 2026 to mark the album’s 25th anniversary.
Valuation basis: a number-one debut plus a long second career in television.
8. Iggy Azalea: number one with Fancy
Iggy Azalea’s debut The New Classic (April 2014) opened at number three on the album chart, and Fancy, with Charli XCX, reached number one on the Hot 100 in May 2014. She earned four Grammy nominations the following year.
She released In My Defense (2019) and The End of an Era (2021), sold her music catalog in 2022, and announced her retirement from music in 2024.
Valuation basis: one chart-topping single and four Grammy nominations, but a shorter active career.
9. Trina: a long-running Miami voice
Trina’s debut Da Baddest Bitch (2000) went gold within a year. Six studio albums run through The One (2019) and appeared on Love & Hip Hop: Miami from 2018 to 2025.
She runs the Diamond Doll Foundation, which supports young girls facing difficult circumstances, and received the I Am Hip Hop award at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards.
Valuation basis: consistency of output and community work, with fewer chart records than the names above.
10. M.I.A.: Paper Planes and an Oscar nomination
M.I.A. released her debut Arular in 2005 and Kala in 2007. Paper Planes went triple platinum in the US and Canada, and her song O… Saya earned an Academy Award nomination, making her the first person of South Asian descent nominated for both an Oscar and a Grammy in the same year.
She founded the independent label N.E.E.T. Recordings in 2008, was appointed an MBE in 2019, and announced her album M.I.7 in April 2026.
Valuation basis: critical honors and one major hit, ranked last on sales.
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FAQ
Who is the best-selling female rapper?
Nicki Minaj has sold more than 100 million records, the highest figure we could verify for a woman in the genre. Missy Elliott and Lil’ Kim are also credited with tens of millions in reported sales, so the answer depends on the measure.
Which female rapper has the most number one singles?
Cardi B has five number one singles on the US Hot 100: Bodak Yellow, I Like It, Girls Like You, WAP and Up.
Which female rappers have won a Grammy for Best Rap Album?
Cardi B won in 2019 for Invasion of Privacy, the first solo woman to win the category. Megan Thee Stallion won Best New Artist in 2021.
Which female rapper has the highest-grossing tour?
Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour is the highest-grossing by a female rapper. Cardi B’s 2026 Little Miss Drama Tour reportedly grossed $70 million.
Who joined or moved on this list since the old version?
Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah and Lil’ Kim joined. Honey Cocaine, Rasheeda, Azealia Banks, Lola Monroe and Diamond were dropped because we could not verify current achievements.
How we put this list together
We ranked each rapper using chart results, certifications, awards, touring figures and business ventures from public records, weighting sales and chart records most heavily. Where only one source supported a figure, we label it as reported.
Last updated: October 2026.
