Missy Elliott recently won a VMA for her ''We Run This'' video. But, considering it was for special effects — and that she was the only female rapper nominated — that accolade felt more like a consolation prize. Not that long ago, Elliott, who's sold more than 7 million albums, led a charge of ladies in hip-hop — which also included Lauryn Hill (7 million), Lil' Kim (4 million), and Eve (4 million). Now Elliott is hard-pressed to push 630,000 copies of her latest disc, 2005's The Cookbook. It's a decent achievement, to be sure, but one that marks a 70 percent dive from 2002's Under Construction. Why are Elliott and her rivals getting a bum rap these days? EW breaks it down.
1. COURTING PUBLIC OPINION
The challenge for any female artist: to relate to women and appeal to
men. So while some time in the slammer didn't hurt rappers such as 50
Cent and T.I., handcuffs were not a flattering accessory for Lil' Kim
and Foxy Brown. Besides, in Foxy's case, any lady who specializes in
bragging about diamonds and designer clothes should probably avoid
getting fingered for shoplifting.
2. RECORD-COMPANY POLITICS
Who's to blame when an album fails to meet expectations? Depends on whom
you talk to. Although Lil' Kim was incarcerated and unable to promote
her fourth album — last year's The Naked Truth, which stalled at 380,000
copies
she still wants out of her contract with Atlantic Records. And
last month, Trina split with that same label when her third LP, 2005's
The Glamorest Life, fizzled. But where will these ladies go? ''A lot of
female rappers are only capturing black audiences,'' says Ebro Darden,
assistant program/music director at New York City's hip-hop radio
station Hot 97. ''It makes more sense for labels to spend money on
artists who can capture a broader audience.''
3. COMPETITION FROM DESTINY'S CHILDREN
R&B pop stars such as Beyoncé, Fergie, and Ciara are stealing female
rappers' thunder by embracing street-smart looks and hip-hop sounds.
''The lines are blurred now,'' says Darden. ''Gwen Stefani and Fergie don't
have street credibility or MC credibility, but they're selling the
hip-hop lifestyle and that's what's getting them the audience.''
4. FREE AT LAST?
Even in 2006, hip-hop remains a man's world where female rappers' best
strategy for success is to become the ''first lady'' of an all-male clique
(think: Eve and the Ruff Ryders, Lauryn Hill and the Fugees). ''The
nature of hip-hop is grimy male s---,'' says Darden. ''Spray-painting
walls, spinning on your head, and getting on some turntables. It has
nothing to do with anything that we learn socially to be feminine. And
because hip-hop record buyers are generally young white men — and women
tend to purchase R&B
female rappers [still] need a male crew to be taken
seriously.''
