When analysing the album of the year polls in December one thing was clear: rap is the dominant genre in music right now. Yet in 2017 albums by female rappers were almost completely shut out from critical and commercial success. In the Stereogum Rap Top 40 Albums of the Year only a handful of women appeared, most of whom were somewhat underground artists like Princess Nokia and Rapsody, in comparison to most of the men on the lists who are populating the mainstream.

Cardi B might have had one of the biggest songs of the year but she’s not an album artist yet, concerning herself with singles and mixtapes instead. Her music is going stratospheric but will she just end up being the one woman who is successful in this era (as per this Pitchfork ‘women in rap’ theory), or can she open the door for a wider range of female rappers to enter the music scene?

Rapper CupcakKe has made a promising start to the year, presenting her unique vision on this engaging and exhilarating album Ephorize. Continue reading “Album Review: CupcakKe – Ephorize” →