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Women in Hip-Hop have come a long way. Not only are women like Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj making an impact on the genre and music in general, but they’re also making waves behind the boards.
Since the early years of hip-hop, there’s always been a woman in the background putting the work. In 1979, Sylvia Robinson made history when she helped create and produce “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang. At the time, the song conquered Billboard’s R&B chart and hit the No. 37 spot on the Hot 100 chart. It would also go on to become the first rap song to sell over a million copies. Robinson helped develop an entire genre with her music-making skills. Today, there are numerous women who are making history with their music just like her.
Check out these five female Hip-Hop producers you need to know.
Ester Dean
Referring to Ester Dean as just a multifaceted artist might not do her justice. The Oklahoma singer, songwriter, producer and actress captivated her audience after she released her debut single “Drop It Low” back in 2009. Dean had already made a name for herself as a songwriter and a producer for revered artists like Mýa, Keyshia Cole and Teyana Taylor. Dean continued to work with other prominent singers like Ciara, Beyoncé and Rihanna. In 2012, Dean’s work on RiRi’s Loud album was recognized when the 2010 album was nominated for ‘Album of the Year.’ Although she didn’t win, Dean kept going and eventually cooked up records for more artists like Nicki Minaj, and Becky G. Over the holidays, she dropped her six -track EP Christmas Confessions. Whenever there’s a debate about great female producers, it’s impossible to leave Dean out of the conversation.
Wondagurl
Ebony “Wondagurl” Oshunrinde is one of the most talked-about female beatmakers in the rap game right now. The young producer straight out of Ontario, Canada has created some of the craziest beats in hip-hop today. Back in 2011 and again in 2012, Wondagurl entered a Battle of the Beat Makers competition in Toronto where fellow Canadian producer Boi-1da served as a judge. After she won first place in 2012, Boi-1da brought her under his wing and eventually introduced her to Travis Scott, who she ended up signing with. Upon producing for Scott and Ryan Leslie, Wondagurl earned her first major placement on JAY-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail with her work on “Crown” alongside Scott and Mike Dean. Since then, Wondagurl has cranked out a plethora of beats for the likes of SZA, Young Thug, Juicy J and more. She helped pen and produce Rihanna’s smash hit “B***h Better Have My Money.” She even produced two songs off Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and “Fair Trade” from his Certified Lover Boy album. The new age of female producers will always thrive while Wondagurl is alive.
Nova Wav
Denisia “Blu June” Andrews and Brittany “Chi” Coney make up the production duo Nova Wav, and they’ve been killing it behind the boards for some time now. The Florida natives have been writing and producing hit records since they came together in 2011. In 2012, the girls got their first major placement on Rihanna’s “Loveeeeeee Song” featuring Future. Blu June and Chi continued their rise to the top by cooking up more records like Ariana Grande’s “Best Mistake” featuring Big Sean and Kehlani’s “CRZY,” which would serve as the first single off her critically-acclaimed SweetSexySavage album. 2018 would become their biggest year of their career when they wrote three songs, "Nice", "Friends", and "Black Effect," for The Carters’ Everything Is Love album. Soon after, Nova Wav was writing a slew of bangers for DJ Khaled, Monica, Beyonce, and most recently Jazmine Sullivan. The girls wrote her smash hit “Pick Up Your Feelings” off her Heaux Tales album. They also released their own song "No Ceiling" with Ecko and Audrey Nuna in 2021. With a resume like this, Nova Wav is sure to remain in the top spot for years to come.
Crystal Caines
Crystal Caines has been in the game for nearly a decade. During her time as a beat maker and an artist, she’s made an impression that will last a lifetime. The Harlem rapper-producer has been simultaneously spitting hot fire on the mic and cooking up smooth tunes for some of New York’s elite artists since she started her career in 2012. In 2013, she got her first major placement on A$AP Ferg’s Trap Lord album after she produced “Lord” featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Soon after that, Caines decided to drop her own debut single “Whiteline” featuring A$AP Ferg. Although she continued to release her own music, Caines didn’t stop producing. She went on to craft beats for other acts like BIA, Smoke DZA, BBYMUTHA, Ro James and more. Back in January, Caines dropped her newest single “Late Night.”
Nettie Woods of Triangle Park
You might not have heard of Nettie Woods, but she's no stranger to the music industry. Woods, who’s a part of the production team Triangle Park, has at least 20 years of experience as a producer, singer, songwriter and vocal arranger. According to the team's website, she started in the music industry at the age of 15 while learning the biz from Durrell Bottoms and Jamar Jones, who have crafted songs for everyone from Boyz II Men to Britney Spears. Since then, Woods has gone on to work with other prominent acts like Pink Sweats, Ant Clemons and Bri Steves. Her most recent work was with production team Triangle Park, which consists of producers Scott “Robot Scott” Carter, Aliandro “Ali P” Prawl, Andre “Dre” Pinckney and Venom Beatz. Woods and the squad teamed up with Bizness Boi last year to cook up the song “Dungarees” with Baby Tate for the official Bruised soundtrack, which was executively produced by Halle Berry and Cardi B. Prior to that, Triangle Park released its own projects like Afterlife Astronaut and Moons. We look forward to hearing more from Woods and her team in the future.