Hip-hop’s great women pioneers have always had to struggle for recognition alongside male stars, both in Britain and in the US. But starting in the mid-90s, women have climbed to the very top. Icons Eve and Rah Digga reveal their struggles to reach both artistic and commercial success, alongside all-time greats Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott.

After this formidable group of women, it took time for a new generation of female stars to emerge, but in Britain in the 2000s, hip-hop women took off again. Lisa Maffia, Estelle and Speech Debelle all reveal their own stories, and there's a look at the younger generation of female megastars: Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

Fifty years after the first pioneers, hip-hop women have well and truly made this music their own. Show less