With Mnet currently launching into its third season of Unpretty Rapstar, it’s evident that more and more people are beginning to recognise – and appreciate – the presence of female artistes within the Korean Hip Hop scene. Rappers like CL and Yoon Mi Rae have already made waves in their own right, but there’s still a lot more work to be done in terms of representation. That being said, you can bet that these five female Korean rappers might just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hope for the future of Korean Hip Hop. Just listen:
*****
Yezi
When it comes to idols, the competition can get pretty ugly on Show Me The Money (SMTM) and Unpretty Rapstar, but Yezi – of girl group FIESTAR – has been kicking ass and taking names, idol title and all. If her soul-piercing stare isn’t proof of how (terrifyingly) cool she is, then just listen to her post-show solo tracks, like Cider, and you’ll see why she quickly rose to popularity and earned the respect of viewers and fellow competitors alike.
Kasper
While she (sadly) hasn’t been as musically active as we’d like her to, Kasper was definitely one of our favourite contestants on the show. With her hilarious facial expressions, never-back-down attitude and grade A* rapping ability, we’re practically desperate for her album right now. But if you just love a daily dose of Kasper anyway, you can catch her over on YouTube, where she currently hosts WISHTrendTV.
Cheetah
Arguably one of the strongest female rappers to ever come out of both SMTM and Unpretty Rapstar, Cheetah is in a league of her own. It’s hard to describe her with any other word but “cool” – maybe “talented”, but that doesn’t even need to be said at this point. From her verses that range from incredibly personal to just pure dance anthem, to always doing her own makeup, and her flawless poker faces; if there’s anyone deserving of the title “Queen”, it’s definitely Cheetah.
Kisum
As one of the youngest contestants (and Cheetah’s somewhat protégé on the show), Kisum faced a number of hurdles from the minute she stepped into the studio, but that barely put so much as a dent on her progress. Following the end of the show, Kisum’s releases have each been met with waves of success, and it’s easy to see why. Aside from her gorgeous music videos, her playful tracks perfectly suit her youthful and pleasant voice, and we can’t wait to hear more from her.
Heize
While she seems to have reverted back to her original roots as a singer for now, Heize grit her teeth and soldiered through one of the dirtiest Unpretty Rapstar battles of all time against KittiB, so we had to put her on this list somehow. We’re still waiting for her to drop an album to show her back in full rap-game force, but for now, she’s been dropping some star-studded collaborations, and we dare say she deserves the love.
Featured Image: Kisum – No Jam MV (YouTube)
