Uncle Luke has a problem with today’s female rappers. The hip-hop icon paved the way for them by asking every female artist in the rap game to check in.
Uncle Luke demands payment from every female rapper
On Sunday (August 25), Livebitez posted a video on social media in which Uncle Luke expressed his thoughts on female rappers in the game. In the clip (shown below), the 2 Live Crew founder bluntly demands that he get a check from every female rhymer in the industry.
“I need a check from Ice Spice. I need a check from Sexy Red. All the damn girls, Megan Thee Stallion. Anyone running around shaking their ass,” Luke said.
“I’m sorry, male rap is so popular right now,” he continued. “Women are winning. They’re doing everything I do. I’m still waiting for these girls to send me a damn check.”
“I need a check for Ice Spice and she’s turning her ass around and throwing it away like it’s hot,” he added. “I need her check, I need sexy red’s check. No, that red is my friend. My man Stan.”
“All these damn girls Megan Thee Stallion. Anyone shaking their asses on the record talking about p***y and d*ck, you all need to send me a check.”
According to Uncle Luke, he believes he paved the way for female artists to twerk and shake their butts on stage.
While Uncle Luke may have good intentions with his strong request, fans may be wondering if he ever sought payment from Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Kim, Trina, or Foxy Brown for their seminal contributions to the rap game. These iconic female artists are breaking down doors and adding their voices to a genre traditionally dominated by male rappers.
Read more: Here are 15 female rappers who made hip-hop history
Female rappers dominate hip-hop, but album sales lag
Uncle Luke is right, the female hip-hop movement has been winning for the past few years. Current superstars: Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Cardi B, Latto, GloRilla and more all bring star power that doesn’t always translate into album sales.
Taking the past 12 months to August 2023 as a barometer, sales figures have remained lackluster despite female rappers dominating streaming platforms, radio airplay and online discussions. Aside from Nicki Minaj, no other female rapper has reached the 100,000-unit sales milestone in her first week. Minaj’s “Pink Friday 2” album debut sold 228,300 copies, boosted by her long-awaited return.
The next closest selling debut albums by a female rapper in the past 12 months are Doja Cat’s Scarlet, which sold 72,000 copies in its first week, and Megan Thee Stallion’s Megan, which sold 64,000 copies.
So why are album sales so low?
The truth is fans don’t buy their music. However, female artists have adapted to this situation by exploring other sources of income. Sponsored content and other collaborative promotions on social media platforms have become lucrative opportunities for them. Despite stagnant album sales, these women continue to push boundaries and remain relevant in a genre that has historically been dominated by misogyny.
Read more: Has the competitive landscape changed for women in hip-hop?
Look at Uncle Luke demanding he get a check from every female rapper in the game to pave the way for them.
