God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop

An NPR Best Book of the Year

"Without God Save the Queens, it is possible that the contributions of dozens of important female hip-hop artists who have sold tens of millions of albums, starred in monumental films, and influenced the direction of the culture would continue to go unrecognized." —AllHipHop.com

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop meets Girls to the Front in this essential and long overdue history of hip-hop’s female pioneers and its enduring stars.

Every history of hip-hop previously published, from Jeff Chang’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop to Shea Serrano’s The Rap Yearbook, focuses primarily on men, glaringly omitting a thorough and respectful examination of the presence and contribution of the genre’s female artists.  

For far too long, women in hip-hop have been relegated to the shadows, viewed as the designated “First Lady” thrown a contract, a pawn in some beef, or even worse. But as Kathy Iandoli makes clear, the reality is very different. Today, hip-hop is dominated by successful women such as Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, yet there are scores of female artists whose influence continues to resonate.

God Save the Queens pays tribute to the women of hip-hop—from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today. Exploring issues of gender, money, sexuality, violence, body image, feuds, objectification and more, God Save the Queens is an important and monumental work of music journalism that at last gives these influential female artists the respect they have long deserved.

Through meticulous research and powerful new interviews, God Save the Queens rewrites the story of hip-hop.

• Female Pioneers: Go back to the Bronx in the ’70s and meet the founding mothers of hip-hop, from Cindy Campbell to the Mercedes Ladies, who were foundational to the culture.
• The Roxanne Wars: Unpack the explosive impact of Roxanne Shante’s “Roxanne’s Revenge” and the chain reaction of answer records that proved a woman's voice could dominate the airwaves.
• Social Commentary: Explore how artists from Salt-N-Pepa to Lauryn Hill tackled issues of sexuality, gender, and social justice, using their platform to speak truth to power.
• The Modern Queens: Examine the legacies of today’s superstars, from the rivalries and reigns of Nicki Minaj and Cardi B to the ongoing fight for respect in a multi-billion dollar industry.

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"In writing God Save the Queens, Kathy finally does what dozens of histories of Hip-Hop have never even attempted, telling the stories of women in the genre…Without God Save the Queens, it is possible that the contributions of dozens of important female hip-hop artists who have sold tens of millions of albums, starred in monumental films, and influenced the direction of the culture would continue to go unrecognized." - AllHipHop com

"Intended to be a narrative homage to women in hip-hop, this latest work by Iandoli is that and more. . . . Iandoli gives female artists the recognition they deserve, while showing that there is still work to do. Place this book in the hands of fans of Hanif Abdurraqib and Jeff Chang." - Library Journal

“Music lovers will celebrate this much-needed exploration of the overlooked experiences of women in hip-hop.” - Publishers Weekly

"Iandoli's book is rigorous, insightful, and authoritative — but it's also deadly personal." - NPR Books

“A love letter to some of the female MCs who have grabbed the mic and helped build hip-hop into the world’s biggest musical empire. God Save the Queens tells the epic story of these pioneers, from the early days of Sparky Dee and Roxanne Shanté to the new school of Young M.A. and Megan Thee Stallion.” - Rob Sheffield author of Dreaming the Beatles winner of the 2017 Virgil Thomson Award for Outstanding Music Criticism

“God Save the Queens is essential, and a book the world needs to read—to raise up the voices of the women in rap who’ve been running and rhyming right beside the men for decades. Kathy Iandoli tells the stories of the marquee names and those that should have been, finally giving us the true history of hip-hop from the beginning and a glimpse at the glorious future.” - Gabrielle Union actress activist and New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine

“Until now, far too many hip-hop historians have chosen to tokenize female MCs in hip-hop or relegate them to the margins as ‘hidden figures.’ Kathy Iandoli’s God Save the Queens refuses to do either. Instead, it’s an entertaining and accessible page-turner that corrects the historical record by crucially repositioning women in hip-hop as essential figures at the front and center of the art form, from day one. At a pivotal cultural moment in which progressives are striving to create a future defined by gender equality rather than disparity, Iandoli’s book feels right on time.”

- Jason King writer journalist scholar New York University’s The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music