SZA's debut album was a dose of truth that allowed me to look inward and realize the real problems I was facing. I got my first glimpse of SZA in 2015. I was attending Sweetlife Festival in Maryland primarily to see Kendrick Lamar, but I told my friends we had to go see this girl “S-Z-A.”. “It’s ‘Sizza,’” someone in the audience later corrected me.

A love between a rapper and their mama runs deep. We've collected every rap song dedicated to mamas in hip-hop history. (Graphic timeline with a playlist to listen along.)

In the snippet of The Fader’s documentary on Princess Nokia, she announces onstage to the crowd, “So like I say at all these patriarchal, male-dominated events: all the motherf—–’’ girls to the f—–’ front!”. The women mobbed the stage in triumph, smiling as Nokia crouches down to look them in the eye, vibe, sway and sing with them.

Last month, I made my DJBooth debut with a PSA to men who fetishize women for liking hip-hop, and to those who believe that women who like hip-hop don't respect themselves. As soon as the article was published and the comments began to flood in, I was quickly reminded that I forgot to mention one sorry dude: The Head Vetter, a.k.a. the hip-hop mansplainer, a.k.a. the guy who gives you pop quizzes like you’re supposed to be a rap encyclopedia.

I woke up Saturday morning to the buzz of Twitter set aflame and opened Apple Music to hear Frank Ocean sing the words “My guy pretty like a girl.”. As he repeated “I see both sides like Chanel,” I screamed. Aside from being an extremely enjoyable record, “Chanel” is Frank Ocean’s boldest bisexual statement to date.

As a woman, feminist and hip-hop head, I’m often asked why I listen to music that doesn’t “support what I stand for.”. Worse than this are the dudes who hear I like rap and automatically assume I’m that mystical “cool girl” who doesn’t give a fuck. I’m down for anything if I can bump to Biggie, right?

For someone who’s modeled for Calvin Klein, Princess Nokia does not give a fuck about being pretty—or anything else. The same gentle voice that whispers prayers while making rosewater screams “KITANA KITANA KITANA KITANA” on the third track of her second album, 1992, which was released in September 2016.

When Drake dropped Views in April, the only thing that surprised me about the album was how bored I was by it. Out of 20 songs, there were only a few real bangers. He even threw in the practically ancient “Hotline Bling” at the end in an attempt to keep the meme alive. What never fails to surprise me about Drake is the misogyny he infuses into his music that seems to grow more bold and blatant with each new record.