Lauryn Hill, Cardi B, and Doechii: Trailblazing Women Who Shaped the Best Rap Album GRAMMY Legacy
Dive into the journeys of these three groundbreaking women and how they’ve etched their names into hip-hop history.
At the 2025 GRAMMY Awards, Swamp Princess Doechii made history as the third woman ever to win Best Rap Album, etching her newfound status among hip-hop’s elite. Since the category's introduction in 1989, only Lauryn Hill and Cardi B had previously taken home the coveted trophy. With her victory, Doechii not only adds her name to this exclusive list but also highlights the ongoing impact of women in rap. Here’s a look at the three trailblazing artists who have claimed the Best Rap Album award.
Lauryn Hill
Born on May 26, 1975, in South Orange, New Jersey, Lauryn Noelle Hill began her music career as a member of the Fugees. The group’s 1996 album, The Score, topped the charts and earned Hill her first two GRAMMYs, including Best Rap Album. She was the first woman to win the award for Best Rap Album.
In 1998, Hill made history with her debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, powered by the chart-topping hit “Doo Wop (That Thing).” Already a two-time GRAMMY winner with the Fugees, she swept the 41st GRAMMY Awards, taking home five awards — including Album of the Year and Best New Artist — becoming the first woman to win five or more GRAMMYs in a single night. Her groundbreaking album also became the first hip-hop project to win Album of the Year.
Beyond her chart-topping success, Hill has remained active in philanthropy. In 2016, she performed at a Tidal-hosted benefit concert supporting the Robin Hood Foundation’s fight against poverty.
Cardi B
Cardi B was born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar on Oct. 11, 1992 in New York City, NY.The former stripper and social media star shot to stardom in 2015 when she appeared on Love & Hip Hop: New York, which also featured fellow New York rapper Remy Ma.
A year later, she made her musical debut alongside dancehall artist Popcaan on Shaggy's single "Boom Boom." She soon followed up with her 2016 mixtape Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 and Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 2 in early 2017.
After generating major buzz, Cardi B signed with Atlantic Records and broke through with "Bodak Yellow," which soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late September. This achievement made her the first solo female rapper to do so since 1998 and earned her first two GRAMMY nominations at the 60th GRAMMY Awards. She made her GRAMMY stage debut the same year, performing "Finesse" with Bruno Mars.
In 2019, she made history as the first solo female rapper to win Best Rap Album for Invasion of Privacy and later presented the Best Rap Album award to Doechii in 2025. In the span of her career, she boasts 10 Grammy nominations and has collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion, Offset, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin.
Doechii
Tampa, Florida-born rapper and singer Doechii released music independently for several years until her confessional song "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" went viral in 2021. The track’s success led to performances on the BET Hip Hop Awards and attention from major labels.
Her 2022 EP she / her / black bitch featured collaborations with SZA and Rico Nasty. In 2023, she scored her first Billboard Top 40 hit with “What It Is (Block Boy)” featuring Kodak Black. The following year, she teamed up with City Girls' JT for “Alter Ego” and dropped tracks like “Nissan Altima.” In 2022, she became the first female rapper signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, in a joint venture with Capitol Records. Once home to Kendrick Lamar and Reason, Doechii joined TDE's roster alongside artists like ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Isaiah Rashad, Ab-Soul, and SZA.
In 2025, the rising star was nominated for two Grammys: Best Rap Album and Best New Artist. Her Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape took home the coveted trophy for Best Rap Album. As the third woman and second female rap soloist to win the award, she made sure to spotlight the category’s two previous winners Lauryn Hill and Cardi B in her history-making speech.