Uncle Luke has a bone to pick with today’s female rappers. The hip-hop icon has demanded a check from every female artist in the rap game for paving the way for them.
Uncle Luke Demands Payment From Every Female Rapper
On Sunday (Aug. 25), Livebitez posted a video on social media featuring Uncle Luke delivering his thoughts on female rappers in the game. In the clip, which can be viewed below, the 2 Live Crew founder bluntly demanded that he get a check from every female rhymer in the industry.
“I need a check from Ice Spice. I need a check from Sexyy Red. All the f**king girls, Megan Thee Stallion. Anybody that’s running around shaking their a*s,” Luke said.
“Male rap is on some bulls**t right now, I’m sorry,” he continued. “Females are winning. They are doing everything that I did. I’m still waiting for these girls to send me a f**king check.”
“I need a check from Ice Spice who’s turning her a*s around and dropping it like it’s hot and doo-doo browning,” he added. “I need a check from her, I need a check from Sexyy Red. Nah, that Red’s my friend. My man Stan.”
“All the f**king girls Megan Thee Stallion. Anybody that’s running around shaking their a*s talking about p***y and d*ck on the record, y’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.
Although Uncle Luke may have had good intentions with his forceful demand, fans might wonder if he ever sought payment from Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Kim, Trina or Foxy Brown for their groundbreaking contributions to the rap game. These iconic female artists broke down doors and made their voices heard in a genre that traditionally has been dominated by male rappers.
Read More: Here Are 15 Women Rappers Who Made Hip-Hop History
Female Rappers Are Dominating Hip-Hop But Lack Album Sales
Uncle Luke is right, the female hip-hop movement has been winning in the last few years. The current crop of superstars: Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Cardi B, Latto, GloRilla and others have delivered star power but it’s not always translated to album sales.
Using the last 12 months since August of 2023 as a barometer, sales figures have remained underwhelming despite female rappers dominating streaming platforms, radio airplay and online discussions. With the exception of Nicki Minaj, no other female rapper has managed to reach the 100,000 sales milestone during their debut week. Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 album debuted with 228,300 units, buoyed by the long-awaited return.
The next closest debut for a female rap artist over the last 12 months is Doja Cat’s Scarlet, which moved 72,000 copies in its first week and Megan Thee Stallion’s Megan album arriving to the tune of 64,000 units.
So why the low album sales?
The truth of the matter is fans just aren’t buying their music. However, female artists have adapted to the situation by exploring alternative revenue streams. Sponsored content and other collaborative promotions on social media platforms have become lucrative opportunities for them. Despite the stagnant album sales, these women continue to push boundaries and remain influential in a genre historically dominated by misogyny.
Read More: Has the Competitive Landscape Changed for Women in Hip-Hop?
Check out Uncle Luke demanding that he gets a check from every female rapper in the game for paving the way for them below.