What sets the best female rappers apart from the others is what they represent and what message they share with their fans and haters alike in the face of adversity. Keep reading to learn more about six of Korea's "baddest" female rappers who continue to thrive despite the criticism they’ve faced!

1. HyunA 

Starting from Wonder Girls to 4minute to becoming a solo artist under Psy’s label, P-Nation, HyunA has gone through many tumultuous changes in her career, making her a more impressive rapper. Known for her sexy performances and skillful rapping, HyunA is an icon of female power for fans internationally. Though she was caught in controversy for dating E’dawn (now Dawn), she has only shown bravery and confidence in her actions, and has contributed positively to normalizing public celebrity relationships.

2. CL 

When 2NE1 officially announced disbandment, we knew that CL would continue to be a powerful solo female rapper. Some fans were shocked at CL’s weight gain in 2019 after she decided not to renew her contract with YG Entertainment. Netizens defended her, stating that weight gain from stress is natural, especially with all the overseas work she is involved in. Regardless, CL remains a girl crush who isn’t afraid to be herself!

In September, CL released the music video for the song, “Post Up,” which is the intro track to her upcoming debut studio album, which will be released soon. 

3. Soyeon 

Soyeon showed great rap skills when she first appeared on 'Produce 101' and gained even more popularity for her impressive performances on Unpretty Rapstar. As an idol trainee, Soyeon received a lot of criticism for her looks that were supposedly not to the standard for a girl group member. Still, Soyeon embraced the label of “unpretty” and used her skills to defend her honor as an idol. After debuting in (G)-IDLE and showing her amazing talent for music production and stage directing, it seems like her skills extend beyond rap!

Soyeon and fellow group member, Miyeon, are once again taking part in the League of Legends virtual K-pop group, K/DA. Gamers, get ready for Soyeon to drop straight fire!

4. Jessi 

Jessi is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter who debuted in 2003. After not being well-known for many years, Jessi rose to great fame from her appearance on the first season of 'Unpretty Rapstar.' Her famous quote, “We are not a team, this is a competition,” and her no-nonsense attitude made her an icon who shook up the industry standard for how celebrities should act. 

Jessi has also been very open about her multiple plastic surgeries, including filler in her face and lips, and most notably her breast augmentation. However, on a recent episode of 'Radio Star,' Jessi explained that she got her fillers dissolved and now loves her body for the way it looks now. She stated that she now realized that she could not be perfect and is an advocate for people to love their bodies, whether they choose plastic surgery or not!

5. Cheetah 

Cheetah debuted in 2010, but rose to fame as the winner of the first season of 'Unpretty Rapstar' and contributed to the wave of popularity of K-hip-hop. Her strong rap skills have received great recognition from the public, and she went on to train contestants on 'Produce 101' and 'High School Rapper.' Most recently, she appeared on 'Good Girl' with rappers like KARD’s Jiwoo, Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon, and Queen Wa$abii. 

6. Queen Wa$abii 

Queen Wa$abii is an independent rapper who debuted in 2019 but gained most international popularity after her appearance on Good Girl. She has said that her primary focus is on creating an addictive flow and using harsh and shocking words that most people would not expect a female rapper to use when she is writing lyrics. Queen Wa$abii is representative of “starting from the bottom” as she often talks about her experience working part-time at an adult entertainment store to help support her aspirations to become a hip hop artist. Though she’s still new to the industry, Queen Wa$abii is surely a unique addition to the female rapper community!

7. Yoon Mi Rae

Yoon Mi Rae is the original "baddest" rapper in Korea. She debuted as a member of Uptown back in 1997 at only 16-years-old. She later formed a duo called Tashannie with singer Annie and had a successful solo career afterward. She is a role-model to some of Korea's best female rappers today. She is married to Tiger JK and has a son with him named Jordan.

8. Lisa

No introduction is needed for this talented BLACKPINK rapper. She has so much charisma on the stage and she's got a lot of swag when it's showtime. Although she's Thai and not Korean, she's still one of the baddest rappers in the Korean entertainment industry.