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There is no doubting the effect hip hop music has had on our society. Though the genre is often dominated by men and even more often devalues women, there are some very strong, female hip hop artists that are out there representing the ladies. Here is our list of the top five most influential women in hip hop.

5 – Lauryn Hill
Hill was one of the first women in the hip hop world to successfully transition from band member to having a solo career.I found some more information here. Her first solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, earned several Grammy nominations and won five of the highly coveted awards including Album of the Year.

4 – Missy Elliot
An active member of the hip hop scene since 1991, Elliot holds the distinction of being the only female hip hop artist with six platinum albums and one double platinum, 2002′s Under Construction.

3 – MC Lyte
Most women involved in the hip hop world would site MC Lyte as one of their major influences. Lyte was the first woman to have a full-length hip hop album to her credit with the release of her critically acclaimed debut 1988′s Lyte as a Rock.

2 – Queen Latifah
At 41-years-old with a music career starting in 1988, Latifah is one of the most successful of all female hip hop artists. She is also one of few women of hip hop to hold just about every kind of job in the entertainment industry including musician, writer, producer, actress, comedian, songwriter and author.

1 – Salt-N-Pepa
With a career spanning two decades, Cheryl Wray, Sandra Denton and Dee Dee Roper form the iconic band Salt-N-Pepa. The first successful all female hip hop group, Salt-N-Pepa’s influence opened doors for every female hip hop icon since their debut in 1985.