Arts & Culture Rah Digga: One of the Most Prolific Female MCs in Hip-Hop
September 07, 2023
By Keith L. Underwood
Contributing Writer
Rah Digga is considered by many to be one of the most significant female figures in rap. She was a former member of the hip hop group Flipmode Squad, started by songwriter, producer, and rapper Busta Rhymes. As a soloist, Digga is best known for her hits “Imperial,” “Party and Bullshit,” and “Break Fool.”
In August of 2023, a month after the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Rah Digga continued to tour and record. She just co-headlined a multi-city tour with fellow female rapper Sa-Roc. Although, Digga has no new music of her own on the horizon, she continues to make guest appearances on the tracks of others.
“I never left recording, and I stay recording guest appearances for people, but it’s just been so hard for me personally to sit down and say, ‘Hey, I want to put out a Rah Digga project,’ because I’m quicker to work with others,” said Digga.
Digga also calls herself a cultural ambassador for hip-hop. She currently conducts a program for children called “Lyrics Matter.” Her goal is to travel the world and use her knowledge to spread hip hop culture. Her program not only teaches kids how to rap, but also how to manage their money when they make it.
Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, Digga says she decided at a young age to pursue music after being inspired by rapper and actress Queen Latifah. “She made it like a realistic thing, ‘That’s the girl from Irvington High, she plays ball down the street, wow this is something I can really do,’” said Digga.
However, when it came to her role models, Digga leaned more into male rappers when she was working on her style. She says the three artists who molded her were Rakim, KRS-1, and Kool G Rap.
Being the only female in Flipmode Squad, Digga always found herself professionally in the company of men. “I always felt the need to outshine the guys,” said Digga. “I always wanted to have the best verse.”
Digga remembers a time when female rappers were almost dependent on a male cosigner. “There were girls I knew who were hella talented, and I feel like because they couldn’t be affiliated with any particular [male] clique that a lot of them just fell by the wayside,” said Digga.
“You had Little Kim with Junior Mafia, you had Rah Digga with Flipmode, and you had Foxy with The Firm… Da Brat with So So Def. Every crew had their respective lady.”
Digga says the media is constantly trying to pit female rappers against one another. But, she argues that if you put most of these rappers in the same space, and they began talking to another, they would see many similarities in their journeys.
She firmly believes that when female rappers work together, that is when they are the most powerful and achieve the most success.
“The only way this works and the only way we get our number ones is when we do things like ‘Ladies Night,’ said Digga. “No one can alienate themselves. The only way we kick the men’s behinds is when we team up.”
Digga continues, “The only four Black women [who] have dominated the Billboard charts was Beyonce and Megan [The Stallion]’s collaboration on ‘Savage,’ and Nikki [Minaj] and Doja Cat collaboration. When we do that we win.”
Keith L. Underwood is the host of the KBLA Talk 1580 entertainment radio show, “Black In The Green Room.” A former entertainment publicist, he currently develops platforms for performers, creatives, and Hollywood execs to shine and inspire. IG: @umaworldwide.