The world of female rap is riddled with a variety of flavors. From the hard-hitting bars straight from the pink throne of Queen Nicki Minaj to the twerk anthems gifted to us by the City Girls, women rappers currently have a stronghold on the music industry.
While our beloved lady lyricists continue to thrive, there is one that has not yet reached her peak, one who gave us the cheating-lovers-riot anthem, “For Everybody,” in 2017, which instantly became a nightclub staple. However, for Kash Doll, it has been four years, yet she has not quite reached the heights of her rap counterparts. But in the eyes of her hive, the ever-loyal Kash Bratz, she’s the biggest doll on the shelf.
In terms of consistency, Kash Doll has never lacked. She built her Instagram following by uploading videos of her freestyling over a variety of beats. In 2015, after securing a healthy fan base, Kash released her first mixtape titled “Keisha vs. Kash Doll,” which saw her aligned with the likes of B.O.B., Trina, and Lyrica Anderson. Her name quickly began to ring bells in the hip-hop community, and the following year, Drake invited her to open up for him in her hometown of Detroit for his Summer Sixteen Tour. This was a defining moment for the talented MC, who soon found herself featured on a record with Big Sean, titled “So Good,” which occurred after a nasty battle with her former record label.
Kash Doll kept the momentum going with the release of her March 2018 “Brat Mail” mixtape and her July 2018 EP titled “The Vault,” which featured impressive appearances from Rick Ross and Payroll Giovanni. Then in October 2019, Kash Doll released her highly anticipated debut album, “Stacked,” which was set to be her breakout project. She tapped some of music’s biggest names for the album that she referred to as “her baby.” Teyana Taylor, Lil Wayne, Summer Walker, and Trey Songz all graced the beats of the well-put-together project. The album spawned the hit record, “Ice Me Out,” which was certified gold by the RIAA in 2020.
“Stacked” debuted at #76 on the Billboard 200, which was her first full body of work to appear on the chart. A month after her debut album, Kash Doll appeared on the “Charlie’s Angels” soundtrack. While these were both major wins for Kash Doll, she didn’t spend much time on the charts nor did her name ring bells when award seasons came around, though she was nominated once for BET’s Best Female Hip-Hop Artist in 2019 and again at their Social Awards, where she won the “Issa Wave” honor.
In June of last year, the lack of acknowledgment may have gotten to Kash Doll, who tweeted “I’m done” when a fan asked for new music. This exchange set off retirement rumors, leaving her supporters wondering if she was hanging up the mic for good after years of having her skillset overlooked.
But, to fans’ delight, Kash didn’t stay done for long. She has continued to release a steady flow of music, with her most recent single, “Thumbin,” gaining traction.
While some may argue that colorism plays a role in Kash Doll not being further in the rap game, others will point to Kash’s reliance on her rap capabilities as opposed to over-the-top sexuality. Whatever the reasoning behind it, for an artist such as Kash Doll, who has built her career off of consistency, quality, and authentic talent, to be robbed of a spot on the top female rap list is a musical injustice.
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