Today there are three female rappers fighting for the crown: Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Mary Halsey from West Warwick, Rhode Island. Oh, you haven't heard of Mary Halsey? Then you've been wasting your life. Stop what you're doing right now and watch her hilarious cover of Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's 2001 hit "Work It."

Mary performed a karaoke version of the classic club banger at a barbecue in an East Greenwich. And she came prepared. Every rapper knows you should have impeccable style, and no one on the block has swagger like Mary. She rocked the mic while wearing a floral top and holding a shofar: an ancient, trumpet-like instrument made from a ram's horn. And of course, she had to flex a little, by rapping in front of a sweet ride: a very affordable minivan. Much cooler than a Bentley.

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Work It is a hard song to perform, and Mary absolutely kills it. She doesn't miss a word, performing all the sound effects and nailing the backwards hook: "I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it / Ti esrever dna ti pilf, nwod gniht ym tup." She even busts a move, shaking her booty, proving that can, indeed, work it. And it is so worth it.

Of course, every rapper needs a hype-man, or hype-woman. Mary's friend tiptoes across the background, dancing while eating a cup of Oodles of Noodles. That's right. She is all about multitasking. I predict dance-eating will be the next big craze. It gives you something to do with your hands while dancing. And you can burn calories while you're eat. Next time you go to the club, remember your Oodles of Noodles.

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Mary's video went viral on Facebook, getting an incredible nine million views. That's nine times the population of Rhode Island! It also blew up on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, which means it's only a matter of time before we see Mary Halsey on Ellen. (And she better bring her tip-toeing dance-eating friend.)

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The self-proclaimed "funky white sister" got high praise from the Internet, and from Missy herself. On Instagram, the rapper wrote a sweet message, giving Mary props.

"wait I just found out I have a FUNKY WHITE SISTER???? but hold up she brought her homegirl to da cookout too?? she the one tiptoeing in the background with a cup of oodles & noodles in her hand?? Yo sis done made the elephant sound too??? I wasn’t ready for her to say put the ? on ya like I told ya in a low deep voice??she straight up killed “Work it” with the yea yea yea at the beginning & the sound effects & all????????? my funky white sis ft Miss Tippy Toe in the back??❤️"

All hail the new Queen of Hip-Hop, Mary Halsey. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B are going to have to step their game up.

Last month, Mary Halsey performed an incredible cover of Missy Elliott's Work It at a park in Rhode Island. She introduced herself as Missy's "funky white sister" and nailed every word, including the backwards hook. She even did the elephant trumpet sound effect; now that's dedication! And just like Missy, Mary had a killer sense of style, rocking a floral top and holding a shofar. You know, the ancient instrument made from a ram's horn? Just go with it.

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The karaoke took place at a barbecue, which explains why a woman walked by in the background, eating a cup of Oodles of Noodles. But she didn't stop dancing. Why stop eating to dance? Why stop dancing to eat? You can multitask. The hilarious video went viral, getting over 13 million views. Best of all, Missy Elliott herself saw it, and gave Mary props. "I just found out I have a FUNKY WHITE SISTER," the rapper tweeted. " she straight killed “Work It” sound effects & all?? I love it???"

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Like all internet sensations, Mary appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show. She revealed that she's been performing the song for 15 years, ever since she covered it for a contest in 2003. When asked about her online success, Mary said, "It was a shock. I never expected this. I put it out there and said ‘I want to go viral’ but I never thought it would happen."

After explaining her dopeness, Mary treated the crowd to her signature performance of Work It. But halfway through the rendition, she got the surprise of a lifetime: Missy Elliott joined her 'funky white sister' on stage to sing the chorus. Together, they rapped the second verse, and shared a big hug. Mary was obviously thrilled. Take her with you on tour, Missy!

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Afterward, the two sat down for a chat with Ellen, and Mary was obviously excited to meet Missy. "I had no idea, you’ve blown me away. I can hardly just sit here," said Mary. Then she led the crowd in a spontaneous cheer: "Missy Elliott! Ellen DeGeneres! Mary Halsey!"

A lot of people cover Missy's music, but Mary's performance really stood out. "When she first said, ‘Missy’s funky white sister,’ I was like, ‘Who is this?’" Missy reflected. "So when I listened, I’m like, ‘She knows all the words, but the sound effects!’ She makes the elephant noise, all of that." Anybody can cover Work It, but real MC's don't just rap the lyrics - they do the elephant noise.

At the end, Ellen gave Mary an amazing present: a jacket with floral sleeves, and "MISSY'S FUNKY WHITE SISTER" printed on the back. Now every time she performs Work It at a park in Rhode Island, she can wear that jacket, and remember the time she rocked the crowd with Missy on Ellen. Congratulations, Mary. You worked it, and it was worth it.

It's fair to say that this year's MTV Video Music Awards (aka the VMAs) have been as action-packed as usual. In the wake of her breakup with Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus delivered a powerful vocal performance of her lastest breakup track. Then John Travolta made the unfortunate faux pas, after mistaking a drag queen for Taylor Swift. Awkward!

But one of the highlights of the awards show was an awesome appearance from rapper, singer, and record producer Missy Elliot. Missy is still the best-selling female rapper in Nielsen Music history, She's won a grand total of five Grammies and sold 30 million records in the US alone.

Check out the original 'Work It' music video below:

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Taking to the stage, Missy reminded everyone why she's copywritten and why you shouldn't copy her. After accepting the Video Vanguard Award, she delivered an amazing performance of some of her most iconic hits, including Get Ur Freak On, Lose Control, and Work It.

It's been almost 17 years since Missy Elliott dropped her legendary music video for Work It, and in an awesome tribute to the original track, there was a cameo from a very special person whose dance moves made the 2002 music video so memorable: Alyson Stoner.

Take a look at Alyson Stoner's cameo in the VMA performance below: 

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Stoner, who is all grown up now at the age of 26, was the dancer who portrayed the little girl in the music videos for Work It and Gossip Folks. Donning a banana-yellow tracksuit, she managed to impressively showcase to an audience of millions that she's still got those moves.

The nostalgia was palpable, and Missy's fans were obviously pretty exhilarated to see Stoner back onstage again. Following the performance, they immediately took to Twitter to comment on the awesome cameo.

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The original video was directed by Dave Meyers, and paid tribute to Aaliyah and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes when images of the dead musicians are airbrushed on a car's hood. The video also featured an appearance by dancer and graffiti writer Mr Wiggles from Rock Steady Crew

The video went on to win the award for Video of the Year at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. In a 2010 interview with Dance Spirit, Alyson Stoner revealed that: "I almost didn’t go to the audition. We didn’t know the content of Missy’s music."

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This isn't the first time Stoner has made a reference to her debut. Back in 2015, she reunited with her former co-stars to release a tribute dance video of "Work It" after she was frequently asked by members of the public why she didn't dance with Missy Elliott and Katy Perry during the 2015 Super Bowl. 

Most rappers would be thrilled to have the No. 2 album in the country, but not Nicki Minaj. Instead of celebrating, she spent the weekend throwing an epic meltdown on Twitter. According to Billboard, Travis Scott had the number one album, but she called this fact "fake news." (Remind you of any presidents? I can't wait until she starts tweeting, "WITCH HUNT.")

Nicki claimed that Travis didn't outsell her, because he inflated his album sales with bundles, even though she also inflated her album sales with bundles. Then she claimed Travis got extra promotion from his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, and their six month old daughter, Stormi. Did I mention that Nicki's new album is called Queen? This is what Queens do - start beef with babies. You're going down, Stormi!

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On the MTV Video Music Awards, Nicki won for Most Insecure Rapper - I mean, Best Hip-Hop Music Video. In her acceptance speech, she thanked her 'Barbz' and announced that she would give out an award out for "C*cksucker Of The Day" on her radio show. Again, very Queen-like behavior. Queen Elizabeth II does the same thing all the time on the BBC.

Anyway, today the 5-year-old - I mean, 35-year-old, broadcast her radio show. Unfortunately, she did not announce the "C*cksucker Of The Day," but she did announce the "Hoe N*gga of the Week": Travis Scott. That's right, the mercurial MC doubled down on her trash talk, slamming Kylie and Travis once again.

"Travis Scott gets Hoe N*gga of the Week by a landslide. Because he’s out here selling clothes instead of music. What we're not gonna do is have that Auto-Tune man selling f*ck sweaters telling you he sold half a million albums, because he fucking didn't. You stupid f*ck. You got your fucking homeboy talking for you and you got your girlfriend selling tour passes. Stop it. Knock it the f*ck off."

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As she continued her tirade, Nicki didn't mention that she also sold a bundle - just $5 for her album, a poster, and a three month subscription to Tidal. However, she did try to walk back her meltdown, stating, "I love Kylie, I love Kim. I actually love all of them. ... I know that you guys are saying me and Baby Stormi have beef. [laughs] Yes we do. Now, this is what the f*ck is happening today. Me against baby Stormi." (Can't wait to hear Stormi's diss track.)

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However, the Stupid Hoe rapper wasn't done. She went on to compare herself to two historical figures, abolitionist Harriet Tubman and civil rights hero Rosa Parks. I know it sounds crazy, but think about it: Harriet Tubman was a former slave who freed more than 300 people, guiding them to safety on the Underground Railroad. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on the bus, initiating the civil rights movement. And Nicki Minaj shook her butt a lot in the Anaconda music video. They're three peas in a pod.

To back up a little bit: Before the VMA's, Nicki compared herself to Harriet Tubman, arguing that she "fought for streaming services." Seriously. Twitter users were not amused.

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On her radio show, Nicki celebrated her critically acclaimed album and killer performance at the VMA's. Nah, just kidding. She doubled down on the Harriet Tubman comparison, and threw Rosa Parks in for good measure.

"You motherf*ckers is getting streaming because somebody took that bullet, because somebody was brave enough. Somebody had a big f*cking d--k enough, somebody had balls enough, to say, ‘We are tired of having you steal our music and we're not getting credited!' ... Harriet Tubman had to shake s--t up; Rosa Parks had to shake s--t up. Rosa Parks probably had the worst day of her life when she said, ‘no, enough is enough.'"

Well, I'm sure if Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman were alive today, they would also blame a six-month-old baby for Nicki Minaj's disappointing record sales. It's what Queens do.

 

Last month, Cardi B dropped her new music video for her track 'WAP' and it immediately started shattering records.

As well as being an incredible statement of female sexual empowerment, the music video broke the record for the biggest 24-hour debut for an all-female collaboration on YouTube, amassing over 157.5 million views on the site (as of this writing).

In addition, the single debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 - giving Cardi B her fourth number-one single in the US - further extending her record as the female rapper with the most number-one singles in Hot 100 history.

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But as well as breaking barriers, the single has also spawned a social media trend known as the "WAP' Challenge".

As the name suggests, the challenge sees social media users attempt to recreate the sexy moves from Cardi B's music video - with different results.

However, one TikToker by the name of Niamh Adkins has shared her version of the challenge, which sees her pull off the eye-popping routine dressed as Taylor Swift from her 2009 music video for the track 'You Belong With Me'.

Check out Niamh's efforts below (it may be the best 'WAP' Challenge yet):

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Now, the juxtaposition between these two tracks and images portrayed in both is enough to raise a few eyebrows - with one being about a geeky high school girl being outshined by her crush's more popular ex and the other being about wet-a** p*****s.

But the fact that both tracks have been blended so well together to create a pretty decent mic is simply mind-blowing (the mix was originally made by TikTokker @heyimjoshlol).

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Adkins originally shared the video to her TikTok account, where it has been viewed over 1.4 million times. People in the comments section also couldn't get enough of her performance, as well as her striking resemblance to Taylor Swift:

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In fact, the striking video caught the attention of Cardi herself, who later shared it on Twitter, along with the caption: "I ain’t saw that coming."

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Wholesome Taylor Swift and unapologetic 'WAP' Cardi B - the music mash-up we never knew we needed.

We all love a celebrity feud, don't we?

Whether it's one of the Kardashian sisters and some other A-lister knocking lumps out of each other on social media, or Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant going head to head in the NBA, we live for a bit of drama, a bit of tension, a slice of intrigue, if you will.

If it's a fact that we love a feud, it is also a fact that hip-hop feuds are the best of the lot. Maybe it's due to the lyrical skill of those involved, or maybe it's the no-backing-down savagery of it all, but hip-hop tends to take things to a whole new level where feuds are concerned.

We've recently been treated to the re-igniting of Drake's beef with Pusha T, which culminated in some wild accusations and revelations being thrown around, not least of which was the allegation that Drake has a son, by a former adult film star no less.

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However, the last few weeks have been dominated not by Drake and Pusha but by Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly.

It all appears to trace back to an ill-advised MGK tweet from years ago, in which he pronounced Em's daughter Hailie "hot as f*ck".

Now, anyone who has followed Slim Shady's career will know that saying Hailie's name in any negative context is, to put it mildly, a huge, huge mistake. Anyway, after Em appeared to throw barbs at MGK on a track from his new album Kamikaze, the latter released the diss track Rap Devil, aimed at Eminem.

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Two weeks later, Eminem fired back with Killshot, a brutal response that lead many fans to pronounce MGK's career finished.

Though some had a problem with Eminem's naming of other celebrities (see: Iggy Azalea, Diddy, Rihanna and Halsey, to name a few), most seemed to think that the legendary Detroit-born rapper had finished the feud for good.

Halsey's name, in particular, seems to crop up often in diss tracks aimed at Machine Gun Kelly, with G-Eazy apparently name-dropping the singer in a track of his own aimed at MGK.

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Anyway, after a recent interview in which MKG was asked if he had slept with Halsey - to which he replied "absolutely" - it seems that she has finally - understandably - had enough.

Taking to Twitter in what most have taken as a response to this, the singer wrote "how *absolutely* pathetic."

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Frankly, I'm not surprised is a little cheesed off with the way things have been going of late, after all, she needn't have had anything to do with the Em and MGK beef, and her name has been dragged into it needlessly. Though it seems we're living in a world where nothing is truly private anymore, there was no need for MGK to confirm rumours that the pair slept together, and Halsey is more than entitled to share her thoughts on him doing so. The beef rolls on.