8. Nicki Minaj
We start our countdown with a woman you're surely all too familiar with - Nicki Minaj. Volatile and known for her tendency to start arguments she's not entirely sure how to finish with people far more dangerous than herself, Minaj is undeniably hot property. In a scene predominantly run by men, she (or one of her numerous alter egos, we can never be quite sure) exploded onto the scene in 2010 with her début album 'Pink Friday', which secured her three Grammy Award nominations and the second-highest sales week of all time for a female hip-hop artist in the US. She followed it up with 'Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded' in early 2012, which smashed its way to the top of both the US and UK charts, and really shot this quirky rapper into the realms of hyperfame. Minaj is best known for her uncanny ability to fit about 300 words into a 5-second margin without taking one single breath - as well as her erm, curvaceous figure, shall we say - and despite what you may or may not think of her, she definitely deserves to be on this list. Her technique, while erratic (which let's be honest, is half the fun anyway), is incredible, and she's really not one for conformity. Her animated and contentious rapping style and her remarkable ability to turn a clever phrase is what makes her music so enjoyable, while her exaggerated look and personality, as well as the plethora of absolutely mental alter egos who often snake their way into her songs, are what make her so interesting as a rapper. You just sort of want to get into her brain for 5 minutes and see what exactly goes on in there. Love her or loathe her, though, she knows exactly what she's doing.