In honor of Women’s History Month, SOHH spotlights Black women in hip-hop who have taken entrepreneurship by storm. These influential women such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, and Missy Elliott have built unique, impactful brands.
Here are four beloved female artists who have been making a noteworthy splash outside of music:
Rihanna
After trademarking her surname Fenty in 2013, Rihanna officially launched her Fenty brand in 2017. It now consists of beauty, lingerie/apparel, hair care products, and more.
In 2022, the brand announced its plan to open Savage X Fenty retail for fans to visit and shop in person. Additionally, Fenty helped the “Umbrella” singer reach billionaire status that same year.
The Fenty mogul will also revive her partnership with Puma, which was recently announced on social media.
Mary J. Blige
In 2020, the R&B icon launched her own wine collection Sun Goddess and teamed up with Fantinel Winery. Mary J. Blige also has an upcoming talk show on BET Networks, The Wine Down, coming soon in 2023.
Beyoncé
Queen Bey’s Ivy Park has expanded its brand into Asia. However, before it was available with Adidas, it was once sold at Topshop. Beyoncé acquired complete ownership of Ivy Park and partnered with the sportswear brand in 2016.
Missy Elliott
Twenty-six years ago, the world was introduced to Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott when she released her debut studio album Supa Dupa Fly and Under Construction shortly after. In 2022, the hip-hop pioneer spoke with Rolling Stone about her decades-spanning career, a recent partnership with tequila brand Patròn, and more.
Maya Angelou Featured On US Currency
Even though she’s passed away Maya Angelou made recent history. In 2022, the trailblazer was the first Black woman featured on a United States currency.
The coins with the poet’s likeness had also shipped out to banks.