Its something wrong with you Nicki Minaj fans.  Historically, female artists had to sell physical albums without the benefit of streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music, or the promotional avenues of playlists and paid radio play.  Furthermore, the acceptance of women, particularly LGBTQ+ women, in hip hop was far from guaranteed.  The pioneering contributions of Queen Latifah and her contemporaries solidified their status as queens of hip hop.  Regardless of Nicki Minaj's sales figures, the courage displayed by artists like Kim, Missy, Foxy, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Roxanne Shanté, and Eve in confronting the male dominance of hip hop paved the way for her success.