NEW YORK (AP) — The debate over who reigns supreme as the greatest rapper of the moment is never-ending and never settled. From LL Cool J vs Kool Moe Dee, Tupac vs. Biggie, Jay-Z vs. Nas, it's a time-honored discussion that's likely to be heard in any barbershop or boardroom where rap fans converge.

These days, while the names thrown out tend to be Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, the rap matrix is trying to sort out an unexpected entry: Rapsody. The witty, sharp-tonged emcee may not only be the best female rapper, but the best lyricist in the entire genre — a compliment few women have garnered despite the genre being decades old.

The North Carolina-born MC is hardly the first great female emcee; There was MC Lyte, Lil Kim, rapper/songstress Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj, as well as Queen Latifah, who provided a rare guest rap verse for this new project. But they all faced the same struggle_a fight for respect in this male-dominated music genre, though things are improving: Cardi B became the first woman to win a Grammy for best rap album earlier this year.

Rapsody says she's honored by the talk but notes that she's worked hard for it too. Her latest album, "Eve," has garnered rave reviews. It includes features from J. Cole, D'Angelo, Wu-Tang Clan member GZA and more, consists of 16 tracks, each named after black women, most real, some fictional, that were influential to her.

For instance, there's "Michelle" (for the former First Lady), "Oprah," ''Myrlie" (wife of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers), "Cleo" (named after one of the main characters from the "Set It Off" film), and "Afeni," whose son was the legendary rapper Tupac Shakur.