Female rappers are making waves more than ever this year and are claiming their stake in the once male-dominated hip-hop industry.

Nomuzi "Moozlie" Mabena, Rouge, Gigi Lamayne and Nadia Nakai are among female rappers getting their due shine and paving the way for a more inclusive genre.

It has not been a walk in the park for the TV presenter-cum-rapper Moozlie to win over her naysayers.

But with the release of her debut album Victory and winning Best Female at the SA Hip Hop Awards in the past year she is laughing all the way to the bank.

"I think there are no people that are more critical than people that are part of the hip-hop community," she says.

"They really take it seriously and if you want to influence it they want to see your commitment. They don't have time for gimmicks.

"For me it was difficult to convince the hip-hop community to take me seriously as a rapper. But after a while I think they saw how hard I worked and I was able to change perceptions."

To put the icing on top, the 26-year-old is part of the star-studded line-up for the biggest annual hip-hop festivals in SA.

Moozlie will share the stage with American rappers Meek Mill and Post Malone at Castle Lite Unlocks taking place on Monday and Tuesday at the TicketPro Dome, Johannesburg.

Now in its seventh year, she will be joined by Nadia Nakai, Riky Rick, Boity Thulo, AKA, Cassper Nyovest and Nasty C.

Although she has hosted at the festival before, this will be the first time Moozlie will be performing.

"I'm really excited about my performance because it's one of the shows where I have put on a lot of elements from dancers to lights. It's going to be an incredible and memorable performance.

"Everyone involved in the hip-hop landscape wants to be able part of this festival. It's kind of a benchmark for hip-hop culture in our country."

On top of performing, Moozlie will also host and take part in a round-table discussion with industry pundits such as Lee Kasumba, DJ Speedsta and LootLove.

If that's not enough she will be part of renowned American hip-hop guru Sway Calloway-hosted freestyle cyphers featuring A-Reece, Shane Eagle and Rouge.

Moozlie got her big break as a fresh-faced 19-year-old from Benoni after winning MTV Base VJ Search in 2012. Throughout her seven-year rise to the top she has reinvented herself countless times.