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HER-STORY OF FEMALES IN HIP HOP
With few exceptions, female involvement in today's hip-hop seems to be restricted to being a music video groupie or a provocative stage dancer rather than being a headlining performer at a major concert or music event. Sure, hip-hop is male-dominated. But even so, it wouldn't be fair to overlook or ignore its scarce yet influential female contributors. Throughout hip-hop history, women have inspired their fellow females to take part in the elements: from legend graf writer Lady Pink's aerosol artistry and Sugarhill Records' The Sequence's party raps in the '70s and '80s, to more recent fames like Pam the Funkstress of the Coup (representing female DJs) and Asia One of No Easy Props, Rock Steady Crew, and founding committee member of the popular, annual B-Boy Summit (holding it down for B-girls worldwide).
Out of all the elements, women are found to be more involved and advanced in rapping. Many of them use pure poetry talent to represent themselves and their gender, while a few entice with raw sex appeal and tantalizing narratives to gain recognition. Either way, the ladies know how to bring it.
Below are some of the female MCs that have held it down for all womankind.
THE FEMALE FOUNDATION
ROXANNE SHANTE
At the tender age of 14, Roxanne Shante released "Roxanne's Revenge," a heated response track to U.T.F.O.'s "Roxanne, Roxanne," a song about a stuck-up girl named Roxanne that U.T.F.O. continues to claim had nothing to do with her. The song began her career as the first lady of battle raps...as well as one of the most aggressive females in hip-hop to date. Revenge was so hot that Roxanne couldn't even attend school, because all her fans followed her every footstep. She was taken under the wing of legendary hip-hop producer Marley Marl, who produced Revenge, and became a part of his infamous Juice Crew, alongside MC Shan, Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, Big Daddy Kane, and Biz Markie. She released a number of credible hits that can be found on many hip-hop compilations, like "Have a Nice Day," "Go on Girl," "Big Mama" (where she dishes out a barrage of insults to practically all other female rappers at the time), and one of the most famous beatbox/MC showcases in history: "Def Fresh Crew." Although most of her recorded songs were written by Big Daddy Kane, when it came to freestyle battling, Roxanne was quick to lyrically abuse her opponents every which way, in addition to moving the crowd in so doing...a once-deadly threat to male and female rappers.
SALT-N-PEPA
They were the first big-time female rap duo to also incorporate a female DJ in the group. Salt, Pepa, and DJ Spinderella (and former DJ Pamela Green) surfaced with their pro-feministic anthems that set the bar for all female rappers that came after them. They exploded with hit singles like "Expression," "Shoop," "Push It," (one of the first rap songs to receive a GRAMMY nomination), and the controversial "Let's Talk About Sex" remake. All these songs aided in the crossover of hip-hop into the mainstream. Although they were blessed with chart-topping records and GRAMMY presence, their greatest accomplishment was opening the door for women rappers around the world. With that strength and with five strong albums, they are definitely hip-hop hall of famers and icons in the music business.
MC LYTE
Before transforming herself into a successful R&B rapper, MC Lyte was one of the baddest sisters rapping in New York, and she's also one of the few longest-running hip-hop artists to have emerged pre-Golden Era. Her cocky delivery and rugged style is well-renowned and can be clearly heard in many of today's female rappers. Lyte's full-length debut album, Lyte as a Rock, earned the respect of the streets with such classics as "I Cram to Understand U," "Paper Thin," and the title track. Her best release of true hip-hop form, All Eyes on This, featured the songs "Cappuccino," "Stop, Look, Listen," and the infamous "Cha Cha Cha." After breaking through the mainstream during the early '90s, Lyte scored a few roles in such movies as Sunset Park and Playas Ball, as well as made appearances in TV comedy sitcoms such as Moesha, In the House, and Half & Half. She would eventually earn a GRAMMY nomination for the single "Ruffneck," off her 1993 album Ain't No Other, which was also the first single from a female hip-hop artist to reach gold status. Lyte's truly an ambassador to all women in hip-hop.
QUEEN LATIFAH
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Back in '88, female rappers were few and far between. But it wasn't long before everyone was hailing to the Queen Latifah. She jump-started her astonishing career by releasing All Hail the Queen, which included her hit debut single "Ladies First," featuring Monie Love, thus bringing the presence of women and Afrocentricity in hip-hop to higher ground. She is a member of the Native Tongues coalition, made popular by the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Her success and popularity as a leading female in hip-hop earned her a TV sitcom, Living Single, and several motion picture roles in movies like Jungle Fever, Juice, Set It Off, and the multi-Academy Award-winning movie/musical Chicago. On her latest endeavor, Latifah shows her multiplicity of influences and talent with The Dana Owens Album, a throwback ode to big band on which she covers classic tracks, jazz-style, by renowned artists like Al Green ("Simply Beautiful"), the Mamas and the Papas ("California Dreamin'"), and Bill Withers ("The Same Love That Made Me Laugh"). Latifah has definitely come a long way and has come full circle as a multileveled artist.
MONIE LOVE
London-born Simone Wilson, aka Monie Love, was featured on Queen Latifah's single Ladies First while still a teen. Her CDs as a leader have been erratic, often suggesting much more than they delivered, though they've usually contained at least one strong single. After Down to Earth, Love issued In a Word or Two in 1993.
Albums:
In a Word or Two 1993
Down to Earth - 1990
THE REAL ROXANNE
Adelaida Martinez, a former waitress who was raised in the projects of Brooklyn, was hired to become the Real Roxanne, UTFO and Howie Tee's entry into the Roxanne, Roxanne craze of the '80s. It was not easy in the beginning. A Real Roxanne single was quickly issued on Select Records, but when she tried to perform, confused audience members, having already seen a parade of female rappers billing themselves as Roxanne, called her an impostor. But by the time the Real Roxanne and her producers got around to issuing an album (The Real Roxanne), it was 1988 and the controversy had died down. The album got generally positive response, with hit singles like, Howie's Tee'd Off and Respect. In 1992, Roxanne made a largely unsuccessful comeback bid with a Chubb Rock/Trackmasterz produced album bearing the eyebrow-raising title Go Down, But Don't Bite It.
Albums:
The Real Roxanne - 1988
YO YO
Rapper Yo Yo was born Yolanda Whitaker in 1971 in South Central, Los Angeles. She began rapping in high school and got a break when Ice Cube asked her to appear on It's a Man's World, off his AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted album. Yo Yo signed with EastWest Records for the release of her debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode, in 1991. The CD, which was produced by Ice Cube, Sir Jinx and Del the Funkee Homosapien, introduced Yo Yo's tough, no nonsense delivery and her positive message to women. On tracks like Girl Don't Be a Fool, Yo Yo urges women to respect themselves, to demand respect from men and to practice sexual restraint. Since then she's released a string of albums, including 1992's Black Pearl, 1993's You Better Ask Somebody and 1996's Total Control. In addition, Yo Yo has taken time away from her rapping to appear in various feature films; her acting credits include 1991's Boyz 'N the Hood, 1993's Who's the Man, 1993's Sister Act II and 1995's Panther.
She also co-founded the IBWC (Intelligent Black Women's Coalition) to spread her pro-woman message. Yo Yo's latest release on EastWest, Ebony, came out in 1998. She is featured on Tyrese's latest CD that's on the airwaves nation wide. She's coming out with a new CD sometime in 2006 and currently hosts a radio show on 93.5 KDAY in Los Angeles.
Albums:
Ebony 1998
Total Control 1996
You Better Ask Somebody 1993
Black Pearl 1992
Make Way for the Motherlode 1991
MAINSTREAM MAMAS...
LIL KIM
The Queen B might be all plastic on the outside, but her talent as a rapper is genuine from the inside. This one-time gold-digging "street corner hustler" was taken under the wing of the late B.I.G. and turned into one of the hottest female rappers in recent years. Many females may despise her provocative nature, but you can't blame Lil' for incorporating her troubled childhood and former lifestyle into her image as a performer. Parallel in style to archnemesis Foxy Brown, Kim developed a new breed of rappers that blended hip-hop with sex, money, and fashion from a female's perspective. She debuted as a member of Biggie's group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and quickly made a name for herself with her verse in their debut hit single "Player's Anthem" and throughout their Conspiracy LP. As is customary with any Bad Boy record, the production for her debut solo album, Hard Core, was jam-packed with an all-star cast. It came as no surprise, then, that the album was a commercial hit for both Kim and the Bad Boy label.
MISSY ELLIOT
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Missy Elliott virtually monopolized the game when it came to any involvement in both hip-hop music and lifestyle. Known for her outrageous videos, dynamic beats, playful raps, and hit singles, like "Sock It To Me," "Work It," and "Get Your Freak On," her accomplishments are not even close to reaching a professional peak. Add to that acting, owning a clothing line with Adidas, and a reality TV show, and you have yourself a megastar. She's currently enjoying the success of her reality show, Road to Stardom, where Missy has her hands full helping fresh talent get their feet wet in the biz. Voted twice by Rolling Stone magazine as Best Female Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, this Supa Dupa Fly powerhouse will continue to dominate for a very long time.
LAUREN HILL
Who would have thought that little Rita--the temperamental yet talented little girl in Sister Act 2--would grow up to be one of the most respected and influential women in hip-hop? Lauryn "L-Boogie" Hill epitomizes the ideal lyricist: one who is real to her passion and determined to stay that way. Her 1998 classic, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, was the fastest-selling debut album for a female artist, and it quickly established her as a prominent solo performer. Breakthrough joints like "Everything Is Everything," "Doo Wop (That Thing)," and "Ex-Factor" illustrated her personal and political viewpoints, as well as demonstrated her unrelenting talents as a producer. Lauryn is currently prepping for her highly anticipated sophomore album, and there are talks of Kanye West lending a hand with some production duties. And whether or not she reunites with her former group, The Fugees, Lauryn will always be remembered as a key factor in prospering the female voice in hip-hop.
RAH DIGGA
"All you MCs better stand your ground`cause when Digga come round it's curtains." For MCs everywhere, the revolution has just been revised. Right about now, Rah Digga, the "female" MC and only woman in Busta Rhymes' renowned Flip Mode Squad, has given new meaning to the phrase "female MC." "She's the chick everybody wants in their clique because her skills speak for themselves," says Busta Rhymes. "I don't believe there's a female out there now who can touch her. While every clique has their token female member, Rah Digga has established herself as a true leader among MCs."
Although the buzz on Rah Digga has reached deafening levels, she has earned her newfound place behind hip-hop's velvet ropes just like a veteran. One joint at a time. Her cameo on The Fugee's, "Cowboys," was just the beginning. Next she appeared on "Lyricist's Lounge: Volume One" on a hot duet with Bahamadia. Then she came through on the Flip Mode's "Imperial" album, - some even crediting her with its Gold status. Then, Busta let her loose on that "Cha Cha Cha" joint... Press and heads everywhere were wondering where did she come from? And how did she get so tight?
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Rashiya Fisher actually describes her coming up as "fun." No, her father didn't leave. Neither did her mother. In fact, they are still married. No, she doesn't come from a long line of musicians.
Everyone in her family has a degree. An advanced one at that. No, she didn't drop out of school, or get kicked out. She actually went away to a private boarding school in Maryland (a la "The Facts of Life.") where she excelled in Math and Science. Once she graduated, she went to study electrical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Not your typical "keep it real, straight from the streets" hip hop drama. Her skills tell the real story. She explains, "I think my voice alone comes off as rugged. My voice plays a big part in my being accepted as a real MC. I'm a punch line MC. I'm not body baggin' or committing crimes in my rhymes, but I am still considered hard core."
Her early days as a member of Twice The Flavor and esteemed membership in the all-male Jersey born Da Outsidaz clique (of which Eminem is a member), gave her a solid start. Her bold and unforgettable performance at New York's Lyricist's Lounge, during her 8th month of pregnancy, is what inspired Q-Tip to bring her to Elektra and let Busta Rhymes get a listen. The rest has been herstory. She says proudly of her hip hop lineage, "I consider Q-Tip my birth parent and Busta is my foster father raising me." Both must be very proud. Rah's sensuous beauty, hard-edged voice, forceful delivery and take-no-prisoners approach is a culmination of the many females that have come before her. Her power, sex appeal, rawness and pure presence make her hip-hop's everywoman. But it just may be her serious side that makes "Dirty Harriet," her much-anticipated debut album so compelling. As she blesses her legion of fans with her trademark force and fly rhymes, she gives them food for thought. She says laughing, "Even when I try to make fun lovin' party stuff, it comes out serious." Her album title is one of those serious moments. The name, although a seemingly obvious play on "Dirty Harry," is actually a reference to Harriet Tubman. Rah explains, "The reason I named it that is because Harriet Tubman basically led people to freedom. Rah Digga is paving the way and leading a new species of female MCs to just feel confident enough to come with raw rhymes and not have to worry about exploiting themselves sexually to succeed." The absence of sexually explicit lyrics show that Rah Digga is not following in anyone's footsteps - she is creating her own. She describes her album as being as multi-faceted as she is. "I can't categorize the album as having a particular sound. I don't think any one song sounds like another. Every song has its own vibe."
The album produced mostly by The Teamsters, who have worked substantially with Busta, boasts varied and unique beats with ill accents like violins (Tight) and a track made with the sound of a sneeze (Straight Spitten). Guest producers include Premier, Busta, Mr. Walt, DJ Scratch, DJ Shock (Ruff Ryders), Rockweiller and Dave Atkinson. From those capable hands comes an album packed with old school type joints that show Rah's Che Digga style. Joints like the album's skill-laced opener "Tight." "Showdown," lets her brag a little more, while "What they Call Me" and "Do The Ladies" (featuring Eve and Sonja Blade) are party starters. "Straight Spitten" and "Fuck Y'all Niggaz" puts you up close and personal with Rah's aggressive side. Of the crowd pleaser, "What They Call Me," she says, "this is my letting the world know that I am the Hip Hop B-girl original." And like the true original that she is, Rah was hell bent on ruling her debut like the queen that she is. Her album is pleasingly light on guest appearances, especially with Busta Rhymes. He appears only on the acclaimed, "Imperial." She says of her decision to do the majority of her album without much assist, "I purposely planned to not use him excessively. I noticed from the Flip Mode album, it was always Busta Rhymes and the Flip Mode Squad' - no one had their own identity. But when I got the beat for "Imperial," he said to me, `I gotta be on that beat.'" But, Rah Digga is not only bringing the rah rah. She can flip it and she does with the profound "Brother, Brother," a personal and painful look at the fate of Black men. She describes the personal track by saying, "It's the story of me being a little sister and having three brothers. One brother is good, but wigs out and gets locked up . The second gets killed and the third one is just the bad brother, who nothing happens to. Everyone can relate to it because they have someone in their life who fits one or all three of these categories." Ironically, the song is not about her own experience as she was an only child. However, the song speaks about men that she has known and loved and adopted as her own brothers. She says, "The first verse was inspired by a friend of mine who just snapped on the job and stabbed his co-worker. The second verse is about (the late MC) Slang Ton, and the third verse is inspired by the people who really do lead bad lives and get away with it."
Rah Digga is truly hip-hop's new leader. She is taking the gender out of the game and putting skills back in. She is a woman who makes women proud and men try harder. She is "Dirty Harriet." And, just as the ancestors had to trust that freedom was possible when Harriet Tubman led the way, Rah Digga brings the same message to women too often tempted by the trap of exploitation. Says Rah, "Be a leader. You don't have to fit in to be the bomb. You can be you and you will gather followers."
Spoken like a true revolutionary.
EVE
Philadelphia&..39;s Eve Jihan Jeffers got her first break in the record business the way many rappers go platinum -- she walked right through the front door. The story goes something like this:
Some of her friends (who now serve as her managers) hooked up with producer extraordinaire Dr. Dre and arranged an imprompt audition for Eve -- well, kinda,...they never told him that she was coming. "Out of nowhere they put the tape on and I stood up and started rapping and he was looking at me like, 'Why is this girl rapping?'," recalls Eve. Liking what he saw after only a few bars, the executive cut the audition short and promised to bring Eve to California to work with the good Dr. -- Eve was not impressed. "I had been through a lot of auditions," she admits, "so I thought, 'If he calls, he calls; if he don't, he don't.'
But he called the next day - I had auditioned for him on a Saturday and that Sunday he called and told me I had to be out there by Friday." Eve moved out to L.A. Dr. Dre put her in the studio, where she completed a three songs demo tape. "Eve of Destruction," one of the songs from those sessions, wound up on the Bulworth Soundtrack. Unfortunately, Dr. Dre was still overseeing the growth of his fledgling label, and Eve's one-year contract with Aftermath expired before she could get to work on her album. "I believe that everything happens for a reason," says a pragmatic Eve. "The music that I really wanted to write at the time wasn't coming through me." While still in L.A., Eve forged a bond with a rising star named DMX, who she met through producer Mail Man, while X was in town promoting his debut album, It's Dark And Hell Is Hot. When she moved back to Philly, Eve would come to New York and hang out with the rest of the Ruff Ryder's camp. Soon enough, Eve was invited to join Ruff Ryders Records through a trial by fire. "The way I was signed was in a cipher," Eve remembers. "I had to go up against [Ruff Ryders emcees] Drag-On and Infa Red - I was shook. If I was wack, Ruff Ryders wouldn't have signed me." The fact that you're reading this let's you know she wasn't wack. If you're still not convinced, check her sexy yet hardcore appearances on the Roots' "You Got Me," the remix to "Ruff Ryders Anthem" from DJ Clue?'s The Professional & BLACKstreet's "Girlfriend/Boyfriend"not to mention her work on Ryde Or Die, the Ruff Ryders' compilation album. Her verses are affirmations of self, recognition, and braggadocio rhyme skills. "I know who I am now and where I wanna take myself and what I wanna show the world," she says. As early as third grade, Eve was winning school merit awards for her short stories, plays and poems. "I had a real good imagination," she assesses. In her early teens she was part of a 5-girl singing group, covering tunes by En Vogue and Color Me Badd. Around the time Michael Bivin's ABC came out, the group's manager suggested they start rapping. Known as Eve of Destruction, she excelled at rhyming, graduating from cafeteria battles to "stomping all over" Philly's talent show scene and serving as opening act for local rap concerts as part of a female emcee duo named EDJ(pronounced "Egypt") -- all this is before the prominence of the female emcee. "Now, it's more like rapping is the thing right now," Eve observes. "Before, when I was in high school, it really wasn't big -- especially for girls to be rapping." "I would really like my stage name to be just Eve," she says noting that many people refer to her by the moniker she carried while laying her hip-hop foundation.
"Certain people still call me Eve of Destruction. I don't mind it 'cause I'm still her -- I'm still destroying emcees."
DA BRAT
Chicago-bred Da Brat took the hip hop world by storm in 1994 with her debut album Funkdafied. In the man's world of rap, Da Brat became a true record-breaker: the first female solo rapper to strike platinum and the biggest selling female solo rapper to date.
Brat was introduced to the national scene in 1992 when she won a local MC contest sponsored by Yo MTV Raps. First prize was an introduction to Kriss Kross, who were then at the top of the rap charts. Kriss Kross subsequently hooked her up with their producer Jermaine Dupri who went on to produce her work, styling her as a female counterpart to Snoop Doggy Dogg equally as buzz obsessed and as foul mouthed.
Funkdafied blew up. The album entered the Billboard Rap Album Chart at No. 1 and sold more than 62,000 copies its first week in stores. Funkdafied, the single, went platinum, making Da Brat the first female solo rap artist ever to deliver a million-selling single off a debut album. The single also broke another record by holding down the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot Rap singles chart for 11 weeks.
Da Brat followed that up with Anuthatantrum in 1997. While working on her album, Brat also found time to venture into the world of film. She made her acting debut in 1997 in Full Court Press, as Kameesha, the loyal girlfriend of a basketball player. Next up was Unrestricted, which was released in 2000. And then her latest album, Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz, was released in 2003.
Albums:
Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz 2003
Unrestricted 2000
Anuthatantrum 1996
Funkdafied - 1994
FOXY BROWN
Foxy Brown, who shares her name with a blaxploitation film, raps with an attitude that is sexy and street-smart beyond her years. The Brooklyn native's free styling skills brought her into the spotlight even before she released any of her own material; she appears on a number of R&B and rap hits, including Toni Braxton's You're Makin' Me High and Cases Touch Me, Tease Me. Her best known contribution is most likely the LL Cool J re-mix I Shot Ya. Brown's tough but seductive persona gained her a following that led to a major label bidding war, with Def Jam winning the honors in March of '96. Brown's debut album Ill Na Na was released the following November. Overseeing production were the Trackmasters, also known for their work with LL Cool J, Mobb Deep, Suga Bear and China. Foxy Brown was hailed as one of the best new female emcees, and Ill Na Na hit No. 7 its first week on the Billboard charts. Brown duets with rapper Blackstreet on Get Me Home, Ill Na Na's first single; the album also features rap artists Method Man and Kid Capri. Although Brown's name dropping belies her love for high fashion and exotic locales, Ill Na Na shows Brown to be a mature artist with strength and femininity. Foxy Brown's presence can also be felt in the Firm, a group of artists including rappers Nas, AZ and Cormega, that Brown considers to be like family. The group recorded one album, The Album, that was produced by Dr. Dre and released on Interscope in 1997.
Brown's second solo album Chyna Doll, came out in late 1998 and made it to the ..1 spot on the Billboard album charts in January of the following year. Broken Silence, her latest, came out in 2001.
Albums:
Broken Silence 2001
Chyna Doll 1998
The Firm 1997
Ill Na Na - 1996
FROM BENEATH THE SURFACE
MEDUSA
Both a powerful singer and a champion battle-rhymer, Medusa possesses one of the most powerful voices to ever come from a female hip-hop performer. Her name itself suggests strong-arm tactics, but Medusa's relentless flows and refined talent definitely back up such intimidation. Occasionally found performing with her 12-member band, Feline Science, Medusa always knows how to bring her crowds' spirits to maximum levels, and in doing so, she's earned LA Weekly's "Artist of the Year" honors in 2001 and 2002. Another accomplishment of hers is receiving a GRAMMY with the band Ozomatli for her collaborative contributions on their 2001 sophomore album, Embrace the Chaos, a triumph not too many underground acts can claim. She has also had onscreen presence in HBO's film Stranger Inside, where she played a spoken word artist locked up in a female prison system, as well as starred in a film festival favorite about women in hip-hop called Nobody Knows My Name. And if that wasn't enough, Medusa was one of the key producers in scoring the movie Gridlock'd, which starred the late Tupac Shakur. As you can tell by her impressive resume, the soulful Medusa breathes, eats, and sleeps music 24 hours a day. I had the rare opportunity of catching a performance of hers with Blackalicious in Audiotistic 2003, and I must say, if you ever see her name printed on a flyer--no matter how big or small--I suggest you make plans to attend the show.
JEAN GRAE
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Jean Grae is without question the hottest female on the M.I.C. right now. Her incomparable poise and articulate lyrics are far superior to most mainstream female artists--as well as numerous male artists-- and the respect she receives in the underground/indie scene is prominently deserved. After parting ways with underground act Natural Resource in the late '90s, and after countless singles and collaborations crossed her path, Jean Grae (initially known as What? What?) released her solo debut, Attack of the Attacking Things, in '02. The album immediately caught the attention of the music media, and it was highly acclaimed by the indie hip-hop community. A year later, she signed with Chuck Wilson's Babygrande label and quickly followed her previous effort with the Bootleg of the Bootleg EP, where Ms. Marvel displayed her destructively raw lyrical flavor and set up anticipation for one of 2004's best hip-hop releases, This Week. She was also featured in one of the better tracks in Talib Kweli's The Beautiful Struggle LP, called "Black Girl Pain." There is no classifying Jean Grae's music and abilities. Both are just sheer hip-hop in all aspects. I seriously doubt there will be another female that can match her skill and grace on the microphone or with the pen and pad.
LADY OF RAGE
Formerly with the LA Posse, N.Y, the native of Farmville, Virginia, The Lady Of Rage, featured on the debut Buckshot Lefonque album before being discovered by Death Row and Dr Dre. She has made several appearances on a number of Death Row releases including Snoop Doggy Doggs Tha Doggfather. Her 1994 single for Death Row "Afro Puffs" (featured on the Above The Rim soundtrack) was placed on both the R&B and pop charts and had Dre in production and backing vocals performed by Snoop. She has since made the album Necessary Roughness which hit the top 40 upon initial release in 1997.
BAHAMADIA
A native of Philadelphia, Bahamadia grew up DJ'ing house parties in the mid-80s before stepping out in front of the turntables and grabbing the mic. In the early '90s she recorded several local hits, including "Funk Vibe", which caught the ear of Gang Starr's Guru. With the support of Guru and DJ Premier she released "Total Wreck" in 1994 and won critical praise for her jazz-inspired flavour and underground notice. Her debut album Kollage released in 1996, spawned the hit singles Uknowhowwedo and I Confess. The mum of two now hosts her own radio show in Philly called B-Sides and is down with the Army of the Pharoahs.
Albums:
BB Queen 2000
Kollage 1996
Uknowhowwedo 1996
Total Wreck - 1994
BOSS
Born Lichelle Laws, Boss is a female gangster rapper who, along with her partner Dee, became the first female rap act to be signed to Russell Simmons's Def Jam West label. Originally the two hail from Detroit, but after a brief stint in New York, the pair headed west to LA where they lived in near poverty for three years before gaining the attention of DJ Quick and receiving a record deal, eventually releasing Born Gangstaz in 1993. A self-avowed "Born Gangsta" pushing hardcore rap feminism into new territories, Boss announced her intentions with the inviting debut single, "I Don't Give A F*uck", a phrase regularly repeated on her debut album. The overriding factor was to encourage women to take control of their own lives, rather than expecting the benevolence of a male figure to help them out. In turn she has set up her own production company, Boss Productions, to help other aspiring hip hop stars in Detroit. She also completed soundtrack work, recording "Run, Catch, And Kill" for the Mi Vida Loca movie.
Albums:
Born Gangstaz 1993
HEATHER B
Best known as a member of the original MTV Real World cast, rapper Heather B began as a part-time performer with KRS One's Boogie Down Productions when she added vocals to the group's Sex & Violence album. After appearing on the Real World, Heather B recorded a single for Elektra Records, I Get Wrecked, and pressed her own copies of another single, All Glocks Down, eventually released by Pendulum Records.
LADY LUCK
Lady Luck's life is the perfect metaphor for hip-hop. Having signed a record deal at a young age, getting side tracked and finding her path once again, she has experienced both the successes and struggles of life and emerged victorious. From fierce battles that boast her prowess to thoughtfully conveying her deepest sentiments, she is already finding renewed success in the rap game, expressing an honest glimpse into the experience of being a young woman in present day. Using her music as a vehicle to represent her life, she flips her flow back and forth, fast and slow, punchy and smooth, effortlessly riding the beat and creating a diverse and unique sound.
Born in 1981, Lady Luck was closely linked to the music business growing up. Her mother was instrumental in breaking the first hip-hop record "Rappers Delight" as a radio promoter with Sugar Hill Records and her stepfather was a rapper signed to the label. At 5 years old, she expressed an interest in rapping; her mother wrote a rhyme, which she memorized and performed for anyone who would stay long enough to watch. From that moment on, Lady Luck knew her calling.
Her family landed in Teaneck, NJ when she was 16 years old. She found a second home at the barbershop in her neighborhood, where she met and had the opportunity to perform for some of the most well-known rappers of the time, including Fat Joe, Lil' Cease and Lil' Kim. She had already recorded a demo and with their encouragement, her manager began shopping it to the major labels. However, no one seemed interested.
One day, while listening to Hot97, she decided to call in to their freestyle battle segment 'Check the Rhyme.' She won five consecutive rounds was invited to the station to perform live on-air. The response to her performance was overwhelming- fielding interest from Universal, Rocafella, Def Jam and Bad Boy, a bidding war seemed imminent. However, Def Jam cut off the other labels when they released a statement announcing her signing to the label, prior to her agreement. In turn, they showered her with gifts and offered a lucrative deal, convincing her to contract with them.
Originally, Def Jam tried to link Lady Luck with Eric Sermon's Def Squad, seeing that the crew was also from New Jersey, but their styles didn't mesh. She met her manager, Ellis, who also managed Redman, and signed with him, but due to obligations to his more established clients, she was not his priority. Having never been assigned an A&R at the label, Lady Luck was left to mold her raw talent on her own- image, marketing efforts and sound. Already struggling to make sense of the whirlwind her life had become, she was overwhelmed- one week rapping with her high school buddies in the cafeteria, the next in the studio with Jay Z.
Although Def Jam had put her own album on the backburner, Lady Luck recorded songs with Method Man, Redman, Missy Elliot, Lil' Mo and Coffee Brown, as well as guest appearances on a Pharaoh Monch remix, the Professional 2 soundtrack and two Funk master Flex mix tape albums. Def Jam, at a loss of how to reconcile her harder sound with the softer image of a woman, toned down her femininity, dressing her in baseball caps, baggy shirts and jerseys; Lady Luck had something sexier in mind. After three years of being pushed aside and feeling misunderstood by the label, she asked the company's president to release her from her contract.
Only 20 years old, Lady Luck decided to take a break from rapping and got her hands dirty in the streets. After all the years of making hard gangsta' rap, she finally began to believe that the stories were true. However, she never strayed to far from the music business and continued to write for a small production company. Around the same time, she met her future business partner, Mike Oils, and while he tried to keep her focused on harnessing her talent, she acquiesced to the streets. When the owners of the production company stiffed her on her payments, she handled matters a little more aggressively, taking some friends and showing up at their office. In turn, she got slapped with a slew of felony charges and was facing a possible 10 years in jail.
By an act of God, she did only three months on a three year plea bargain. She used the time in jail to get back on track and focused - the day she was released, she recorded her first mix tape. With her partner's help, the two sold 5,000 copies on the streets. In the next two years, she released an additional three, selling over 20,000 units on the streets, in clubs and small record stores.
However, her real re-introduction to the industry came in the form of Fight Klub, a series of exclusive, underground MC battles. Lady Luck battled Remy Martin twice, but despite a close count, was deemed to have lost. However, the disagreement surrounding the close count and her lyrical prowess were enough to create a new buzz on the streets. In turn, she released a new mix tape- "Lady Luck vs. Remy Martin: let the streets decide" and leveraged the on-going arguments to increase her growing fan base.
With her new company, Major Hustle, she is developing a suite of up and coming recording artists and producers and giving them the support and development that she didn't have available in her younger years. In addition, Lady Luck herself is strongly positioned for a return- having honed her skills and found her voice; she is the talk of the streets. Standing on the edge of a media blitz, between the massive circulation of her mix tapes and white label vinyl, the impending release of The Fight Klub DVD (prominently featuring her battle with Remy Martin), the launch of her websites and an unofficial club tour across the country, Lady Luck is optimistic about the future. "I love my life," she explains. "Every female rapper is a star, but Lady Luck is the sun- they won't shine in my presence."
REMY MA
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Though heads first noticed Remy on stand out cameos like M.O.P.'s "Ante UP" remix, her recent mixtape appearances and guest spots now have the streets debating whether other female emcees can hold a candle to the Bronx native. According to Remy, competition is none.
"I was always confident and I always felt I was that b-i-t-c-h. You know I kinda had to wait my time. But I'm pretty confident. Basically, ain't nobody messin with me," Remy told SOHH.com from Universal's Manhattan office. "For one, I'm very independent. I write. I pick my own beats. I even help the guys that's on my team. They value my opinion. A lot of females don't have that being that they don't come up with their own material."
As much as she is celebrated, certain rap fans question her credibility saying the loud bark displayed in her gangsta lyrics is louder than her bite.
"At the end of the day, I'm a girl. It's not like I roll up and shoot up everybody in the club or nothing. For the most part, I think people can tell what is fiction," Ma explained. "But for those asking, you can go to my hood. You can ask around. I never took a L."
Remy is arguably one of the most anticipated artists this year, yet her career didn't seem to be headed in that direction a few years back. And though the struggle got hard at times, Ma says she wouldn't change a thing.
"Mostly, it has to do with timing. It's open for me right now. It's not that it wasn't before, but everybody can't shine at the same time. I had to pay dues," Remy shared. "Some people get lucky and are able to get it poppin quick. Looking back, I'm glad I went through it. I feel like it's my payback."
After being introduced as Remy Martin, the Bronx Rapper now goes by Remy Ma. Here, she shares her reason for the name change.
"No one said anything yet," Remy said in regards to the Remy Martin liquor company. "I was always Remy Ma. People would always say 'what up Ma or what up Rem.' I just did it not to confuse things and to make sure that I don't sell a million records and then the [Remy Martin Company] ask for a check. It was like...let's just nip it."
Though Remy has increasingly flooded mixtapes, "Lean Back" has arguably been the catalyst to her present buzz. Yet, she was initially not featured on the cut. After realizing the track was destined to be a hit, Remy took matters into her own hands.
"I always knew it was a hit," Remy revealed. "It goes back to when I wasn't even on the song. I was in Miami and I was listening to the song and Joe was the only one on it. I remember thinking, yo this shit is crazy." "So I went and deleted one of Joe's verses, trashed it so it couldn't be recovered and went in to record my verse. When they heard it, they was like 'she killed it' so they kept it."
CONSCIOUS DAUGHTERS
The Conscious Daughters, who emerged in the socially aware, Afrocentric milieu of early-'90s Bay Area hip-hop, were a female rap duo from Oakland consisting of Carla Green and Karryl Smith. Ultra-political, militant hip-hopper Paris championed the pair early on and helmed their 1993 debut, Ear to the Street, producing and writing all of the tracks and (along with engineer Eric Valentine) playing on them as well. The themes echoed the "thug-life" sentiments of much of the West Coast hip-hop at the time, employing a distinctly women's perspective (particularly on tracks such as "Princess of Poetry," "Wife of a Gangsta," and "Crazybitchmadness"). The Conscious Daughters next appeared on their mentor Paris' 1994 album, Guerilla Funk, adding raps to tracks such as "Bring It to Ya." The duo finally dropped their sophomore effort, Gamers, in 1996. The Daughters pitched in on production this time around, with help from such able hands as Studio Ton, Tone Capone, and omnipresent ally Paris. Gamers featured a host of guest artists, among them Nate Fox, Harm, Suga T, Mystic, Lil Kristen, Rose, Sandy Griffith (da Old Skool), Saafir, Father Dom, Money B, and C-Funk (many of which cropped up on the final track, "All-Star Freestyle").
SONJA BLADE
Sonja Blade's insertion into the rap game started at a young age and was developed from the mean streets of Brooklyn, NY. Sonja Blade is not a stranger to the music industry as her first big break came when she teamed up with well know producer Dj Clark Kent, who also had his imprint on another well known and successful Brooklyn rapper, Jay Z. Sonja, under the guidance of Clark Kent, began to make a serious buzz and made people take notice that she was going to be a significant force in this music game. On her way to achieving her ultimate goal, Sonja started to unleash her verbal attack on the music industry by first setting her sights on the mixtape market and what an attack it was. She made such an impact Sonja Blade was named "Mixtape Queen" by the Source Magazine. After appearing on several mixtapes and building her underground buzz Ms. Blade and Clark Kent went to work on getting Sonja a recording deal. With long hours and hard work Sonja's project was finally ready for the labels to experience what everybody else was talking about. To no surprise it was not long for Virgin Records to see what the underground market already saw. Signed to Virgin Records Sonja began to put together a serious album that would make the world take notice that she was not only a pretty face, but also a serious force to be reckoned with. Sonja employed the production skills of Dj Premier, Just Blaze, Chucky Thompson, Rockwilder, the Neptunes, Dj Scratch and Featured artists such as Busta Rhymes, Nate Dogg and Carl Thomas. The first single, 'Look 4 Tha Name' produced by Dj Premier was a smash hit. It introduced Ms. Blade to the entire world and Dj's such as Kay Slay, Dj Absolut, Kid Capri and many others took notice of the single and started to give it serious airplay. While continuing to put the final touches on her debut album, Sonja began to lend her pen to other projects. She worked in conjunction with Shaquille O'neal doing a freestyle for Funk Master Flex's 60 minutes cd and assisting Shaquille with some of the writing on his own album project. Ms. Blade didn't stop there she found herself alongside the heavyweights on the first Violators album where she held her own with Prodigy, Maysonne and others in the Violators Camp. Sonja kept coming back with more features such as Kay Slay's first album where Sonja and other female rappers, Vita, Angie Martinez, Amil, Dutchess, Remy Martin all teamed up on the record '7 Deadly Sins' to showcase their skills for the world to see. Next Sonja Found herself along side Rah Digga on her Debut Album 'Diry Harriet' for the song 'Do Tha Ladies Run This' which also featured Eve. Ms. Blade also took her music to the movies where she appeared on the 'Romeo Must Die Soundtrack' on the D Moet Produced single "Come On", that album sold 2 million Records. Next up was a song featured in the movie 'Formula 51'. After lending her talents to so many projects, Sonja was now ready to put her focus back on herself and release her debut album but before that could be done Virgin and her had a few issues to iron out. In the end an agreement was made with Sonja and Virgin Records allowing her to seek a recording venture elsewhere. After Virgin and Sonja finalized their agreement Sonja found herself being courted by the likes of Dj Kay Slay, Producer Jimi Kendrix of the I.N.C fame to join their teams and many others, but after her last situation, Sonja decided to take her time and carefully look at each situation before signing. Now, after countless meetings and interest, Ms. Blade now as a new team that's ready to grind as hard as she is and together their ready to give the game what it's been missing 'That Chick" and her timing couldn't be any better. The game better be ready because she is!
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