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BY Dollita Okine, 3:22pm January 30, 2025,

Roxanne Shanté: from the Queensbridge Projects to being first solo female rapper to receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

by Dollita Okine, 3:22pm January 30, 2025,
Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Flickr

Hip-hop legend Roxanne Shanté is set to become the first solo female MC to receive the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

The Recording Academy recently revealed that the rapper, who rose to popularity at the age of 14 with her hit single “Roxanne’s Revenge,” would be honored among legendary performers like Prince, Frankie Beverly, and The Clash at the 2025 Grammy Special Merit Awards Ceremony on February 1.

The 55-year-old joins the ranks of hip-hop greats such as Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5, Run-DMC, Slick Rick, N.W.A, and Salt-N-Pepa, the latter being the only other female rappers to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

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In an interview on CBS Mornings, the Queens native discussed her career beginnings and passion for rap. 

She said, “It’s literally a second language to me. It was just as easy as breathing.” 

She continued, “I felt like my life was just a musical. Every block had music, everywhere you went there was a DJ,” adding, “One thing about Queensbridge is you always heard a way out… I did get out but it’s never gonna get out of me. I’m going to be QB till the day I die.”

Shanté revealed that her early success did not translate into an income, which caused her to leave the music business. 

“I was never making money. You can’t miss what you don’t have. There was no moving out of the mansion, no cars being repossessed, there was just an adjustment to regular life.”

Shanté’s contribution to hip-hop is obvious. In 1984, she turned heads and ignited the famed “Roxanne Wars” with “Roxanne’s Revenge,” a daring retaliation to UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne.” The tune laid the groundwork for hip-hop’s diss record culture. Her reputation as one of the first female hip-hop performers was solidified by her humor, charm, and skill as a lyricist. Decades later, her initial track was certified platinum in 2022, proving her influence is eternal.

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She previously told Passion Weiss she entered her first rap battle at age 10. She recounted “My mom entered me in the local rap contest and she had to borrow $50 for me to enter.”

According to her, being a young woman in her peak didn’t come without challenges.  

“My unapologetic attitude and bold language were seen as risky, especially for a young woman in a male-dominated industry where female artists were often expected to conform or play by the rules. But eventually, labels were coming for me. I signed to my first label Cold Chillin’ Records in Philadelphia because they offered total creative freedom,” she expressed. 

Shanté, a two-time survivor of breast cancer, has garnered various awards in recent years. In addition to receiving the Cynopsis Award as one of 2024’s Top Women in Media, she has been inducted into the National Hip-Hop Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Berklee College Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. She received the Hip Hop Grandmaster Award last year, along with Grandmaster Caz and Kool Moe Dee. The award gives a financial stipend to hip-hop musicians whose final compensation did not reflect their cultural achievements, per Rock The Bells

The 67th Grammy Awards will feature performances from Doechii, Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe, and others, ensuring a momentous weekend for music fans.

READ ALSO: Rapper Sexyy Red apologizes to MLK’s daughter over ‘intentionally distasteful’ post

Last Edited by:Mildred Europa Taylor Updated: January 30, 2025

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