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Bahamadia (Antonia Reed) is a Philadelphia-born hip hop artist born in 1970, and a DJ who later became an MC. As a member of Gang Starr Foundation, she released her critically-acclaimed debut album entitled Kollage in 1996. The album featured production by Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr. Kollage was followed in 2001 by BB Queen, an EP release.
Bahamadia is a respected lyricist in hip hop and is known for her silky, subdued monotone delivery. She has expressed a positive attitude toward globalism as an emerging trend in hip hop. For example, in a 2003 collaboration with little-known group the Sisters of the Underground on a track entitled “Global”, she performs lyrics in the chorus which acknowledge Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Thailand, among other countries, for fostering vibrant hip hop communities, and Japan in particular for the dedication of her Japanese fans. She has recorded a number of bootlegs exclusively released in Japan. Her reputation in North America has been enhanced by a number of highly regarded guest appearances on tracks by artists including Talib Kweli, The Roots, Jedi Mind Tricks and Planet Asia, and through her association with the Philadelphia hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs.
Nonchalant- (bornTanya Pointer) was female MC, and songwriter from Washington, D.C., signed to MCA Records. Nonchalant is best known for her hit single “5 O’clock”, which peaked at #24 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA, for sales of over 500,000 copies. It peaked at #44 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1996. Her debut album, Until the Day was released on March 26, 1996, and while it received positive reviews, it failed to match the success of its lead single, reaching #94 on the US Billboard 200. After her album ran its course, Nonchalant appeared on the song “Keep on Pushin’” from the Dangerous Minds soundtrack alongside fellow female rappers MC LyteYo-Yo and Bahamadia. She released a single entitled “Take It There” in 1998, but after it failed to catch on, she was dropped from MCA. Her last appearance was on the Half Baked soundtrack on the song entitled “Flyin’”.
Robin Yvette Allen aka The Lady of Rage, is an American rapper and actress best known for collaborations with several Death Row records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on the seminal albums The Chronic and Doggystyle. She is considered "one of the most skillful female MCs" with a "mastery of flow" and "hard core lyrics".
In the summer of 1988, the Lady of Rage met Shahkim of the Original Outlaw Brothers, an upstart rap group from East Elmhurst/Corona Queens New York. From the moment Shahkim heard her rap he was convinced she was the best female rapper around and after convincing her he could get her a record deal, he brought her to his group. The members of the Outlaw Brothers made Rage a member of the group and they eventually were signed to a production deal with the L.A. Posse ( who went on to produce several big hits for LL Cool J). At the time, the LA Posses had several artist in the camp- MC Breeze, The Real Roxanne, and they also had several relationships with different labels. Rage, along with all the artists in the camp worked diligently out of Chung King Studios in lower Manhattan recording , writing and more recording. In 1991, Lady of Rage met with Chubb Rock, providing vocals for his track, "Bring Em Home Safe" on his The One album, which she recorded under the name of 'Rockin’ Robin'. Dr. Dre then discovered her after the L.A.Posse were letting him listen to some of the tracks on their album and the vocals she recorded for the LA Posse's They Come in All Colors in 1991. She appeared on several tracks from Dr. Dre's 1992 classic The Chronic album, and on Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle in 1993. In 1994, she had a hit single with "Afro Puffs" (from the soundtrack to Above The Rim) which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. Her debut solo album, Necessary Roughness, was released in June 1997 and peaked at #7 on the Billboard R&B Album chart and 32 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Her solo album was originally called Eargasm and was continually pushed back - it was meant to have been the next album on Death Row Records after The Chronic, and then after Doggystyle, before finally being released in 1997.
After the release of her album and a guest-appearance with Gang Starr alongside Kurupt ("You Know My Steez (Three Men and a Lady Remix)") in 1998, Rage left Death Row Records and the music industry generally to focus on acting, appearing in an episode of Kenan & Kel. The Lady of Rage also went on to be featured in several television sitcoms, most notably as Coretta Cox in the very well received The Steve Harvey Show on The WB from 1996 to 2002 - she also had a small part in Next Friday as Baby D, little big sister of Day Day's ex girlfriend. In 2000, she made another rapping appearance on Snoop Dogg's "Set It Off" on his album Tha Last Meal, a solo track "Unfucwitable" on Snoop Dogg Presents...Doggy Style Allstars Vol. 1 and "Batman & Robin", which appeared on Snoop Dogg's Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss album. In 2007 she signed to Shante Broadus' label, Boss Lady Entertainment, and recorded a mixtape called From VA 2 LA. She also made appearances on Bigg Snoop Dogg Presents…Welcome to tha Chuuch: Da Album and Cali Iz Active. She was part of the FEM (Females Earning Money) Movement along with fellow female rappers Babs, Lady Luck, and Amil. In 2008, she performed with MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, and Salt-N-Pepa at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. In the summer of 2010 she joined Snoop during his headlining set at the Rock The Bells festival concert series, along with Warren G, RBX and Tha Dogg Pound for a performance of the classic Doggystyle album in its entirety.
Lady of Rage describes much of her rapping technique in the book How to Rap - she notes the importance of having a strong vocabulary, writing poetry, having different styles of flow, using 'rests', researching lyrics, taking your time to write lyrics, working with producers, doing guide vocals, and her compound rhymes in the track 'Unfucwitable' are broken down.
Heather B. Gardner kept it HARDCORE from jump! From Jersey City, New Jersey, she is billed in all projects as Heather B., and is most well known for being a cast member on The Real World: New York, the first season of MTV's reality show The Real World. One of two African American roommates, Heather was portrayed as a friendly, intelligent young woman with aspirations to become a rap superstar. She forged an unlikely friendship with naïve Alabama girl Julie; a memorable early clip from the season has Julie asking Heather if she wears a beeper because she is a drug dealer. Y'all remember that?
Heather was affiliated with the rap group Boogie Down Productions, and was signed to Pendulum Records in 1995. In 1996 she released her first album, Takin' Mine. The single "All Glocks Down", an anti-gun violence anthem, received moderate radio play, as did the follow-up single "If Headz Only Knew."
In 1997, Heather signed with MCA Records, and in 1998 she released a two track single called "Do You".
Outside her music career, Heather has appeared in various projects and television specials related to The Real World. She also appeared in the film The Wedding Video directed by Real World alum Norman Korpi, and a 2005 television commercial for America Online anti-virus software.
Heather B is gearing up for her third album release entitled, "Open Bar" on GIWOM Entertainment. The album is Executive Produced by Legendary Producer and Gangstarr Member, DJ Premier. The first single is "The Game Don't Stop" produced by BDP Productions member, Kenny Parker. Additional production on the summer 2010 release is coming from Pete Rock and Large Professor.
Nikki D was the first female rapper signed by Def Jam Recordings. She signed with Def Jam in 1989 and released her debut single "A No No No" the same year. It was produced by Sam Sever. The single's video featured Flavor Flav, titled "Letting Off Steam". Later Nikki D released the more commercially acceptable song, "Daddy's Little Girl" some two years later, which reached No. 1 on Billboards Hot Rap Singles.
Prior to releasing "Daddy's Little Girl", Nikki D was on tour in Europe for a year with fellow R&B artist Alyson Williams. Nikki D has recorded songs with Moby, Queen Latifah on the Set It Off soundtrack, with Redman for his Muddy Waters album, EPMD, Naughty By Nature, Flavor Unit and Suzanne Vega. In 1998 Nikki D became the vice president Of A&R at Flavor Unit Records, a position she held for two years. She was the marketing manager at "Phat Fashions", the apparel company that housed Phat Farm, Baby Phat, and Atman. Now she is Brand Manager for PrivacyWear, as well as running her entertainment company Strong Entertainment, with artist such as Shaun Pynne, and Problem Child.
Yo-Yo -born Yolanda Whittaker- is a Grammy-nominated female MC and Actress. Much of her music has advocated female empowerment, denouncing the frequent sexism & misogyny found in hip-hop music. She is the protege of veteran rapper Ice Cube. Yo-Yo dubbed her crew the IBWC, which stood for the Intelligent Black Woman’s Coalition. Yo-Yo first appeared as a guest on Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted album in 1990, on the track “It’s a Man’s World.” Cube returned the favor by appearing on “You Can’t Play with My Yo-Yo,” which was on Yo-Yo’s 1991 debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode.
Her follow-up in 1992, Black Pearl was well-received by critics, partly because of its focus on positive messages and uplifting themes that contrasted the popular gangsta rap style. However, despite a plethora of renowned producers such as DJ Muggs, this did not translate into a hit with mainstream hip-hop audiences, and the album’s sales were considered a disappointment.
Less than a year later, released her follow-up You Better Ask Somebody. The final track on the album was her third recorded hip-hop duet with Ice Cube, “The Bonnie and Clyde Theme”. Yo-Yo’s next album was 1996′s Total Control. In 1998, she finished her fifth album, Ebony, but it was not released. In 2008, her single “Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo” was ranked number 92 on VH1′s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs. Later that year, she performed with MC Lyte, the Lady of Rage, and Salt-n-Pepa at the BET Hip Hop Awards. As of 2009, she has been at work on an EP, titled My Journey to Fearless: The Black Butterfly. She appeared in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, 1993′s Menace II Society and other urban-oriented films; had a recurring role on the television show Martin as “Keylolo”, the sidekick of comedian Martin Lawrence‘s alter ego Sheneneh; and appeared on other TV shows, including the Fox network’s New York Undercover. She has also made many cameo appearances, including the music video for Missy Elliott‘s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)”. She has also appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as a voice actor.
"Strong, Steppin', Struttin', Movin' On/ Rhymin', Cuttin', And Not 4Getting'/ We Are The Ones To Give Birth 2 The New Generation Of Prophets/ 'Cause It's Ladies First."- Monie Love.
Simone Wilson – aka Monie Love, is an English MC and former radio personality in the United States. She is a well-respected figure in British hip hop, and made an impact with American hip hop audiences as a protégé of female American MC Queen Latifah, as well as through her membership in the late 1980s/early 1990s Native Tongues. Also, Monie was one of the first BritHop artists to be signed and distributed worldwide by a major record label. Monie began her hip hop/BritHop career as an emcee in the British Jus Bad crew, which featured DJ Pogo, Sparki, and MC Mell’O‘. The group released the single “Free Style/Proud” on the independent Tuff Groove record label in 1988. Mo first gained critical and commercial notice in the United States in 1989 for her cameos in Queen Latifah‘s Grammy Award-winning and pro-woman single “Ladies First,” in the Jungle Brothers‘ well-received single “Doin’ Our Own Dang,” and in De La Soul’s hit single “Buddy.” The acclaim led her to a recording contract with Warner Brother’s Records, making Love one of the few British hip-hop efforts released by a major label. She also has a place in Hip-Hop history as a member of the Native Tongues, a positive-minded hip-hop collective that included Queen Latifah, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers, and a number of other acts. Her versatility was demonstrated with her involvement in the emerging popularity of House music, with her own single Grandpa’s Party as well as providing rap for the The Dancin’ David D Remix of Adeva’s house hit Respect.
Monie’s debut album, Down To Earth, spawned two, Grammy-nominated hits, “Monie in the Middle” high school-set track dealing with a woman’s right to determine what she wants out of a relationship and “It’s a Shame (My Sister)” The Spinners’ “It’s a Shame” written for the band by Stevie Wonder and featured house-music vocalist and then-labelmate Ultra Naté. The album reached #26 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Mo was featured on her brother Dave Angel‘s remix of Whitney Houston’s R&B hit “My Name Is Not Susan” in 1991, and appeared in the music video alongside Houston. Love’s 1992 single, “Full-Term Love,” from the Class Act movie soundtrack, reached #7 on the Hot Hip-Hop Singles chart. Monie collaborated with Marley Marl on her second album, In a Word or 2 (1993), which featured the Prince-produced single “Born To B.R.E.E.D.” (which reached #1 on the Hot Dance Music chart and #7 on the Hot Rap Singles chart), as well as a re-release of “Full-Term Love.” The same year, Prince asked her to write lyrics for a few songs on a side-project, Carmen Electra‘s eponymous album, Carmen Electra. Mo’s last musical release was the EP “Slice of Da Pie” in 2000. From 2004 until the week of December 11, 2006, Monie was the morning drive host on Philadelphia’s WPHI-FM 100.3. The 22 of December 2006 edition of the Philadelphia Daily News confirmed that Mo left WPHI-FM on amicable terms after contract negotiations stalled. Monie’s departure from WPHI followed soon after her December 2006 interview with Young Jeezy, where the two argued over whether hip hop is dead. Monie is also an Official MySpace.com DJ, according to her MySpace page. She currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is the single mother to four children. Currently, she has a radio show on called Ladies First Radio with Monie Love. It airs Thursdays 6PM ET and Sundays 8PM ET.
"I Passed By A Girl's Wake, They Say She Died At 7/ Hit By A Stray But I Pray That There's A 'Hood In Heaven."- Queen Latifah.
Queen Latifah: musician; television and film actress; a label president; an author and entrepreneur. Blessed with style and substance, Queen Latifah has blossomed into a one-woman entertainment conglomerate. Heralded by the press and the industry as a force to be reckoned with, Latifah has quite simply done it all and shows no sign of slowing down. Queen kicked off her career as an MC at the tender age of 17 years old. Her first single was "Wrath Of My Madness", which was released in 1987. She followed up with the debut album All Hail TheQueen, and that was all she wrote. From that project came hit singles "Dance For Me", "Come Into my House", and the classic "Ladies First", a collabo with Monie Love, which resonates till this day.
Her sophomore effort- Nature Of A Sista- would include "Fly Girl", "Latifah's Had It Up To Here", & "How Do I Love Thee?"
1994 she'd return with her third project- Black Reign- which would include the hits "Black Hand Side", "U.N.I.T.Y", "Just Another Day", & "Weekend Love." And the list goes on.
In That same year she'd also star in her own sitcom Living Single, alongside Kim Fields, Erika Alexander, & Kim Coles. That show ran for six seasons. And in 1999, Queen kicked off "The Queen Latifah Show", making her the first person in Hip-Hop (Male/Female) to have their own daytime talk show.
Latifah has had amazing success in Hollywood in recent years, and became the first hip hop artist to be crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 4, 2006. She received rave reviews, an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe nomination and a SAG Award nomination for her portrayal as Mama Morton in Miramax’s Chicago. Following Chicago, Latifah starred in Disney’s box office hit Bringing Down the House, on which she also acted as executive producer. Her latest TV Movie, Life Support, in which she was both the star and executive producer, is a true-life drama, in which she plays a mother who overcomes an addiction to crack and becomes a positive role model and an AIDS activist in the black community. This aired on HBO on March 10th and Latifah received rave reviews as well as an Emmy nomination, a Golden Globe win and a SAG Award win. In July she starred in Neil Meron and Craig Zadan’s Hairspray playing Motormouth Maybelle and was recently seen in the film Mad Money starring alongside Diane Keaton and Katie Holmes. In her latest film, Fox Searchlight’s The Secret Life of Bees, Latifah stars alongside Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Dakota Fannning. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Secret Life of Bees won the Hollywood Film Award at the Hollywood Film Festival. Latifah was seen in Wayne Wang’s The Last Holiday, and starred in MGM’s Beauty Shop (a spin-off of the hit Barbershop), which she also produced. She also appeared in Marc Forster’s Stranger Than Fiction, playing opposite Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman and was the voice of the Wooly Mammoth in Ice Age 2. To most people releasing multiple movies would be enough, but Queen Latifah wasn’t satisfied. On September 25th, 2007 Latifah released her new album titled Trav’lin Light in which she was nominated for a Grammy. Co-produced by three time Grammy winner, Tommy LiPuma, this album is the long awaited follow up to Latifah’s highly received and Grammy nominated The Dana Owens Album. The platinum-selling album was a collection of timeless classics chosen and covered by the Queen herself. As Latifah demonstrated both in Living Out Loud (1998) and her Oscar-nominated performance in Chicago (2002), her vocal talent is as impressive as her acting. Queen Latifah is also one of music’s most well respected rappers. From her ground breaking 1989 debut All Hail the Queen, which set the visual and contextual standard for female rappers, to her bold foray into R&B, Latifah continues to define what a woman in the music industry should be. She has earned four Grammy nominations as well as a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rap Performance in 1994. Latifah toured the U.S. as part of The Sugar Water Festival with fellow soul sisters, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. And then there’s Flavor Unit Entertainment, a production company owned and operated by Queen Latifah and her partner, Shakim Compere. The company, based in New Jersey, is quickly establishing itself as one of the most important production companies in the film industry. They began by executive producing the box office hit Bringing Down the House and then continued with Beauty Shop for MGM. They are also co-producing the action-comedy Bad Girls at Paramount with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Overbrook. They have also produced The Cookout with Lion’s Gate. Latifah is also not a stranger to the small screen. Her first television series, Living Single, was a huge success and is currently in syndication. From the small screen, Latifah made a leap to film and her acting skills have earned her the status of leading lady. Since her screen debut in Spike Lee’s 1991 film Jungle Fever, her film career has taken off. She starred in Set it Off, which earned her a nomination for a Spirit Award in the Best Actress category and co-starred with Holly Hunter and Danny DeVito in the critically acclaimed Living Out Loud. In 1999, she was seen in Universal’s The Bone Collector directed by Philip Noyce starring Denzel Washington. In addition to music, film and television, Queen Latifah has also written a book on self-esteem entitled Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman. Queen Latifah is diligent in her pursuit of excellence, as is evident by the awards she has received for her work in film and music. Her sincere concern for others is revealed by the generous amount of time and money that she donates to worthwhile charitable organizations. Every year, Queen Latifah serves as co-chairman for the Lancelot H. Owens Scholarship Foundation, Inc. Established by her mother, Rita Owens, to perpetuate the memory of a loving son and brother, the foundations provides scholarships to students who excel scholastically, but are limited in financial resources.
Currently, Queen is in ATL working on a new film project titled Joyful Noise.
Queen Latifah ... The GREATEST Female Rapper Of ALL Time!
Born Lana Moorer , MC Lyte IS the GREATEST Female MC to have ever picked up a mic. Straight from the planet Brooklyn, Lyte began rhymin' at the age of 12, following in the footsteps of her big brothers Milk & Gizmo. They were known as Audio Two, who had huge street success with the banger "Top Billin'." But nothing would prepare us for what Lyte was about to bring. She recorded her first song "I Cram 2 Understand U" in 1986, which was about her man cheating on her with CRACK! Epic. Because after that joint we all became addicted to the drug that was Lyte. Her voice alone had a distinct tone, w/a boyish edge. Her rhymes were hard hitting, simple yet direct. We were in love.
Her first album, Lyte as a Rock, was released in September 1988 and was noted for the hit "Paper Thin" and the battle rap, "10% Dis", which was a response to then- Hurby Azor associate Antoinette. Both rappers released battle records against each other.
Lyte followed her debut with 1989's Eyes on This, which spawned the hits "Cha Cha Cha" and "Cappucino". Both albums were notable for Lyte's uncensored lyrical matter.
Lyte sweetened up a little on 1991's Act Like You Know, noted for its new jack swing sound and the hit single, "Poor Georgie".
Lyte's fourth album, 1993's Ain't No Other, became her first to reach gold status and was notable for her first top 40 pop hit, "Ruffneck". Lyte became a featured artist on hits by Janet Jackson and Brandy in 1994.
Two years afterwards, Lyte's fifth album, Bad As I Wanna B , featured production from Jermaine Dupri and Sean Combs and featured the hits "Keep On Keepin' On" and "Cold Rock a Party", which featured then up-and-coming rapper, songwriter and producer Missy Elliott. This album was her first with East West Records and became successful after the aforementioned singles became big hits with "Keep On Keepin' On" peaking at the top ten and "Cold Rock a Party" peaking at number-eleven. It was her second gold album.
Her 1998 follow-up, Seven & Seven, however, wasn't as successful and she left East West by the end of the decade. Lyte released her latest studio release, the independently produced Da Undaground Heat, Vol. 1, in 2003, notable for the song, "Ride With Me".
Lyte has been featured on television as herself on such shows as MTV Unplugged, In Living Color, Moesha, New York Undercover, My Wife and Kids,and Sisters in the Name of Rap. She has also acted on TV as a character (not as "MC Lyte") in such shows as In the House, Get Real, Half & Half, For Your Love and The District.
Her first acting role in a film was in the 1993 movie titled Fly by Night, starring alongside Jeffrey Sams, Ron Brice, and Steve Gomer. Since then she has also starred other films, such as A Luv Tale (1999), Train Ride (2000), Civil Brand (2002) and Playa's Ball (2003).
In 2007 Lyte joined the cast of MTV's Celebrity Rap Superstar and coached Shar Jackson to a hip hop mc victory in a mere 8 weeks. During that same time Lyte hit the road in between shooting and joined The Roots for a nationwide VH1 House of Blues Tour.
In 1996 Lyte began what is now a very successful voice over career. She has completed campaigns with several corporate brands. Lyte is currently voicing a BET show called The BOOT and has just signed on to become a voice for the branding of the STARZ network.
She has also recently opened Shaitel, a Los Angeles boutique that specializes in accessories from belts to sunglasses. "We sell a mixture of new and vintage [items]," explains Lyte. "We also have a few signature pieces that are done just for the store. We boast to bring a little New York flavor out here to California."
In February 2006, her diary, as well as a turntable, records, and other assorted ephemera from the early days of hip hop, were donated to the Smithsonian Institution. This collection, entitled "Hip-Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life" is a program to assemble objects of historical relevance to the hip hop genre from its inception.
In October 2006, MC Lyte was one of the honored hip hop artists on VH1's annual award show Hip Hop Honors. She was joined by fellow female MC's Da Brat, Remy Ma, and Lil' Kim as they performed some of her tracks, "Cha Cha Cha," "Lyte as a Rock," "Paper-Thin," and "Ruffneck." She previously took part in the MTV reality series Celebrity Rap Superstar as the mentor of Moesha actress Shar Jackson. She is also an honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.
In 2005, she released two songs produced by Richard "Wolfie" Wolf called "Can I Get It Now" & "Don't Walk Away" (with Meechie), both available at the iTunes store. In 2007, she released a song called "Mad at Me" available at the iTunes store. In 2008, she released two songs called "Juke Joint" (on both UK & US) & "Get Lyte" (exclusive to US) available at the iTunes store. In 2009, she released a song at the iTunes store called "Brooklyn."
In addition to all of that, Lyte finds time to commit herself to being a positive role model. She is a member & one of the National Board Of Directors of WEEN (Women In Entertainment Empowerment Network)- a coalition of diverse women & men who are committed to supporting, promoting & defending the balanced, positive portrayal of women in entertainment & society.
Hailing from Queens, NY, Antoinettewas a female MC who released two albums, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. She made her first appearance on producer Hurby Azor's 1987 compilation album, Hurby's Machine, with her song "I Got An Attitude". She has been mentioned in the Vibe Hip-Hop Divas publication.
As time went on Antoinette was known for engaging in rap beef w/ MC Lyte, another Female MC from Brooklyn. After that Antoinette was never heard of again. Some say because of the "beef", others blame it on the negligence of Hurby, who was also responsible for guiding the careers of Salt-N-Pepa, Kid-N-Play, & Sweet Tee.
