Roxanne Shante facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roxanne Shante
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Shante in 2016
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lolita Shante Gooden |
| Born | March 8, 1969 Queens, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active |
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Lolita Shante Gooden (born March 8, 1969), known as Roxanne Shante, is an American rapper. She became famous during the "Roxanne Wars" in hip hop. She was also a member of the well-known Juice Crew music group. Her life story was made into a movie called Roxanne Roxanne in 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Music Career
Roxanne Shante was born on March 8, 1969. In 1984, when she was just 14 years old, she met some important people in the music world. These included DJ Mr. Magic and record producer Marley Marl. They were talking about a rap group called U.T.F.O.
U.T.F.O. had a popular song called "Roxanne, Roxanne." This song was about a girl who wouldn't pay attention to them. Shante, who was part of the Juice Crew, was asked to record a song back to U.T.F.O. She pretended to be the "Roxanne" from their song.
Marley Marl produced her song, "Roxanne's Revenge." He used the same music beats from U.T.F.O.'s song. "Roxanne's Revenge" quickly became a huge hit! This made Shante one of the first very popular female rappers. After this, many other rappers made songs in response, starting what was called the "Roxanne Wars." Shante kept rapping and went on tour.
Rap Battles and More Hits
In 1985, Shante released a record with rapper Sparky D. Sparky D had made a song criticizing Shante for being too young to rap. Their record was called "Round One, Roxanne Shanté vs Sparky Dee." It included their original battle songs and new freestyle tracks.
Shante also had other popular songs like "Have a Nice Day" and "Go on Girl." In 1985, she competed against Busy Bee Starski to be named the "best freestyle rapper." She lost, but the judge, Kurtis Blow, later told her he didn't vote for her because she was a girl. Shante released a collection of her greatest hits in 1995.
Taking a Break and Returning to Music
By the time she was 25, Roxanne Shante mostly stopped recording new music. However, she still made guest appearances and performed live sometimes. She also helped guide younger female hip-hop artists. She even appeared on a TV show called Ms. Rap Supreme to share rap-battle tips. In the late 1990s, she was in some commercials for Sprite soda.
Shante started performing more often again. In 2008, her song "Roxanne's Revenge" was named number 42 on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. She re-recorded the song the next year. In 2015, she shared that she was engaged and had been married before. She also said that KRS-One was one of her favorite rappers.
Roxanne Roxanne Film
A movie about Roxanne Shante's life, called Roxanne Roxanne, was shown for the first time in 2017. It was a big success, and the main actress, Chanté Adams, won an award for her amazing performance as Shante. Famous people like Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams helped produce the film. It was written and directed by Michael Larnell.
Legacy and Impact
During her most popular years, The New York Times newspaper called Roxanne Shante the "Queen of Rap." She is seen as a true pioneer in hip hop music. The Sunday Times newspaper said she helped make "diss tracks" popular. These are songs where rappers criticize each other.
Natalie Weiner, an editor for Billboard, wrote that Shante's "blazingly male-shaming diss track" and "hip-hop's first recorded beef" helped bring hip-hop into the mainstream. Weiner called her "rap's first female star." The website Consequence said she was "a mentor for generations of female MCs." They also called her an early supporter of female empowerment in rap. In 1989, The Christian Science Monitor noted that the success of rappers like Roxanne Shante, Salt-N-Pepa, and MC Lyte opened the door for many other female hip hop artists.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Bad Sister (1989)
See also
In Spanish: Roxanne Shante para niños
