Sha-Rock facts for kids

Sharon Green, born in 1962, is known as MC Sha-Rock. Many people call her the "first female rapper" or "emcee." She was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. But she grew up in the South Bronx, New York City, right when hip hop culture and rap music were just starting. In the hip hop world, she's often called the "Mother of the Mic."

She was part of a group called the Funky 4 + 1. This group was one of the first hip hop crews to appear on national television. Her unique style of rapping inspired famous rappers like MC Lyte and DMC from Run-DMC.

MC Sha-Rock's Career

MC Sha-Rock is known as the first female emcee-rapper to release music "on wax," meaning on vinyl records. She started as a local b-girl, or breakdancer, in the early days of the South Bronx hip hop scene. This was in the late 1970s.

Her group, the Funky 4 + 1 (Sha-Rock was the "plus one"), had their first hit song. It was a 12-inch record called "Rapping and Rocking the House." This song came out in 1979 on Sugarhill Records. They followed it with another hit, "That's the Joint," in 1980. MC Sha-Rock was a pioneer connected to the Universal Zulu Nation. She helped create a rapping style called the "echo chamber," which was later made famous by Run DMC.

In 2010, Sharon Green wrote a book about her journey. It was titled The Story of the Beginning and End of the First Hip Hop Female MC: Luminary Icon Sha-Rock. The book shares her experiences and the challenges she faced becoming an emcee. It also tells about her time as a member of The Funky 4 + 1.

On August 4, 2009, Sha-Rock received an award. It was for "Women in Hip Hop All Female Rapathon and All Pioneer Luminary MC Award." The Hip Hop cultural center of Harlem gave her this award. At the ceremony, Sha-Rock shared an important message. She said that everyone should "embrace the culture." She wanted people to understand that Hip Hop is not just about rap and making money. Instead, she said, "it's about peace, unity and having fun. Listening to music, enjoying one another and being safe."

Her Impact on Hip Hop

Sharon Green Jackson, also known as MC Sha-Rock, was a member of the first important hip hop group that included a female MC. According to music expert Kembrew McLeod, they were "the first group of their kind that released records commercially." Sha-Rock became the first well-known female MC in hip hop. The Funky 4 + 1 was also the first rap group to appear on national television. Her contributions were very important in the early days of hip hop culture, from the mid-to-late 1970s. Sha-Rock was a founding member of the Funky 4 MC's, which later became the Funky 4 + 1.

On February 14, 1981, The Funky 4 + 1 appeared on Saturday Night Live. They were introduced as New York City "street rappers" from the Bronx. The main musical guests that night were Blondie and their lead singer Debbie Harry. The Funky 4 + 1's appearance showed how local music scenes were connected. It brought the youth music from the Bronx and Harlem to the downtown Lower East Side art and music scenes. This connection was also seen in the 1983 film Wild Style by Charlie Ahearn. In the movie, original hip hop artists played themselves.

This creative connection between young artists was helped by people like Fab Five Freddy and Ruza Blue. Ruza Blue was nicknamed "Kool Lady Blue." She helped choose acts for the Roxy NYC nightclub. This club featured early hip hop DJs and breakdancers. Blue also appeared in classic hip hop films like Stan Latham's Beat Street (1984). In recent years, many groups have honored her for her important contributions to hip hop emceeing. Sha-Rock has received many awards during her life, including an honorary award from the Council of the City of New York.