Roxanne Shanté
Roxanne Shanté
Roxanne Shanté came to prominence at the age of 14 via her related answer record to U.T.F.O.’s 1984 rap hit, ‘ Roxanne, Roxanne’. She was walking outside a New York housing project when she overheard three men discussing U.T.F.O.’s cancellation of a show they were promoting. In turn she offered them a reply record. The onlookers, DJ Mister Magic, Tyrone Williams and Marley Marl took her up on the offer. Her version ‘Roxanne’s Revenge’ was a massive hit and spawned a flood of answerback records, as rappers queued to take up the challenge. U.T.F.O. replied by sueing her for using their b-side as the rhythm track. Shanté was still only 14 years old, and forced to stay away form school because of all the attention. Her arrival was cemented by further singles ‘Have A Nice Day’ and ‘Go On Girl’, produced by Marley Marl, with lyrics penned by Big Daddy Kane.
By 1986, Shante was being edged from the centre of the female rap stage. With the release of ‘Big Mama’, she took out her frustrations by dissing other female rappers Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Yo Yo and Monie Love.