Women in 80s Hip Hop
In this post, we’re exploring the history of women in 80s hip hop & celebrating the fly girls of the era by looking back at 10 songs from the best 80s female rappers and groups.
We’re gonna go way back, and begin with ‘The Mother of Hip Hop’.
Sylvia Robinson
Sylvia began her career in music as a singer in the 1950s and by the late ’70s had stepped into the record industry becoming Founder & CEO of Sugarhill Records.
She led the way when it came to capturing the energy of Hip Hop and putting it on a record. After the success of The Sugar Hill Gang’s Rappers Delight, Sylvia went on to sign and release records from Hip Hop’s pioneering legends Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5.
In retrospect, it’s easy to see why Sylvia was granted the title “The Mother of Hip Hop” by the community. She also gave opportunities to other women to lay the foundation for Funk and early 80s Hip Hop, signing The Sequence an all-ladies funk group. Check out their 1980 single ‘Funk U Up’ to hear a teenage Angie Stone recording back then as Angie B.
First, though, here’s That’s the Joint by Funky 4+1 released on Sylvia Robinson’s Sugarhill Records.
That’s the Joint – Funky 4+1 (Sha Rock) – 1980
MC SHA ROCK
As you just heard, MC Sha Rock was a member of Funky 4 +1 and a talented MC who would inspire Run DMC’s delivery and ‘echo chamber’ style.
The Funky 4 +1, of which Sha Rock was known as Miss Plus One More, was the first Hip Hop group with a female rapper to release records commercially. As a woman of Hip Hop, Sha Rock put rap out there as something women do too.
Widely accepted as the first female rapper and known as Mother of the Mic, Sha Rock sees herself as the blueprint of female MCs. She began rapping as a kid in the Bronx, at a time when the city was going through a lot of social struggles, at park jams before Hip Hop was even established. You could only hear your favourite rhymers on cassette tape or at a jam which was promoted through flyering, radio was yet to catch on to the phenomenon.
At 17, she earnt her spot in the Funky 4+1. In 1981, their music was witnessed by mainstream America as they became the first ever Hip Hop group to perform on television when they were brought out by Fab Five Freddy’s mate Debbie Harry on Saturday Night Live.
Sweet Tee
Another exciting track from a female rapper that year was Vicious Rap by Tanya Winley a.k.a Sweet Tee.
Vicious Rap – Tanya “Sweet Tee” Winley – 1980
After releasing Rappin and Rhymin with her sister in 79, Sweet Tee then dropped Vicious Rap in 1980. Both songs were potentially recorded in 78 and are considered some of the earliest examples of female rap. It’s therefore also possible Sweet Tee was one of the first female rappers to have ever been recorded.
Vicious Rap itself is also one of the first examples of Conscious rap due to the unique and relevant subject matter that deals with false arrest and the difficulties young, black Americans faced when coming into contact with the authorities.
Lisa Lisa
Fast forward 5 years and Hip Hop is surely making an impact globally, from its beginnings in New York City. This next track isn’t necessarily a Hip Hop tune but I had to include it so we can acknowledge how the Hip Hop sound had further evolved.
The track was featured on a European compilation record called Break Dancing, alongside Run DMC’s It’s Like That and Grandmaster Melle Mel’s White Lines. The music video really catches the Hip Hop & Electro centric time too. So here’s one of my all-time favourites I wonder if I take you home by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force.
I wonder if I take you home (with Full Force) – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam – 1985
Salt-N-Pepa
Now, wait a minute ya’ll, this dance ain’t for everybody, only the sexy people. Next up, of course, on our list of 10 tracks from Women in 80s Hip Hop is Salt N Pepa’s certified platinum banger Push It.
Salt N Pepa are known as the first ladies of hip hop and rap and are the reason why so many girls and young women later picked up a microphone. Along with DJ Spinderella, the duo changed what it meant to be a woman in Hip Hop, expressing their sexuality without apology.
Push it wasn’t on their original debut Hot, Cool & Vicious album but was later added after the success of the remix we now know and love by Cameron Paul. The reissued album soon sold one million copies in the US, making Salt-N-Pepa the first female rap act (group or solo) to go gold or platinum.
Push It – Salt-N-Pepa – 1986
J.J FAD
The next track is from another lady rap crew, J.J. Fad. Just Jammin Fresh & Def represented the West Coast and were signed to Eazy E’s Ruthless Rap Records.
It’s not the most hard-hitting or profound piece of music you’ll ever hear, but many see the record as the first breakthrough from the label that was later able to take N.W.A to a wider audience. Interestingly, the JJ FAD story wasn’t included in the Straight Outta Compton movie.
Supersonic – JJ FAD- 1988
Anquette
I’ve got to confess, I’ve only recently found the next track on our list. It’s from Miami hip hop r&b group Anquette. Titled Janet Reno, it’s a sort of ring walk song for their state attorney Janet Reno who I believe later became United States Attorney General. It seems 80s Janet was all for both parents doing their bit and this pretty funky track from Anquette was a warning to any deadbeat dads or men avoiding paying child support. Not the kind of subject you’d hear in many female rappers’ tracks today I don’t think?
Janet Reno – Anquette – 1988
MC LYTE
Of course, No Women in 80s Hip Hop list would be complete with MC Lyte, she’s my number one of the era and we’ve included Paper Thin from her debut Lyte as a Rock album. I love the King of Chill production on this one.
MC Lyte said she began writing Paper Thin, which deals with a two-timing boyfriend, years before its release at around 12 or 13, having never actually had a relationship, but she drew from material from the people and situations around her. Lyrically, she wrote with a high level of emotional maturity for her age, I think the best example of that though is I Cram to Understand U from the same album where she talks about the same love interest sam and finding out he’s a drug addict. Roxanne was around the same age when she started penning that and I highly recommend a listen but first, here’s the incredible hip hop break-up track Paper Thin.
Paper Thin – MC Lyte – 1988
Roxanne Shanté
Now, if any real Hip Hop fans are reading I know you’re thinking. Where’s Roxanne Shante? What about the Roxanne Wars!!??
Well, I’m about to get into it. Roxanne started rapping aged 14 and recorded the iconic Roxanne’s Revenge in 1984. The track was in response to UTFOs Roxanne Roxanne, and so began the Roxanne Wars.
Roxanne was known as a battle rapper, going from project to project, battling. When DJ Marley Marl spotted her and gave her The Big Beat to rhyme on, Roxanne freestyled on it fresh off the top of the head, one take, and the rest is history. Her story is like all the Hip Hop pioneers at that time, she was there from early and put in work across the city in her early teens. There’s no denying the impact of Roxanne and her contribution to Hip Hop.
Check out the Roxanne Shante Women in Hip Hop podcast episode with Jazzie Belle, for some stories straight from the realest of the Roxannes. I say that because a record label created other acts under the name The Real Roxanne, and later The Real Real Roxanne, to try to cash in on Roxanne Shante’s success, but that’s a whole other story.
The Roxanne track I’ve included on our Still MCR list is 1988s Go on Girl.
Go on Girl – Roxanne Shante – 1988
Queen Latifah
To show how much the representation of female rappers mattered and matters, I’m gonna quote MC Lyte, “Salt-N-Pepa meant everything to me. They were the only reason I thought I could be an MC,” MC Lyte then in turn went on to influence and mentor other women in the game, including the next on our list Queen Latifah.
Her debut All Hail the Queen album, produced by the legendary 45 King, dropped in 1989 when Queen Latifah was 19 years old. It set the tone for what to expect from Queen Latifah in terms of empowering lyrics and a mash-up of different musical styles, as well as switching from rapping to singing with ease.
Here’s Wrath of my Madness, the first single to be released from the album it made a big impact on the scene, selling over 1 million copies.
Wrath of my madness – Queen Latifah – 1989
Monie Love
Another classic from Queen Latifah’s All Hail the Queen album was the big banger Ladies First with Monie Love. A real feel-good tune and an excellent collab.
Born in L-O-N-D-O-N, Monie Love is the only British rapper on the list. Already releasing on underground UK Hip Hop labels, Monie moved to New York in the late 80s and was embraced by the scene, becoming a member of the Afro-Centric Native Tongues Collective who championed open-minded lyricism, positivity and consciousness. Other members included Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and the homegirl Queen Latifah.
Ladies First – Queen Latifah & Monie Love – 1989