Hip-hop and its influences are everywhere! It started in the South Bronx 50 years ago and was born from the social and economic disparities of a forgotten part of New York City struggling with poverty, drugs, and crime. Before it was called hip-hop, it was called "the culture," which included four elements: DJing, emceeing, B-boying or B-girling, and graffiti.
Throughout history, people of color have created innovative and transforming expressions of art within challenging environments. Hip-hop was created by men, who used it as a tool to dream bigger than their reality. It was supported by women with a vision that propelled the culture forward.
The Early Vision
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One of the groundbreaking groups in the early days of hip-hop was Funky Four plus One More, featuring M.C. Sha Rock, the first female of hip-hop culture.
"I'm the first female of hip-hop culture! I started as a B-girl, carrying records to the parties, and my presence elevated there," Sha-Rock shared with xoNecole. "I was fortunate to be a member of the first hip-hop group ever to appear on national television. My group appeared on Saturday Night Live, hosted by Deborah Harry of Blondie in 1981." Today, Sha-Rock is making waves on the radio show Rock the Bells and touring all across the U.S. to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop. Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, recently declared June 3 as M.C. Sha Rock Day.
Sylvia Robinson's foresight and belief in hip-hop's potential laid the foundation for the genre's success today. Despite major record companies' lack of interest, Robinson released hip-hop on vinyl independently on her Sugar Hill Records label.
Other women from that era included vocalist Angie Stone and the hip-hop trio The Sequence. "I speak for the group when I say we want to thank everyone who has acknowledged us this late in the game," she said. "My group was the first female hip-hop group signed to Sugar Hill Records. In our song 'Funk You Up,' we mixed the element of vocals with hip-hop, which is still prominent today."
"My group was the first female hip-hop group signed to Sugar Hill Records. In our song 'Funk You Up,' we mixed the element of vocals with hip-hop, which is still prominent today."
Stone would go on to become an integral part of the early neo-soul movement in music and has continued to have a successful career for more than four decades. Her latest album, Love Language, is available now on streaming services.
Passing The Torch
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The trailblazing achievements of female Hip-Hop artists in the early days paved the way for future generations. The 2023 Netflix documentaryLadies First: A Story of Women In Hip-Hopnarrates the stories of game changers like Salt-N-Pepa, whose record sales exceeded 15 million, making them one of the most successful female hip-hop groups ever. Roxanne Shanté was known as one of the first battle rappers, fearlessly taking on some of the most skilled lyricists in the game. There was MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Queen Latifah, and J.J. Fad, the first female hip-hop group nominated for a Grammy.
In the '90s, there was a rise of female rappers such as Lil' Kim and Trina, who unapologetically embraced their sexuality, leading the way for the creation of a sub-genre of hip-hop called "pussy rap."
Trailblazing women like Missy Elliott introduced us to eccentric personas, setting the stage for artists like Nicki Minaj to push the boundaries further.
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Running Things
In the '90s, there was a rise of independent hip-hop labels like Def Jam and Bad Boy, both started by men. However, many women behind the scenes helped keep the hip-hop culture alive. Unfortunately, these women often do not receive their flowers for their contributions. Michelle Joyce, former director of marketing, and Lajoyce Brookshire, former head of publicity at Bad Boy Records, were surprised by the lack of women mentioned in the documentaryCan't Stop, Won't Stop.
As a result, they collaborated on a book calledWomen Behind The Mic: Curators of Pop Culture, which features 22 stories of women record company executives who helped shape the careers of some of hip-hop's most influential artists.
"The industry was male-dominated, and we had to fight to get our voices heard. However, we formed a strong bond with other women," the authors shared with xoNecole. "We created a lasting sisterhood we still cherish to this day."
Jennifer Perry, a former features writer at The Source, added, "Women helped to influence hip-hop's style, culture, and trajectory. Still, because we're in a male-centered world, women were regulated to roles of reduced acknowledgment, participation, and financial compensation."
"Women helped to influence hip-hop's style, culture, and trajectory. Still, because we're in a male-centered world, women were regulated to roles of reduced acknowledgment, participation, and financial compensation."
Style Architects
During the '90s, April Walker, creator of the urban clothing brand Walker Wear, emerged in urban hip-hop fashion. Her designs were loved by old-school artists like Biggie Smalls, Tupac, and Wu-Tang Clan and are still sported by Joey Bada$$ today. In a recent interview, Walker shared her experiences as a woman in the fashion industry, stating that it is a microcosm of a male-dominated society. Despite this, she believed in herself and her talents and stood up for herself when necessary.
Her commitment to her craft ultimately paid off as the world stood up to assist her in achieving her dreams. Stacy Gray, a renowned hair stylist in the celebrity world, shared that she owed a significant portion of her successful career to the hip-hop industry. She began her journey working with some of the most prominent hip-hop artists and has been thriving in the field for over 25 years.
According to Gray, hip-hop allowed her to embrace her creativity and showcase her skills to the world; she will always be grateful.
Power Forward
Women in hip-hop have played an integral role in shaping the culture and have paved the way for a quintessential part of its narrative through triumphs and struggles. We are all a part of hip-hop, and it is up to us to continue to push the envelope forward.
Tami Cooper, former manager of Mobb Deep, has shared some inspiring words for the next generation of women in hip hop: "Build your networks, embrace your uniqueness, and stay informed and confident."
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Fortunately, five simple words have simplified my dating process and ushered in clarity faster: “Would my husband do this?”
A couple of years ago, I met an entertainment lawyer who was tonguing down a twenty-something-year-old woman for breakfast while I slurped my green smoothie and chomped on a flatbread sandwich. Okay, Black love, I grinned and thought as I sauntered out of the Joe & The Juice. As soon as I stepped down from the front door, a torrential downpour of Miami summer rain cascaded and throttled me back inside to wait out the storm.
I grabbed a hot green tea and vacillated between peering out the wet door and anxiously checking my watch. My lengthy agenda started with attending the Tabitha Brown and Chance Brown’s “Black Love” panel, and I was already late. That’s when the lawyer introduced himself to me, after he made a joke about neither one of us wanting to get soaked by the rain. His female companion had braved the storm, leaving us to find our commonalities.
We both lived in L.A. and had traveled to the American Black Film Festival to expand our network. He represented various artists, including entertainment writers, while I was working as a writer/creative producer in Hollywood.
While there is no shortage of internet advice on how to strategically meet a prominent man at conferences, if I spend my hard-earned funds on career growth, I have tunnel vision, and that doesn’t include finding Mr. Right. So, I stowed his contact details away as strictly professional.
Keep It Cute Love And Hip Hop GIFGiphyAs the humidity and mosquitoes were rising around L.A., two months later, another suitor-turned-terrible match cooled off after three unimpressive dates and a bevy of red flags. I posted what some of my friends called a thirst trap, but it was really me wearing a black freakum jumpsuit with a plunging neckline to my friend’s 35th birthday soiree despite feeling oh, so unsexy and bloated on my cycle.
I’d been waiting to post a sassy caption and finally had the perfect picture to match: “You not asking for too much, you just asking the wrong MF.”
That’s when the entertainment lawyer swooped into my DMs and asked me to dinner. I was quite confused. Is he asking me on a date? Or is this professional? Common sense would’ve picked the former. Once it clicked that this would in fact be a date, I told my mentor, who’s been happily married for over twenty years and has often been a guiding light and has steered me away from the wrong men.
Upon telling him about how we met, he emphatically stated, “He ain’t it.” He followed up with a simple question, "You have to ask yourself: Would my husband do this? Would you tell others that you met your husband, tonguing down another woman, and later married him?"
Aint It No Way GIF by UFCGiphyOuch. The thought-provoking question cleared any haze. Prior to going out with the lawyer, the first thing I inquired about was the woman.
“You saw that?” He said, taken aback that I’d witnessed his steamy PDA. Surely, anyone with two open eyes peeped him caressing her backside as he kissed her in the middle of the coffee shop.
He brushed her off as a casual someone he’d gone on a couple of dates with but had since stopped talking to. He said he hadn’t been in a serious relationship in over three years. Though I was still doubtful, dating in L.A. is treacherous and ephemeral. Making it past three months is considered a rarity.
With my antennae alert, I dined with him at a cozy beachside steakhouse restaurant where we were serenaded by a live jazz band. I’d emphasized forming a platonic friendship first.
Break Up Friendship GIF by TLCGiphy“I’ll come to you,” he obliged. I liked that he had made me a priority by driving over 50 miles to see me. I also liked the effort he made to check in with me daily. But I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he initiated on a professional pretense and then alley hooped through the back door on a romantic venture, which bombarded me with confusion.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my dating life, God is not the author of confusion; any man who brings confusion, rather than clarity, is simply not The One. It doesn’t matter how many boxes he checks–eventually, that confusion will manifest itself into bigger problems, in time.
After diving into deeper conversations on the phone, post our first dinner date, I quickly realized this man was indeed not The One for me. But I’m grateful for the valuable lesson I learned.
I don’t expect some unattainable fairytale of a husband; we all have our own flaws and conflict is inevitable, but after dating for two decades, through failure and success, I’ve realized that the person I ultimately marry must mirror the values I exert into the world. He must reciprocate kindness, patience, and respect. He must be quick to listen and slow to respond. He needs to be forgiving and trustworthy, practice healthy communication, and be a man of his word at the bare minimum.
If I’d had “Would my husband do this?” in my toolbox when I was dating and floundering in stagnant relationships, in my twenties, it would’ve saved me a lot of precious time. But now that I’m equipped with the reminder, it’s allowed me to ground myself in my non-negotiables and set/maintain the standard for the special person, I’ll one day say, “I do,” to.
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