Rapping To The Beat Of A Ph.D

‘Roxanne’s Revenge” was an academic triumph. Dr. Roxanne Shante, the first queen of hip-hop brags about her Ph.D. fully funded by Warner Bothers Music Group.

“This is a story that needs to be told” Shante declared, “I’m an example that you can be a teenage mom, come from the projects, and be raised by a single parent, and you can still come out of it a doctor.”

Her 1984 hit single “Roxanne’s Revenge” sold over a quarter-million copies in NYC alone, making her an instant hip hop celebrity. Not only did she lead herself to fame but she also paved the way for other female rappers including Lil Kim, Salt-N-Pepper, and Queen Latifah.

After more than two decades of broken contracts, stiffed royalty checks, and mismanaged money, Shante was displeased with the music industry and her record label. But she remembered an important clause in her Warner Music contract-the music label agreed to fund her education for life.

Without the initial support of Warner Music Group, Shante reached out to Marguerita Grecco, the dean of Marymount Manhattan College, and showed her the contract. As a result the dean allowed Shante to take classes for free as long as she continued to pursue the money from her former record label.

Shante recalled that Dean Grecco assisted her with continuously submitting her tuition bill to the music label.

Finally when Shante threatened to bring her story to the attention of the media, Warner Music Group then honored her contract.

After receiving her Ph.D. from Marymount Manhattan College in 2001, Dr. Roxanne Shante opened a therapy practice for urban African Americans.

She also gives back to the community by offering $5,000 college scholarships to female rappers every semester, and giving music industry advice through her MySpace page.

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