Coming Out of Queensbridge

Update: Turns out it was all a sham. Read Slate's excellent investigative piece here.

Before Salt N Peppa, TLC, or Queen Latifah there was Roxanne Shante. If you can remember back to 1984, Shante was the young rapper behind the hit Roxanne’s Revenge. At the time, Roxanne was a 14 year old mother living in New York City’s public housing. When her fame quickly expired, she was left with little money and few prospects - except for one clause in her recording contract.

Shante’s recording contract with Warner Music stated that the company would pay for her education for life. Believing that Warner cheated her out of her fair share of record profits, Shante decided to cash in. She went on to earn a college degree, and eventually a PhD in Psychology from Cornell University, all courtesy of Warner Music. The former teen mom now runs her own therapy practice focused on urban African-Americans. She incorporates hip-hop music in her sessions.

NY Daily News: Rapper behind 'Roxanne's Revenge' gets Warner Music to pay for PhD

(Photo by Ted Swedenburg via Flickr/Creative Commons)