Editing Roxanne Shante (section)

== Early life and career ==
Shante was born November 9, 1969, in [[Queens]], New York.<ref>{{Citation |last=Larkin |first=Colin |title=Roxanne Shanté |date=2009-01-01 |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780195313734.001.0001/acref-9780195313734-e-25377 |access-date=2024-09-09 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/acref/9780195313734.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-531373-4}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Roxanne Shanté Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/roxanne-shant%C3%A9-mn0000354140 |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref> In 1984, she met [[Mr. Magic]] and [[Marley Marl]] outside the Queensbridge housing project. They discussed [[U.T.F.O.]], since the rap trio had failed to make an appearance at a concert.<ref name="Roxanne Shanté Biography on mtv.com">{{cite web |title=About Roxanne Shanté |url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/roxanne-shante/biography/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104141923/http://www.mtv.com/artists/roxanne-shante/biography/ |archive-date=November 4, 2016 |website=Mtv.com}}</ref> U.T.F.O. had recently released a single called "Hanging Out", which did not gain much critical acclaim; however, the B-side "Roxanne, Roxanne", about a woman who would not respond to their advances, became a hit.<ref>{{cite web| first=Soren|last=Baker|url=http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.30398/title.full-force-recalls-making-utfos-roxanne-roxanne-revisiting-song-for-new-full-force-with-love-from-our-friends-album|title=Full Force Recalls Making UTFO's "Roxanne, Roxanne," Revisiting Song For New "Full Force: With Love from Our Friends" Album|website=Hiphopdx.com|date=August 26, 2014}}</ref> 

Shante, who was a member of the [[Juice Crew]], was contracted to write a track in rebuttal to U.T.F.O.'s rap, posing as the Roxanne in the U.T.F.O. song. Marley Marl produced the song "Roxanne's Revenge" using the original beats from an instrumental version of "Roxanne, Roxanne". The track became an instant hit and made Shante, only 14 at the time, one of the first female MCs to become very popular. Then the "[[Roxanne Wars]]" started, and Shante continued to rap and started touring with her producer, Marley Marl.

In 1985, Shante released a record together with rapper [[Sparky D]], who had earlier released a [[diss track]] about her called "Sparky's Turn, Roxanne You're Through".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/sparky-d/biography/|title=About Sparky D|website=Mtv.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105032607/http://www.mtv.com/artists/sparky-d/biography/|archive-date=November 5, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The record called "Round One, Roxanne Shanté vs Sparky Dee" was released by [[Spin Records (American label)|Spin Records]] and included six tracks: the two original [[battle rap|battle]] tracks ("Roxanne's Revenge" and "Sparky's Turn") as well as "Roxanne's Profile" by Shante, "Sparky's Profile" by Sparky D and a battle track, in which the two rappers freestyle and diss each other, in a censored and an uncensored version.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldschoolhiphop.com/records/round1.htm|title=Round One: Roxanne Shante vs Sparky Dee – OldSchoolHipHop.Com|website=Oldschoolhiphop.com|date=January 7, 2010}}</ref> Other hits included "Have a Nice Day" and "Go on Girl".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldschoolhiphop.com/artists/emcees/roxanneshante.htm|title=Roxanne Shante Biography – OldSchoolHipHop.Com|website=Oldschoolhiphop.com}}</ref> 

In 1985, Shante battled [[Busy Bee Starski]] for the title of "best freestyle rapper" but lost due to improper judging. Judge [[Kurtis Blow]] later admitted to Shante that he did not vote for her because she was a girl.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Thomas|first=Dexter|date=September 2, 2017|title=How the best rapper of 1985 was sabotaged because she was a girl|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-the-best-rapper-of-1985-was-sabotaged-because-she-was-a-girl/|access-date=January 7, 2021|website=Vice.com|language=en|quote=Years later, Roxanne approached Blow and asked him why he sabotaged her. According to Roxanne, he said it was because she was a girl.}}</ref> The ongoing battle with KRS-One hit its height when KRS-One claimed in his 1986 track "The Bridge Is Over" that Shante was nothing more than a sexual appendage to male rappers.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Are Female Rappers Authentic?|first=Athena|last=Elafros|title=Hip Hop Icons|page=208}}</ref> 

In 1988 she rapped on the Rick James single [[Loosey's Rap]].

In 1989, Shante released ''Bad Sister'', ''The Bitch Is Back'' in 1992, and a greatest hits anthology in 1995. In 1997 Roxanne was featured on [[Frankie Cutlass]] third single title "The Cypher Part III" which featured some of Marley Marl juice crew rappers, Big Daddy Kane, Big Markie and Craig G. <ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/big-daddy-kane/chart-history/rap/ | title=Big Daddy Kane &#124; Biography, Music & News | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] }}</ref>