Editing Queen Pen

{{short description|American rapper}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name              = Queen Pen
| image             = 
| caption           = 
| background        = solo_singer
| birth_name        = Lynise Walters
| alias             = 
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1972|09|24}}
| birth_place       = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]], U.S.
| origin            = 
| instrument        = 
| genre             = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
| occupation        = {{hlist|Rapper|singer|songwriter}}
| years_active      = 1994–present
| label             = {{hlist|Lil' Man|[[Interscope Records|Interscope]]|[[Motown Records|Motown]]}}
{{Infobox 
| child = yes
| label1 = Producer(s)
| data1 = {{hlist|[[Teddy Riley]]}}}}
| website           = 
}}

'''Lynise Walters''' (born September 24, 1972), known professionally as '''Queen Pen''', is an American rapper. Born in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]], she was discovered by producer [[Teddy Riley]] at an [[IHOP]] restaurant in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]]. Riley later invited her to "spit lyrics" for [[Blackstreet]]'s 1996 single "[[No Diggity]]", which became her and Riley's most successful recording (although she was uncredited on many publications of the song).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-25 |title=The Number Ones: Blackstreet's "No Diggity" (Feat. Dr. Dre & Queen Pen) |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2184463/the-number-ones-blackstreets-no-diggity-feat-dr-dre-queen-pen/columns/the-number-ones/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref> Walters signed with Riley's Lil Man Records, an imprint of [[Interscope Records]] to release her debut album, ''[[My Melody (Queen Pen album)|My Melody]]'' (1997), which spawned the single, "[[All My Love (Queen Pen song)|All My Love]]" (featuring Eric Williams) peaking at number 28 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. The album contained production largely handled by Riley and writing contributions from fellow Brooklyn native [[Jay-Z]]. 

Her second studio album, ''[[Conversations with Queen]]'' (2001) contained less involvement from both and saw minimal critical or commercial response. She has not released any music afterward and has since become an [[novelist|author]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nevernaire.com/my-melody-whats-queen-pen-up-to-now/ | title=My Melody &#124; What's Queen Pen up to Now? &#124; Nevernaire | work=Nevernaire | date=3 February 2023 }}</ref>

==Career==

Her music career launched after she became a protégé of [[Teddy Riley]], a producer and member of the [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] group [[Blackstreet]] in the mid-1990s. Although she was not listed on the song, she was a featured artist alongside [[Dr. Dre]] in Blackstreet's 1996 hit, "[[No Diggity]]". She signed to Riley's Lil' Man label and released ''[[My Melody (Queen Pen album)|My Melody]]'' (1997), her solo debut album, produced by Riley.<ref>Ankeny, Jason. "[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p278884|pure_url=no}} Queen Pen]". [[AllMusic]].</ref>

Her first album produced the charted singles "Man Behind the Music", "[[All My Love (Queen Pen song)|All My Love]]", and "Party Ain't a Party". She also gained notoriety for her song "Girlfriend" (featuring [[Meshell Ndegeocello]]), where the lyrics explored [[homosexuality|same sex]] relationships.<ref>{{Cite web  | last = Jamison
  | first = Laura
  | title = A Feisty Female Rapper Breaks a Hip-Hop Taboo
  | newspaper = New York Times
  | date = 1998-01-18
  | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/18/arts/pop-jazz-a-feisty-female-rapper-breaks-a-hip-hop-taboo.html}}</ref> In 1999, she took a three-year hiatus from performing and returned with her second album, ''[[Conversations with Queen]]'' (2001).

==Personal life==
After the release of the single, "Girlfriend", that contained themes that were [[taboo]] in the [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] community at the time, some media sources presumed Queen Pen to be [[Bisexuality|bisexual]] or a [[lesbian]].<ref name="daveyd"/><ref name="nytimes">{{cite web|last=Jamison|first=Laura|title=A Feisty Female Rapper Breaks a Hip-Hop Taboo|url=http://www.prismnet.com/~larrybob/queenpen.html|work=[[New York Times]]|via=prismnet.com|date=January 18, 1998|access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref>  During the song's release, Queen Pen remained coy about her sexuality and would not disclose it unless it was going to be a "front page" story.<ref name="nytimes"/> She also added that if she told the press she was straight, she would be viewed as a liar; in turn, if she were to say she was gay, she would be viewed as someone trying to get publicity.<ref name="nytimes"/> In 2001, Queen Pen disclosed in an interview that she was neither bisexual nor lesbian.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Nina|last=Flowers|title=Revolutions > Queen Pen: Conversations with Queen|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|date=July 2001|issue=131}}</ref> She is now an entrepreneur and novelist. Her sons Donlynn and Quintion are also rappers, who go by the handles Nefu Da Don and Q Nhannaz, respectively.

=== Feud with Foxy Brown ===
In 1998, a dispute between [[Foxy Brown (rapper)|Foxy Brown]] and Queen Pen developed over her controversial lesbian-themed single "Girlfriend".<ref name="daveyd">{{Cite web|last=D|first=Davey|title=May '98 Hip Hop News|url=http://www.daveyd.com/fnvmaynews.html|work=Davey D's Hip Hop Corner|publisher=daveyd.com|date=May 15, 1998|access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref> Brown, who took offense to the song's subject, spewed [[homophobia|homophobic]] remarks at both Pen and former rival [[Queen Latifah]] via her [[Diss (music)|diss track]] "10% Dis".<ref name="daveyd" /><ref name="rapgenius">{{cite web|title=Funkmaster Flex – 10% Dis Lyrics|url=http://rapgenius.com/Funkmaster-flex-10-dis-lyrics|work=[[Rap Genius]]|access-date=May 8, 2013}}</ref> In response, Pen reportedly confronted Brown while barefoot in the lobby of Nevada's Reno Hilton during the Impact Music Convention and tried to slap her and chase her down an elevator.<ref name="daveyd" /><ref name="vibe3">"Vibe Confidential: Everything You Want to Know Before You're Supposed to Know It." ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]''. August 1998: 44. Print.</ref> The fight was broken up by producer Derek "DC" Clark and Brown's associates [[N.O.R.E.|Noreaga]] and [[Cam'ron]].<ref name="vibe3" /> Later, Queen Pen happened upon Foxy Brown again when Brown was accompanied by ex-lover [[Kurupt]]. Again, the conflict was subdued before any further physical contact occurred.<ref name="vibe3" />

In late 1998, Brown released another diss track titled "Talk to Me", which contained more homophobic remarks directed at Pen and Queen Latifah.<ref name="rapgenius2">{{cite web|title=Foxy Brown – Talk To Me Lyrics|url=http://rapgenius.com/Foxy-brown-talk-to-me-lyrics|work=[[Rap Genius]]|access-date=May 8, 2013}}</ref> In 2001, Pen responded to the diss track with her record "I Got Cha", in which Queen Pen called Brown a "bum bitch", and later made remarks about her being funny and fake "like a [[drag queen]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Queen Pen – I Got Cha Lyrics|url=http://rapgenius.com/Queen-pen-i-got-cha-lyrics|work=[[Rap Genius]]|publisher=rapgenius.com|access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref> Although Queen Pen insisted the song was not about Brown, she responded in an [[MTV]] interview: "You make a record about me, I make a record about you. Sooner or later I'm going to have to punch you in your face."<ref>{{cite web|last=Reid|first=Shaheem|title=No Diggity: Queen Pen Returns With New LP|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1442549/queen-pen-returns-with-new-lp.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210125236/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1442549/queen-pen-returns-with-new-lp.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 10, 2012|work=[[MTV News]].com|date=April 6, 2001|access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref>  Shortly after the track's release, the feud began to die down, and by July 2006, both Pen and Brown reconciled during an attendance at [[Russell Simmons]]' Hip-Hop Summit.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/rlp62w19S54 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110822042444/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlp62w19S54&gl=US&hl=en&amp;has_verified=1 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|title=Foxy Brown & Queen Pen reconcile|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlp62w19S54|work=[[YouTube]]| date=21 August 2006 |access-date=May 16, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Novels==
*''Situations: A Book of Short Stories'' (2002)
*''Blossom: A Novel'' (2007)

==Discography==
===Albums===
*''[[My Melody (Queen Pen album)|My Melody]]'' (1997)
*''[[Conversations with Queen]]'' (2001)

===Singles===
*"Man Behind the Music" (1997)
*"[[All My Love (Queen Pen song)|All My Love]]" (1998)
*"Party Ain't a Party" (1998)
*"It's True" (1998)
*"I Got Cha" (2001)<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited 
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 445}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051227143051/http://www.io.com/~larrybob/queenpen.html A Feisty Female Rapper Breaks a Hip-Hop Taboo]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen Pen}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American women rappers]]
[[Category:GLAAD Media Awards winners]]
[[Category:Pop rappers]]
[[Category:Interscope Records artists]]
[[Category:Motown artists]]
[[Category:Rappers from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:21st-century American rappers]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American women]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American women]]
[[Category:21st-century American women rappers]]