Courtesy of MC Sha-RockCourtesy of MC Sha-Rock
There are numerous firsts related to MC Sha-Rock, hip-hop’s “mother of the mic.” The Bronx, NY, native is the primary feminine MC in hip-hop historical past and the primary to signal a file deal; the primary lady to battle rap; and she or he was among the many first to spit hip-hop rhymes on nationwide tv (showing on “Saturday Night Live” in 1981 when she was pregnant together with her first little one). The unique member of Funky 4, which later turned the Funky 4 + 1, did not simply contribute to the historical past of ladies in hip-hop — she’s the blueprint.
Regardless of her pioneering efforts within the ’70s, Sha-Rock, born Sharon Inexperienced, has hardly been given her simply due as a hip-hop trailblazer. The “That’s the Joint” rapper additionally says she was by no means correctly compensated for her music in her ’80s heyday, as she, together with different hip-hop pioneers, later sued her former label Sugar Hill Information for again royalties (and received).
However in 2011, Sha-Rock penned her memoir, “Luminary Icon… The Story of Hip Hop’s First Female MC/Rapper” with Iesha Brown, which set the file straight. Since then, she’s made it her mission to teach the world about her hip-hop journey. And slowly however absolutely, she’s gotten her flowers: MC Sha-Rock Day is noticed within the Bronx yearly on June 3, and as of this 12 months, New York Mayor Eric Adams declared that it’s celebrated throughout all boroughs of NYC. At present, Sha-Rock may be heard on Rock the Bells radio with fellow hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Caz on their present, “That’s the Joint.” She additionally carried out at Rock the Bells Pageant on Aug. 5 with different hip-hop queens like Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, Monie Love, and Roxanne Shanté.
In honor of hip-hop’s fiftieth anniversary, Sha-Rock displays on her hip-hop origin story, how she paved the best way for ladies in rap, and why she’ll at all times remind followers how she was the primary of her sort. Learn all of it, in her personal phrases, forward.
Again in 1976, I began my journey in hip-hop tradition. Although we did not name it the tradition, we have been celebrating all the parts; it simply did not have a reputation. 1973, DJ Kool Herc and his sister Cindy Campbell gave the primary documented occasion at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. There have been b-boys and b-girls on the market and all the things. In 1976, I turned a nomadic b-girl that might journey round to completely different areas throughout the Bronx or Manhattan simply to listen to these breakbeats that the DJs have been taking part in. However on the finish of 1977, they have been holding auditions for this group that was known as the Brothers Disco.
The supervisor, his title was Jazzy D, he was in command of them. At the moment, it was simply Ok.Ok. Rockwell and Keith Keith, two MCs. What occurred was, he was like, “Go ahead, say your rhyme.” I stated my rhyme. So he’s like, “OK, you rhyme. What’s your name?” I stated, “My name is Sharon.” He stated, “Man, you rocked it.” So he minimize Sharon in half to Sha-Rock — he was the one who gave me my title. As soon as we turned the unique Funky 4, I turned the primary feminine MC as a part of an all-male group and the primary to introduce routines to the gang: the brand new period of MCing.
Apart from me being the primary feminine MC of hip-hop tradition, take it again to battle rapping, I initiated that. I used to be the primary feminine MC to have a feminine hype crew, which was known as the Sisters Disco, a subsidiary of the Brothers Disco. They supported all the things that I did. They might exit to the gang and get them to say my rhymes, and that is how Sha-Rock turned synonymous with New York Metropolis; everyone knew my rhymes.
“Not only was I an inspiration to women that wanted to get on the mic, but also to men.”
I used to be the primary genuine feminine MC of hip-hop tradition that did not come into the sport as a rap artist, however as any individual who helped create the tradition, who was on the streets of New York, within the parks, within the hip-hop venues that created this MC tradition to have file offers. Not solely was I an inspiration to ladies that needed to get on the mic, but in addition to males.
So you will have folks like Fats Joe, Noreaga, Puff Daddy, and Frequent who all say, “When I first heard Sha-Rock, she was the joint.” It is as a result of they’re additionally taking a look at it from a rap facet. However except you have been there, numerous them did not know the total facets of the tradition, how I used to be concerned and helped transfer it ahead.
To start with, about 15, 20 years in the past, it used to piss me off. However then I used to be like, what, why are you going to get mad at one thing that no person is aware of? They solely know Sha-Rock from the Funky 4 + 1 and the songs that I made. I had a dialog with Fab 5 Freddy years in the past, and I advised him, “Look, why are you not speaking up for me? You’re not speaking up for me when you know that you used to come up to the Bronx and watch us in the beginning. You know what I did for this culture, even before rap records. Before we had a record deal, I was in the Bronx and you were coming up looking at me on the stage in Uptown. So why would you not speak on it?” And he stated one thing that was actually heartening. He stated, “Look, Sha-Rock, I can’t tell your story. You can tell your story better than I can.” So when he advised me that, I simply went ham — I wrote a guide about my historical past.
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What made me go ham on anyone that attempted to contradict the story was due to all of those completely different museums which might be developing now. As a result of I wasn’t in america on the time, I had some females that was on the market with me say, “Look Sha-Rock, you need to check some people because they’re switching the narrative of the story and they’re trying to say that they’re first,” and this and that. However see, for me, I at all times thought that as a result of the data was there that these tales would by no means be modified, as a result of I used to be the primary feminine MC in hip-hop tradition on cassette tape. So as a result of I had the tapes, the genuine flyers to indicate the dates, video footage, all of these things that was out there to the patron, I felt like I did not have to fret as a result of I might again up what I stated.
“The reason why I got out of MCing at the time was to protect everything that was dear to me . . .”
I had to return and examine the scenario and say, “No, you wasn’t first. You were not there when I was. You came after me. If you were, the whole entire New York City would’ve known about you from the beginning and I would’ve came across you in a rap battle. You would’ve known about me. You would’ve been on more flyers than MC Sha-Rock. No one would just be saying Sha-Rock.” So if the contributions and you do not say something about it or embrace Sha-Rock in something you do on the subject of ladies, then you definately inform me why you are not celebrating [me]. What are your causes for not celebrating Sha-Rock as being that MC that has set the groundwork for all feminine MCs?
You could have so many alternative MCs, from the Queen Latifahs, to the MC Lytes, to the Yo-Yos, to the Cunning Browns, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B. I can not pass over Roxanne Shanté. All the ladies that have been there have at all times proven love and respect, however be sure we point out her. As a result of after I had left the business, Roxanne Shanté flourished. She’s that MC that I really really feel has carried on this torch and held the MC tradition down, so we have now to offer her respect as nicely. However all of them did a lot for this tradition as MCs that set the stage and constructed lanes for different feminine rappers to observe. All of us have introduced one thing to the sport and have all branched out into permitting different females to have entry to rap tradition. My factor is, all of us ought to be celebrating one another as a result of we have now created these avenues, however it did begin with MC Sha-Rock creating that lane in MC tradition.
I am completely happy to be right here for the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop tradition. I am completely happy that numerous artists have benefited from it and proceed to take action, as a result of we at all times knew what we had. We at all times knew that we have been younger entrepreneurs with little to no sources. We did not have the data to maneuver it ahead and defend all the things that was so pricey to us. The rationale why I received out of MCing on the time was to guard all the things that was pricey to me and never be mad about what I really like a lot. I did not need to hate what I really like as a result of different events did not really feel like I felt. My recording firm, on the time, did not really feel how I felt in regards to the MC and hip-hop tradition. So I eliminated myself from it and stated that I’d by no means enable nobody to have the ability to pimp me the best way that I used to be pimped at that younger age, and tried to remove all of my love for this tradition that I do know.
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