Roxanne Shanté

Lolita Shanté Gooden, better known by her stage name Roxanne Shanté, is an American rapper. She first gained attention in 1984 through the Roxanne Wars, and was part of the Juice Crew.

At 14, Roxanne Shanté dropped "Roxanne's Revenge" and didn't just enter hip-hop—she conquered it, becoming the first female to win a battle on wax during the height of the Roxanne Wars. Her membership in the Juice Crew aligned her with some of the era's sharpest lyricists, though her real legacy runs parallel to MC Lyte's: two East Coast women who proved the mic didn't discriminate based on gender, even when the industry tried to limit their airtime. Albums like *Bad Sister* (1989) and *The Bitch Is Back* (1992) showcased a competitor's mentality wrapped in clever wordplay, establishing a template for female MCs who refused to be novelties.