Love this story. Hip-hop pioneer Roxanne Shante, the breakthrough female artist behind the hit song “Roxanne’s Revenge,” has succeeded in forcing an unwilling Warner Brothers Music company to honor its contractual agreement to fund her continuing education. Having earned a PhD in psychology from Cornell, Dr. Shante now practices therapy in urban Black communities.
From NY Daily News:
[Warner Brothers] finally agreed to honor the contract when Shante threatened to go public with the story.
Shante earned her doctorate in 2001, and launched an unconventional therapy practice focusing on urban African-Americans – a group traditionally reluctant to seek mental health help.
“People put such a taboo on therapy, they feel it means they’re going crazy,” she explained. “No, it doesn’t. It just means you need someone else to talk to.”
Shante often incorporates hip-hop music into her sessions, encouraging her clients to unleash their inner MC and shout out exactly what’s on their mind.
“They can’t really let loose and enjoy life,” she said. “So I just let them unlock those doors.”
Shante, 38, is also active in the community. She offers $5,000 college scholarships each semester to female rappers through the nonprofit Hip Hop Association.
She also dispenses advice to young women in the music business via a MySpace page.
“I call it a warning service, so their dreams don’t turn into nightmares,” she said.
Fabulous. Now if we can just secure access to higher ed for folks without Warner Bros. contracts…
And here’s the 1984 single — a response to UTFO’s “Roxanne Roxanne” — that changed the game.
Kloncke 
hella OLD SCHOOL! i was in 4th grade when i heard this for the first time. i had a love-hate relationship with rap back then. i loved it because i thought it was fun, but i hated it because all the talking meant less mixing & scratching, two important ingredients for good break dancing music!
good on you for giving her props. she has mad love in the hood.