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I read a story on NYDailyNews.com about how hip hop icon Roxanne Shante’s record label gave her a raw deal, but ended up being responsible for paying for her college education. Roxanne Shante was hip hop’s first female rap startat age 14 with the 1984 hit “Roxanne’s Revenge” as a response to UTFO’s “Roxanne, Roxanne.” She set the tone for the modern female hip hop artist, although she isn’t as recognizable as big as artists like Salt & Pepa, Foxy, and Lil’ Kim.

Back in the day, Roxanne’s label, Warner Music, stiffed her on the royalties due to her. But the fine print in her record contract indicated that the label was to pay for her education, for life. Today, Roxanne has a PhD in Psychology from Cornell University and has her own therapy practice in NY. 

Roxanne Shante’s story is very inspirational – she may have gotten screwed on the royalty checks but she has an Ivy League education courtesy of Warner Music. One door closed but another one opened. I’m sure she knew that she wasn’t going to be a rapper forever, but she still IS hip hop. She offers college scholarships to young female rappers through the nonprofit Hip Hop Association. Glad to see she is paying forward the gift of education. 

Lesson taken from Roxanne Shante’s story – don’t sign anything that 1) you aren’t sure of and 2) benefits the other party more than you. Always, always, always read the fine print before signing!

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