Roxanne Shante reflects on her Hip-Hop legacy as she is set to become the first solo female rapper to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Recording Academy this week. She will be presented with the honor on Saturday (Feb. 1) at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre ahead of the 2025 Grammy Awards the following day.
Speaking with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, the Queens native discussed her career beginnings and passion for rap.
“It’s literally a second language to me,” explained the 55-year-old of freestyling before hitting an impromptu rhyme. “It was just as easy as breathing.”
She continued to detail, “I felt like my life was just a musical. Every block had music, everywhere you went there was a DJ,” adding, “One thing about Queensbridge is you always heard a way out… I did get out but it’s never gonna get out of me. I’m going to be QB till the day I die.”
Roxanne Shante is among an esteemed group of musicians to be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards this year. Frankie Beverly, The Clash, Dr. Bobby Jones, Taj Mahal, Prince, and Frankie Valli will also receive special recognition. Additionally, Erroll Garner, Glyn Johns, and Tania León are the Trustees Award recipients; and Dr. Leo Beranek is the Technical GRAMMY Award honoree.
“It’s an amazing privilege to honor this eclectic group of music icons during the year’s biggest week in music,” detailed Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy in a statement. “Each of this year’s Special Merit Award recipients has left an indelible mark on music, from paving the way for others to innovation that forever has changed the trajectory of the musical landscape. We can’t wait to celebrate this group and their achievements in February.”
The 2025 Grammy Awards will be hosted by Trevor Noah, and are set to air live on Sunday, on CBS and Paramount+ with performances from Doechii, Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monae, and more.
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