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Roxanne Shanté Named Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

The Queens native will be the first solo female rapper to win the award.

Getting long overdue flowers in time for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards is female rap pioneer Roxanne Shanté

On Tuesday, January 28, the Queens native, 55, was announced as a recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement class, including Dr. Bobby Jones, the late Prince and Frankie Beverly, and more. The “Roxanne’s Revenge” emcee will also be the first female rapper to receive the honor, which will be given during the Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Saturday, February 1, one day before the 2025 Grammy Awards.

“It’s an amazing privilege to honor this eclectic group of music icons during the year’s biggest week in music,” said 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.”

Also on Tuesday, Shanté appeared on “CBS Mornings” to speak with Gayle King about her battle rap origins, which began when she was 14. Shanté, whose upbringing was recounted in the Netflix biopic “Roxanne Roxanne,” also explained her transition from the music industry.

“I was never making money," Shanté said. "You can't miss what you don't have. There was no moving out of the mansion, no cars being repossessed; there was just an adjustment to regular life.”

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