BROOKLYN, NY – U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), a member of House Democratic Leadership and the Congressional Black Caucus, announced a new project to highlight female Hip Hop artists in honor of Women’s History Month. Rep. Jeffries, who made headlines last year for paying tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. on the floor of the House of Representatives, will release a list of his top ten female rap lyrical collaborations, showcasing one artist each day for the first ten days of March. The daily updates to the list will be available each morning on his Twitter andFacebook pages.
The women on this list are legends in their own right. They defied artistic convention and lyrically elbowed their way to the top of rap’s male-dominated mountain top. In fighting for intellectual property protection, branding rights and licensing deals many of these great MCs helped pave the way for others to thrive as artists and entrepreneurs.
Rep. Jeffries cited the legendary Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, as an inspiration for the project. Chisholm represented some of the same parts of Brooklyn that Rep. Jeffries represents today. “Representative Chisholm lit up the House Floor for seven terms despite politics being viewed at the time as a man’s game. She made clear through the power of her example that opportunity is everything. Her legendary contributions to our nation continue to be felt today,” said Rep. Jeffries.
Rep. Jeffries has been a vocal advocate for artists and creators in Congress. Along with Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), he introduced the Music Modernization Act, a bill that would reform the music licensing process to make sure creators are adequately paid for their artistic work.
Rep. Jeffries said: “In every field of human endeavor, women excel when given a fair shot. It’s true in politics, business, science, academia and Hip Hop. In honor of Women’s History Month, which starts tomorrow, I will drop my top ten list of the best female rap lyrical collaborations of all time. With 45 in the White House, Hip Hop is a great escape.”
Shirley Chisholm demonstrated that women can excel with might and power in Washington. On these groundbreaking Hip Hop collaborations, often while competing against other rap icons, the phenomenal female MC performances on the top ten list show the world what Black Girl Magic is all about.