From Battle Raps to the Grammys: Roxanne Shanté’s Influence Recognized with Lifetime Achievement Honor

Roxanne Shanté speaks during an interview on "CBS Mornings" about her journey from pioneering battle rapper to Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. The Queensbridge legend will make history as the first solo female rapper to receive the honor. (CBS Mornings via screengrab)

Hip-hop trailblazer Roxanne Shanté will make history on Feb. 1, becoming the first solo female rapper to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony. The honor, recognizing her pioneering role in rap’s formative years, places Shanté among an elite group of 2025 recipients, including Prince, The Clash, Frankie Beverly, Taj Mahal, Dr. Bobby Jones and Frankie Valli.

For a culture that has often overlooked its female pioneers, Shanté’s recognition is a landmark moment. The Queensbridge native, who first gained fame at 14 years old with the groundbreaking 1984 single "Roxanne’s Revenge," helped lay the foundation for hip-hop’s global ascent. The track, a scathing response to UTFO’s "Roxanne, Roxanne," ignited The Roxanne Wars, inspiring more than 80 response songs and cementing Shanté’s reputation as one of rap’s fiercest lyricists.

2025 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees

• 🎤 Prince – Seven-time Grammy winner, musical innovator, and genre-defying icon behind Purple Rain and Sign o’ the Times.
• 🎸 The Clash – British punk pioneers known for London Calling and politically charged anthems like Rock the Casbah.
• 🎶 Frankie Beverly – Soul and R&B legend whose work with Maze produced classics like Before I Let Go.
• 🙏 Dr. Bobby Jones – Gospel music trailblazer and longtime host of Bobby Jones Gospel, the longest-running original show on BET.
• 🎷 Taj Mahal – Blues and world music visionary who helped redefine roots music over a six-decade career.
• 🎤 Frankie Valli – The unmistakable falsetto behind Sherry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, and Big Girls Don’t Cry.

In a recent interview with CBS Mornings’ Gayle King, Shanté reflected on her journey.

"It took 40 years, but it's here. And now, all the young girls coming up in hip-hop will know that it’s possible," she said. “They’ll know that their contributions won’t be erased.”

A Battle Rap Prodigy Turned Pioneer

Shanté’s influence extended beyond the mic. She became a central figure in the Juice Crew, a legendary hip-hop collective that helped define the golden era of rap. Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, MC Shan, and Nas were all connected to her early impact on the Queensbridge rap scene.

However, despite her status as a teen prodigy and one of rap’s earliest female stars, Shanté saw little financial reward for her success.

"You had a record deal, you had a hit song, it was making money — but you weren’t making money," she recalled. "I was a girl. That was enough to make sure I wasn’t getting paid."

Frustrated by industry exploitation, she walked away from music in the early ’90s, choosing instead to focus on her family and education. She later earned a Ph.D. in psychology, proving that her battle spirit extended far beyond hip-hop.

A Long-Overdue Honor

In recent years, Shanté’s contributions have gained well-deserved recognition. In 2017, Netflix released "Roxanne Roxanne," a biopic chronicling her rise in hip-hop. In 2023, she received the NAACP Legacy Award and the Hip-Hop Grandmaster Award from the Paid in Full Foundation, a group dedicated to compensating hip-hop pioneers who never saw financial returns for their work.

Now, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award stands as the highest recognition yet of her impact. Shanté, however, sees it as more than just a personal win.

"It’s not about what I didn't get back then," she said. "It’s about making sure the next generation of girls in hip-hop never have to fight for their flowers."

Shanté’s honor comes amid a broader push to acknowledge hip-hop’s pioneers, with the Recording Academy inducting other rap icons like Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and Salt-N-Pepa in recent years. Her distinction as the first solo female rapper to receive the award highlights hip-hop’s evolution and growing recognition of its female architects.

Now a SiriusXM host on LL Cool J’s "Rock The Bells Radio," where she reaches seven million listeners daily, Shanté continues to amplify hip-hop’s history and the artists who helped build it. And despite stepping away from rap decades ago, her legendary skills remain sharp.

When asked if she could still freestyle on command, Shanté smiled and delivered an impromptu verse, proving that her quick-witted lyricism is as sharp as ever.

The Special Merit Awards Ceremony will take place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 1. The 67th Grammy Awards will air live on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, Feb. 2.

Zig-Zag’s Surprise Turntable Drop Pays Tribute to Vinyl Culture and Hip-Hop Legacy

Photo Courtesy Zig-Zag

For more than a century, Zig-Zag rolling papers have been a staple in hip-hop culture, immortalized in lyrics, album covers, and the hands of artists from coast to coast. Now, in a move no one saw coming, the brand best known for its rolling papers has dropped a limited-edition suitcase-style record player — a release as unexpected as it is undeniably on-brand.

Retailing for $99, the Zig-Zag Record Player is a three-speed belt-driven turntable housed in an orange suitcase-style casing with built-in stereo speakers, RCA and headphone outputs, Bluetooth streaming, and a USB port for digital playback. Designed for both home listening and portable use, it’s the latest entry into the world of branded nostalgia marketing, following in the footsteps of collaborations like Supreme’s boom boxes or the Wu-Tang Clan’s limited-edition Crosley turntable.

A Smokin’ Tribute to Vinyl and Hip-Hop

While it may seem like an odd move for a rolling paper company to dip into the turntable business, Zig-Zag has deeper ties to hip-hop and vinyl culture than some might realize. The brand's iconic orange logo was prominently referenced in Dr. Dre’s "The Chronic" album art in 1992, cementing its place in hip-hop's golden era. Over the decades, Zig-Zag has been name-dropped in countless rap songs, from Notorious B.I.G. to Juicy J, often as shorthand for laid-back, weed-fueled creativity.

But it’s not just the rap world that has embraced the Zig-Zag aesthetic. The brand has built a multi-
generational presence in music culture, appearing in classic rock, reggae, and even jazz circles — anywhere vinyl, counterculture and smoke-filled rooms have intersected.

The turntable’s release coincides with the launch of Zig-Zag’s Limited Edition Vintage Collection, which includes retro-styled rolling papers and apparel. The campaign, featuring musicians Rohan Marley and YG Marley, leans into multi-generational nostalgia, much like vinyl’s resurgence.

Vinyl’s Resurgence Meets Brand Marketing

The record player’s release comes amid a massive vinyl renaissance, with LP sales surpassing CDs for the first time since 1987. While collectors and audiophiles might turn their noses up at mass-market suitcase turntables, they remain wildly popular with younger audiences and casual listeners who want a stylish, entry-level way to spin records.

However, Zig-Zag’s foray into turntables raises some interesting questions about brand identity and nostalgia-driven marketing. Is this a genuine celebration of music culture, or simply another example of a company leveraging its street credibility to sell a lifestyle product?

Whatever the answer, Zig-Zag has successfully sparked curiosity and conversation, which in today’s marketing world, is just as valuable as selling out a product line.

Where to Find It

The Zig-Zag Record Player is available now for $99 on Zig-Zag’s official website, but with limited quantities, it may not be around for long. Whether it becomes a sought-after collector’s item or just another gimmicky product drop, one thing’s for sure—it’s already a talking point in hip-hop and vinyl circles alike.

N.O.R.E. Rewinds Time with New Hair Dye Campaign, Challenges Grooming Norms

The box for Rewind It 10's Jet Black Hair Dye, now endorsed by rapper and "Drink Champs" podcast host N.O.R.E., marks the latest collaboration between the hip-hop icon and the brand.

N.O.R.E., the rapper-turned-podcast titan known for hits like “Superthug” and “Oye Mi Canto,” has debuted a striking new look as the ambassador for Rewind It 10, a men’s hair dye brand co-founded by fellow hip-hop heavyweight Fat Joe. Known for decades as a bald icon, N.O.R.E. has traded his signature style for jet-black hair, sparking a cultural conversation about aging, masculinity, and reinvention in hip-hop.

“Ever since I started using Rewind It 10, I’ve been looking and feeling younger,” N.O.R.E. said in a statement. “I’m proof that you can rewind time, baby!”

Rewind It 10, launched in 2023 by Fat Joe, beauty entrepreneur Carolyn Aronson, and industry veteran Jeff Aronson, has positioned itself as a disruptor in the men’s grooming industry. Its products aim to challenge the stigma around hair coloring while offering options for men to express themselves confidently. The brand has quickly gained traction, with ambassadors like DJ Khaled, Travis Kelce and Tyson Beckford joining the campaign.

For fans who remember N.O.R.E. from his “Superthug” days, the transformation is jarring. His bald look was as much a part of his persona as his gruff voice and unapologetic swagger. The move has led many to question whether this shift represents a savvy business decision, a midlife reinvention, or a genuine embrace of self-expression.

Hip-hop has long been a genre steeped in hyper-masculinity, where appearances are tied to dominance and youth. N.O.R.E.’s embrace of hair dye challenges these long-standing norms, opening the door to more nuanced conversations about aging in a culture that often prizes staying “forever young.” Fat Joe’s involvement with Rewind It 10 also underscores how prominent hip-hop figures are normalizing self-care and self-reinvention, creating space for artists to embrace change without compromising their credibility.

While N.O.R.E.’s foray into hair dye may seem like a lighthearted shift, it represents something deeper: a new chapter in the evolution of hip-hop’s elder statesmen. Artists like N.O.R.E. and Fat Joe are reshaping what it means to age within a genre that has traditionally celebrated rebellion and youthful bravado. Through ventures like this, they remain relevant while challenging outdated stereotypes about masculinity.

N.O.R.E., whose influence extends beyond music through his widely popular podcast “Drink Champs,” continues to leverage his platform to connect with audiences in unexpected ways. The podcast, ranked among Edison Research’s top 50 in the U.S., has featured cultural heavyweights such as Dave Chappelle, Alicia Keys, and Kevin Hart. N.O.R.E.’s ability to pivot between music, media, and business speaks to his entrepreneurial spirit and ability to adapt in an ever-changing industry.

Rewind It 10’s rapid rise in popularity reflects a growing cultural shift. The brand has quickly become a best-seller at major retailers like CVS and Amazon, generating more than $50 million in sales since its launch. Co-founder Jeff Aronson called N.O.R.E. “one of the most influential voices in media and culture” and praised his ability to inspire others to embrace change.

Whether N.O.R.E.’s new look is a calculated move to stay relevant or a genuine embrace of personal reinvention, one thing is certain: he continues to keep people talking. In a genre where reinvention often defines success, N.O.R.E.’s decision to embrace change reinforces his legacy as an artist who refuses to stand still.