"Roxanne's Revenge" by Roxanne Shanté

In the fall of 1984, fledgling hip hop outfit U.T.F.O scored an accidental hit with "Roxanne, Roxanne." It was a catchy tale of three young men attempting to woo the attention of a female. Originally released as a B side and produced by Full Force / Howie Tee, "Roxanne, Roxanne" became their signature track featuring drum samples from Billy Squire’s 1980 "The Big Beat".

While this song garnered attention across the Northeast, a 14-year-old fan of theirs was mad that they cancelled one of their shows. With the help of DJ and producer Marley Marl, Lolita Shanté Gooden, now known as Roxanne Shanté, recorded this “answer song.” It would spur the “Roxanne Wars,” with an alleged 100 answer records to follow. She also became one of the first female rappers, and a pioneer for the genre.
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This was the original “street” version recorded in one take between laundry cycles, which signifies Shanté’s raw talent. It’s a classic hip hop track and one that made all of us look forward to the next answer record to follow.