I love Slate.com. In late August, The New York Daily News posted a story about an 80s rapper who transformed from a pregnant teenager in the projects to an doctor with an IVy league degree. The story focused on 80s rap star Roxanne Shante, who at 14 earned fame for her 1984 single "Roxanne's Revenge." This song was released a year before i was even born, so while she is way before my time, this story is bizare and intriguing. The article tells how the teenage-mother rapper was screwed out of royaltys and stressed out living in the projects of Queens Bridge. In the article, the rapper claims that she had a contract with record label Warner Music, which binds the label to pay for her education for life. According to the article, Shante had to battle with her record label to get them to pay but eventually won. She received an undergraduate degree in Marymount Manhattan and a PHd in Psychology from Cornell, all funded by Warner Music. The article includes a quote from Russel Simmons (not to the NYDN) about "Dr. Shante's" accomplishment. It goes on to say that sh according to this story reported by slate.e is now practicing in New York.
However, a recent report by Slate shows this
Cinderella story to be nothing more than a fairy tale..
In his story, Slate reporter Ben Sheffner uncovers the sham. The Slate article revealed:
That she doesn't have a PHD
She never enrolled at Cornell
Ny has no record of her practicing psychology
She was enrolled at Marymount for a semester but never graduated
While Shante later admitted to Slate that she doesn't have a PHd she still calls her self a doctor. Also, Warner Music claims in the slate article that although NYDN claims to have contacted them for contact, no such contact was ever made. Despite a lack of proof to confirm her story Shante insists that her education was paid for by Warner and "an annoymous doner". She insists that she attend both schools, clarifying that she earned a masters not a PHd. She insists that she registered under a false name b/c of domestic violence issues and possibly filled out the application wrong.
Um, you are smart enough to get a masters from Cornell, but not smart enough to fill an application correctly?
She also suggested that there was a computer error. The whole story was strange
Is this a "Jason Blair" affair on a smaller level...or was the NYDN reporter taken for a ride?
As an aspiring journalist the story upsets me. The NYDN has Miss Shante quoting the dean of Marymount claiming she helped Shante fight to get the money from Warner. Shouldn't the dean have been called to confirm this fact and give a direct quote? this whole story baffles me because, while I am sure that people who grew up listening to her music remember her, but I'm sure many have forgotten her or never knew in the first place? What purpose does this serve to Shante? Or the reporter? Such a random made-up story...
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