Before Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown and Nikki Minaj’s smoky-voiced tough talk bogarted its way to the forefront of a male dominated rap industry, Bronx rapper Antoinette introduced her brand of lethal lyricism with her debut single “I Got an Attitude.”

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As the lone female rap artist on seminal rap impresario’s Hurby Luv Bug’s Next Plateau imprint, Sound Check Records, the Boss Lady had more in common with Rakim’s game-changing deadpan delivery than labelmates Salt-N-Pepa’s sexy chemistry.

 

When few rappers had yet to follow the leader into the abyss of lyrical complexity, Antoinette jumped in feet first, unleashing compound lyrical patterns and cliffhanger rhymes, dispatching adversaries with a brash wittiness associated with rap’s elite. Her two classic albums “Who’s The Boss” and “Burnin’ At 20 Below” are the archetype for any rap neophyte in search of insight.

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During the era of notable 80’s rap battles, Antoinette was front and center, going head-to-head against MC Lyte before completely walking away from the industry as a pre-med student. More than just a footnote in history, Antoinette’s legacy is just as golden as the legendary rap era from which she came.