The Lady of Rage

The Lady of Rage
Birth name Robin Yvette Allen
Born (1968-06-11) June 11, 1968
Origin Farmville, Virginia, U.S.
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper/Actress/Singer
Years active 1988–present
Labels Death Row Records (1991–1998), Boss Lady Entertainment, Doggystyle Records
Associated acts Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, RBX, 2Pac, Gang Starr

Robin Yvette Allen (born June 11, 1968), better known by her stage name The Lady of Rage, is an American rapper, singer, and actress best known for collaborations with several Death Row Records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg on the seminal albums The Chronic and Doggystyle.[1] She has been described as "one of the most skillful female MCs" with a "mastery of flow" and "hard-core lyrics".[1]

Musical and acting career

In the summer of 1988, the Lady of Rage met Shahkim of the Original Outlaw Brothers, a rap group from Queens, New York. From the moment Shahkim heard her rap, he was convinced she was the best female rapper around. After convincing her he could get her a record deal, he brought her into his group. The members of the Outlaw Brothers made Rage a member of the group and they eventually were signed to a production deal with the L.A. Posse (who went on to produce several big hits for LL Cool J). At the time, the L.A. Posse had several artists within their group including, MC Wind and The Real Roxanne. They also had several relationships with different labels. Rage, along with all the artists in the camp worked diligently out of Chung King Studios in lower Manhattan recording, writing and continuing to record. In 1991, Lady of Rage met with Chubb Rock, providing vocals for his track, "Bring Em Home Safe" on his The One album, which she recorded under the name of 'Rockin’ Robin'.[2]

Dr. Dre then discovered her after the L.A. Posse let him listen to some of the tracks on their album and the vocals she recorded for the L.A. Posse's They Come in All Colors in 1991.[3] She appeared on several tracks from Dr. Dre's 1992 classic The Chronic album, and on Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle in 1993.[4]

In 1994, she had a hit single with "Afro Puffs" (from the soundtrack to Above the Rim) which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.[5] She also made an appearance on Tha Dogg Pound's album Dogg Food on the track "Do What I Feel". Though she had made more than a dozen appearances on soundtracks as well as albums from her Death Row Records cohorts, the Lady of Rage didn't release an album until '97. Her debut solo album, Necessary Roughness, was released in June 1997 and peaked at #7 on the Billboard R&B Album chart and 32 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.[6] Her solo album was originally called Eargasm and was continually pushed back - it was meant to have been the next album on Death Row Records after The Chronic, and then after Doggystyle, before finally being released in 1997.[7]

After the release of her album and a guest-appearance with Gang Starr alongside Kurupt ("You Know My Steez (Three Men and a Lady Remix)") in 1998,[4] Rage left Death Row Records and the music industry to focus on acting, appearing in an episode of Kenan & Kel.[8] The Lady of Rage then went on to be featured in the television sitcom, The Steve Harvey Show on The WB as Coretta Cox, a recurring role she played from 1997 to 2000. she also had a role in Next Friday as Baby D, baby sister of Day Day's ex-girlfriend.[8]

In 2000, she made another rapping appearance on Snoop Dogg's "Set It Off" on his album Tha Last Meal, a solo track "Unfucwitable" on Snoop Dogg Presents...Doggy Style Allstars Vol. 1 and "Batman & Robin", which appeared on Snoop Dogg's Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss album.[4]

In 2007 she signed to Shante Broadus' label, Boss Lady Entertainment, and recorded a street album called From VA 2 LA.[9] She also made appearances on Bigg Snoop Dogg Presents…Welcome to tha Chuuch: Da Album and Cali Iz Active.[4]

She is currently a part of the FEM (Females Earning Money) Movement along with fellow female rappers Babs (of Da Band), Lady Luck, and Amil.[10] In 2008, she performed with MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, and Salt-n-Pepa at the BET Hip Hop Awards.[11] In the summer of 2010 she joined Snoop Dogg during his headlining set at the Rock the Bells festival concert series, along with Warren G, RBX and Tha Dogg Pound for a performance of the classic Doggystyle album in its entirety.

Rage is currently part of the group N'Matez, along with Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, and RBX.

Rage has reportedly signed on to play herself in the upcoming, "Dogg Pound 4 Life", a biopic revolving around the rise of the infamous 1990's "The Dogg Pound". Also starring; Azad Arnaud (Son Of Daz Dillinger) as "Daz Dillinger", Curtis Young (Son Of Rap Legend, Dr. Dre) as "Dr. Dre", Reggie Noble as "Suge Knight", DaDa as "Tupac Shakur" & Melvin Jackson Jr as "Kurupt".

Rapping technique

Lady of Rage describes much of her rapping technique in the book How to Rap - she notes the importance of having a strong vocabulary,[12] writing poetry,[13] having different styles of flow,[14] using 'rests',[15] researching lyrics,[16] taking your time to write lyrics,[17] working with producers,[18] doing guide vocals,[19] and her compound rhymes in the track 'Unfucwitable' are broken down.[20]

Discography

Studio albums
Mixtapes

Filmography

Television

Film

References

  1. 1 2 Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 324.
  2. ↑ Exclusive Interview With The Lady Of Rage - Rap and Hip Hop Music Network. Raptalk.net (2006-12-07). Retrieved on 2012-12-14.
  3. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p45179
  4. 1 2 3 4 http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p45179/credits
  5. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p45179/charts-awards/billboard-singles
  6. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p45179/charts-awards
  7. ↑ // The Lady Of Rage Interview (February 2007) // West Coast News Network //. Dubcnn.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-14.
  8. 1 2 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0706437/
  9. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1469958
  10. ↑ Archived July 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ Archived July 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 52.
  13. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 57.
  14. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 96.
  15. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 129.
  16. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 138-139.
  17. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 160.
  18. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 176, 285-286.
  19. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 273.
  20. ↑ Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 89-90.
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