Netflix Original Biopic Tells True Story Of Iconic Battle MC

For those not in the know, Roxanne Roxanne centers on Queens, New York MC Roxanne Shante, as she rises through the ranks of the New York hip hop scene in the early 1980s. Shante’s first major claim to fame was her lead vocal appearance on the Marley Marl-produced hit “Roxanne’s Revenge,” which served as a response to the track “Roxanne Roxanne” by rap trio U.T.F.O. The track released when Shante was only 14 years of age, and rapidly catapulted her into overnight stardom, as one of the pioneering voices of battle rap.

Roxanne Shante was not only one of the youngest women to ever enter the rap game, she was also one of the most prudent scholars to study the business of the recording industry. Shante is said to have finessed her label Warner Music into funding her college education, resulting in the young luminary getting her bachelor’s degree from Marymount Manhattan College, along with a master’s and PHD in psychology from Cornell University. As shown in the narrative of Roxanne Roxanne, the battle-tested rap icon contained multitudes, both on and off the mic.

Roxanne Roxanne came to Netflix after an intense bidding war for the film’s distribution rights. The movie, which originally premiered as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition block at Sundance Film Festival, turned a number of heads for its intense subject matter, historical relevance, and top-shelf performances. Neon, Amazon Studios, Miramax, and Lionsgate are among those who were outbid for the film’s distribution.

Michael Larnell served as the writer and director for Roxanne Roxanne, after working closely with the real rapper to properly bring her story to the big screen. The film includes performances from Chanté Adams, Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, Germar Terrell Gardner, Terrence Shingler, and rap pioneer Adam Horovitz, best known for his work in The Beastie Boys. Ali and Adams were particularly lauded for their powerful performances, with the latter taking home the Breakthrough Performance Award for her role.

As a matter of fact, Chanté Adams is said to have been named after Shante, as her mother was a massive fan. Details like this illustrate exactly how Roxanne Roxanne brings the legacy of the female rapper full circle. As a life-long rap fan, I grew up aware of Shante’s exploits on the mic, though I never knew about many of her personal trials and tribulations until discovering this movie.

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Today, Roxanne Roxanne is streaming on Netflix for those interested in learning more about one of the unsung founders of battle rap. Without prolific artists such as Roxanne Shante, we may never have reached the heights of rap diss tracks we know today such as Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Eminem’s “Killshot,” or even 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up.”