by Candice Hardy

You may sing these songs everyday driving to work, at the club, or even at after a bad break-up.  These anthems help you through the ups and downs of life.  But, do you know who is behind these lyrics?  Songwriting is dominated by men these days, especially in the R&B and Hip-Hop genres.  However, African American women are rightfully earning top spots next to their male counterparts.  Here are five female songwriters you may not know…

Angela Hunte-This singer and songwriter has written songs for Britney Spears, Danity Kane and newcomer, Melanie Fiona.  However, Hunte became even more recognized after she co-wrote the Grammy winning New York anthem “Empire State of Mind”, performed by Jay-z and Alicia Keys.  She sites growing up in New York as the reason for her love of all genres of music.