Source: biglonpromo.com

Before female rappers were on stage and in music videos spitting every rhyme about sex and rocking little to no clothing, there were femmeC’s like Ms. Melodie. She might not immediately come to mind when you think of female lyricists, but she was an integral member of the Boogie Down Production Crew, and was once married to legendary MC KRS-One, one of the founding members of the BDP crew (they divorced in 1992). Like her ex-husband, Ms. Melodie, born Ramona Scott, was from Brooklyn (Flatbush to be specific) and was the older sister of fellow BDP crew member Harmony. She released her debut and only album, Diva, in 1989 and made a name for herself with her memorable appearances on songs like “Self Destruction,” and with songs like “Live on Stage,” “Hype According to Ms. Melodie,” “What Do You Do,” and “Wake Up, Wake Up.”

The cause of her death is unknown at the moment, and her age isn’t clear either (though we think she was around 42 or 43) but according to reports, she is leaving behind two sons and a wealth of fans, including hip-hop heads and legends like Russell Simmons (“RIP Ms. Melodie. a dope MC”) and R&B singers like Monifah (“RIP Miss Melody. Please keep her children, family & loved ones in ur prayers. #HipHopRoyalty), who Tweeted about her passing. If you weren’t too familiar with Ms. Melodie’s music, or you just want to take a walk down memory lane, here are a few classics you might enjoy below. RIP Ms. Melodie:

And here’s the classic, “Self Destruction.” Check her in her fur! Her verse is at the 3:19 mark:

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Say what you want now, but “The Real World” single-handedly ushered in the reality TV craze. In the beginning, it was all about painting a grim, but true portrait of everyday life for young people in this little, big world of ours. And while the show was able to do all that, it’s always had a crutch when it comes to diversifying. The few black people featured from season to season were often remembered as over-agressive brothas carrying around ticking time bomb tempers. With all that, the black women of “The Real World” haven’t fully received their due, and with the 25th season starting today, it’s about time. A few of my faves, they weren’t all positive role models, but they looked like us, were interesting, and were very real indeed…Ooooo ladies first!