Before there was Nicki Minaj, Azealia Banks, Lil Mama, Remy Ma, Rye Rye or Kid Sister…before there were iPods, wireless Internet or digital music stores…there was the golden age of hip-hop; where female rappers such as Yo-Yo, Lady of Rage, Roxanne Shante, Da Brat, Mia X and Jean Grae were a mainstay on the scene-always delivering enthusiasm, originality and wisdom in a verse. They rapped persuasively apart, and also came together to make masterful collaborations (ex. Ladies Night and Ladies First). Of course, none of this is to say that present day female artists aren’t throwing down in the studio, but that back-in-the-day, raw talent and frill-less music videos could go a long way, especially when you already have the qualifying skills to be regarded as a true rap/hip-hop legend.

QUEEN LATIFAH

Queen Latifah is inarguably one of the most highly regarded female emcees of all time. She had a powerful, even flow that made audiences want to stop and listen.  In her heyday, she produced energetic songs that were socially and politically conscious, often dwelling on gender issues and street violence. She gave us classics like “U.N.I.T.Y,” “Just Another Day,” “Ladies First,” and “Come Into My House”.

You already know that Madame Noire stays representing at Black Girls Rock! It’s one of our favorite events so you shouldn’t be surprised that we took our time on the pink carpet at this year’s annual gala to schmooze with some of our favorite celebrity sistahs like Salt, Meagan Good, Ciara, Lala Anthony, and Janelle Monae. We asked each of these fabulous women who their Black Girl crushes were as they were growing up. Some of the answers may surprise you. Check it out!

Image: Nikki Nelson/WENN.com

St. Louis-born film, music and television director Millicent Shelton is turning Hollywood upside down. She’s made history with her directing work. Created some of the most talk-about video clips. And is now in constant demand in television.

Shelton, who began her career in 1989 as a wardrobe production assistant on the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing, made music videos for artists such as Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Aaliyah, CeCe Peniston and Salt-n-Pepa, creating that latter group’s iconic “Let’s Talk About Sex” video in 1991. After directing more than a hundred music videos, Shelton, a graduate of Princeton University and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, made her first feature film — the hip-hop inspired Ride in 1998.

After working hard to break into television directing, she now has racked up not only impressive credits, but an Emmy. In fact, she became the first African-American woman to earn a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the episode “Apollo, Apollo” on the series 30 Rock. She’s also put on the director’s cap for episodes of Everybody Hates Chris, The Bernie Mac Show, Girlfriends, Castle, Californication, My Name Is Earl, 90210, Men of a Certain Age, Pan Am, Leverage, Parenthood, Jane By Design,  and Cougar Town.

Madame Noire recently caught up with Shelton in between filming. Here’s what she had to say.

Madame Noire: What is the most enjoyable part of what you do?

Millicent Shelton: I like to create. Taking words on a page and bring them to life in living color is an amazing experience.

MN:  Do you find there are more women directing in TV?

MS: The Directors Guild Of America just published some statistics based on the 2011-12 TV episodic season. They found that 11 percent of the episodes were directed by Caucasian females and only four percent by minority females. Those percentages are up one percent from last season, so, no, there has not been a significant change in the amount of TV episodes that female directors are working on.

Part of me says that this industry is naturally nepotistic the other part of me thinks that some males find it difficult for a female to be in that type of leadership position.

MN:  What have been some of the obstacles you have faced as an African-American female director?

MS: Lack of work. Always hustling for the next job. Which you can say is an obstacle for all directors. I just think that sometimes the hill is a little higher for me to climb. I face it by putting on my hiking boots and forging forward…never looking back.

MN: Do you feel you are opening doors for other women in the industry?

MS: I don’t have a clue. A door may be open on a show that has worked successfully with me and they feel like, “Yeah it doesn’t matter that she’s a woman or an African American. It matters that she’s a good director.” But if the door opens, then it is up to the individual director to succeed on her own merit.

MN: What are some of your latest projects?

MS: Go On with Matthew Perry on NBC and Parenthood on NBC. I am shooting a pilot for BET right now called What Would Dylan Do?  Dallas is my next stop.

MN: What is one project you want to work on soon?

MS: I really want to direct an episode of Shameless and House of Lies.

MN: Advice to young filmmakers?

MS:  It’s going to be tough. Learn your craft well. Never give up.

MN: Any tips on juggling career, marriage and motherhood?

MS: It’s the hardest thing in the world. Most of the time I feel so torn between loving what I do and loving my children. The two clash a lot especially since I have been traveling out of town to work fairly frequently during the past two years. My kids are amazing giving souls. They accept that mommy is working and we Skype almost every day.

MN:  What’s your favorite downtime activity?

MS: Spending time doing anything or absolutely nothing with my kids.

blackvoices.com

For better or worse, society has always tried to set the standard on how women should wear their hair. Long and bland has always been a particular favorite. But these seven celebrity women have taken their cues from an asymmetrical school of thought. They’ve worn their hair just a buzz cut above the rest and dared to be different.

Ok ladies, in the words of Salt –n- Pepa, let’s talk about sex! With many of us single, dating multiple men and waiting much longer to settle down and get married it’s likely that we have had sex with more than one person. Whether you have a laundry list of names or a modest one or two, it’s your prerogative and it shouldn’t be anyone business right?

According to a recent conversation I had with a group of thirty-something old men, asking a girl for her ‘number’ may become the new norm. With the rise of HIV infection in the African American community, and the fragile male ego of having a ‘good girl’ to bring home, men are becoming less afraid to ask potential mates how many sexual partners they have had in the past. Rightfully so, both men and women should be open and honest about their health status and condition, but is it fair to share your past trysts with your new boo?

Like your age number, your sexual number can be wrongly judged and prevent an amazing relationship from happening. Think about it, if your number is too low, a guy can perceive you as inexperienced and not ready for what he has to ‘offer’; or if the number is too high you are automatically placed in the “jump off” category. A few of the men I chatted with confessed that they secretly wanted an ‘experienced’ woman that didn’t have much ‘exposure’. They wanted a lady in the streets but a freak in the bedroom type to call their own. I also learned that they are well aware that when women do share their ‘number’ they lie to protect their image. Is this true ladies?

I was partly happy that men are beginning to take their sexual health seriously by asking upfront questions to a potential lover, but there was another part of me that was weary about revealing something so personal. Is there a stigma on the quantity of partners a woman may have had? Or is it a question of quality versus quantity? If two mature adults are willing to share a life together, how much of them or their past should they really reveal? If you are STD free, should it really matter how many sexual partners you’ve had?

Ladies, would you want to know how many sexual partners your man had before you?  Would you tell your true number?

Did you remember that June is Black Music Month? If you didn’t Black Voices has a friendly reminder for you. They’re featuring some black artists that have left their mark in the industry. (A daunting task, right?) Recently they highlighted rap duo Salt-N-Pepa.

Here some fun facts you may not have known about the “Push It” women. Check it out.

- Salt-N-Pepa holds the title for the biggest selling female rap group

- They’re from Queens, NY.

- Cheryl and Sandy (Salt and Pep) worked at Sears as customer service representatives while they were taking classes at Queens Community College

- Their debut album Hot, Cool, & Vicious went platinum in 1988.

To read the full story about Salt-N-Pepa check out AOL’s Black Voices.

Hip Hop culture goes far beyond just music. Popular artists of the genre are trendsetters in several arenas.  To say that some hip hop artists have influenced hairstyles would be an understatement. These rap stars listed here didn’t necessarily create the trends they are most closely associated with, but they did help popularize them.

Check out how these hip hop heavy weights changed the follicle game over the years:

In 2010, you may have spent your days looking at fabulous and fun photos of all the events that you did not attend. This year, we are filling you in early so mark your calendar because 2011 is going to be a very eventful year. Don’t miss out!

Here are a few up-coming events that you don’t want to miss: