May 29, 2025 • 10 mins
DJ Kristyles chops it up with the legendary Roxanne Shanté in a wide-ranging conversation that spans her entire journey — from the historic Roxanne Wars to receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys. They talk battles, the evolution of the culture, what it means to leave a lasting legacy and more.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is WOVU Studios, the number one DJ and the
game well one two three, you're in the maze with
DJ and Crys Styles.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Point nine f M. Is you guy, DJ, Chris Styles?
I'm with the legendary, legendary rock Sunshine Tey. How are
you doing to work up in Cleveland?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you? Thank you? I'm absolutely great. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I'm doing well? I got to come out right now.
A Lifetime Achievement Award? Yes for the Grammys?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yes, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Could you when you got that phone call? What was
your feeling at that moment?
Speaker 4 (00:36):
When I first got the phone call, it was like,
I really wasn't excited for myself as much as I
was for those who were being inducted in my class,
such as Prince and we had just lost Frankie Beverly,
so it was Frankie Beverly, TAJ my whole, Frankie Valley,
you know the clash, and then you include Roxy and Chantey.
It's just amazing to even be considered to be honored
(00:58):
with that class. Do you know when you think think
about them, you're just like, okay, Because I remember them
telling me everyone and the first thing as they were
saying it like when they said me, I said, okay,
But then they say, Prince, you start going through everybody's
songs in your head, and you know, it was just
it was amazing. It was definitely amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I mean, I think it's long overdue because we were
talking about the impact of hip hop. Right, Yes, a
thirteen year old rock sand Shanete was killing in New
york Y, killing, battling everybody at that time. When you
were going through about it, did you know that you
were sparking something that years later it still goes on
years later. It became like a benchmark of MC's. No.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Actually, for me when it came to starting off in
hip hop, I started off in hip hop mainly because
of an income. So it was a source of income
for my family, where for everyone else it was part
of their hobbies. It was something that they wanted to do.
Everybody had rhyme books. I still today don't have rhyme books.
I don't have any of that, So one of those things.
For me, it was just something that I was able
to do and very good at it, and it was
(02:01):
able to do something for my family. So I think
I was a little different. I didn't get bit by
the bug everyone else got kind of bit by the bug,
and I just didn't get bit by the buck.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
You use it, so you're the first one take then
you're the first person that that everybody was talking about.
They don't right there rhymes, you're the first one. Nah,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I just I just don't tell.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Me about that, Like tell us about that process. I mean,
that's a that's a crazy process. Talk about next level
where could just go in and booth and just say
something and it makes sense all the way through.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
You know, it's like, Okay, it's like, for instance, like
your pants is blue, your shirt is red, and I'm
getting a sign that's above your head ninety five point
nine f MUC right here with the BBC community, you know,
like it's just it became a second language for me.
So for everyone else, it was like they needed a beat,
they needed a freestyle, and I didn't need anything, you know,
So it.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Was it just was yeah, it was just it's pretty
easy for me.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I think once you start to do something, And that's
the reason why I put so much emphasis on young
people starting something when you're younger, because when you start
when you're younger, you truly met aster it and when
you master it, it's easy for you to do it,
and it's also easy for you to adjust because the
same way I'm able to do that to this, I'm
also able to do that.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
If another MC is in.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Front of me and they use a certain style, I
can mimic their style on the same beat.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
So you know, it's it's just I don't know. It's
definitely a blessing.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
It's best and the talent. How do you feel? What's
your feelings when a lot of the legendary females of
hip hop say your name and the sentence of like,
oh no, it's rock sane sciente like we're talking about
females have like millions of records. So but then when
they're talking about, oh no, it was rock scan shin te,
how does that feel?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It feels good.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
It feels like being being in that older sister position,
especially when it comes to those in the industry. So
when they see you as that oldest sister, there's a
level of respect that comes along with it, and every
one of their wins, I see it as one of
my wins. Like I never sat back and felt like,
oh that should be me or I should be there.
I always felt like that is them and that's their
time and it is great. So being that type of
(03:58):
supportive person has a lot to have such a peaceful existence.
So when I see them say my name or call
my name when they're getting such huge awards, like if
Missy says it when she's getting inducted into Hall of Fame,
or when Sultan Pepper says it, or you know, just
to hear Meghan and everyone else said, it's not like
to sit back and say, oh, I feel like I'm
(04:19):
not forgotten. No, I feel like I'm that big sister,
and it's just them saying, listen, thank you for doing it.
So for me, it just seems like thank you and accolade.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
And not just for the females, for the males, because
you really paved the way. Like listen, we were talking
about were talking about for real, we were talking about
like battling. Yeah, like it was you. You won battles. Yes,
it gets mel and then you you was robbed of
a battle because somebody didn't I'm not going to say
the name, but they voted and said, well, because she
was a girl, I didn't vote for her, right, and
you win of these battles like you are when you
(04:48):
go to New York, we say rock Shane. They're like,
oh yeah, goat, yeah, absolutely go it. That's what they say.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, they do.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
And I and I and I take that, I humbly
take that as a true honor. And that's a lot
of people say, well, you know, you're just so humble
with it and you're so modest, and I say, but
you know this is because I'm so blessed with it,
like I truly feel it. I think when you really
feel something, it becomes a part of you, so you're
comfortable with it.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
So for me, when someone says.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yeah, you know, you're the greatest, and da daa, and
I say okay, thank you, you know what I'm saying,
and just and like okay, so do you want something
to eat?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Like, okay, so are we going to go do that?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Exactly. And I love that because I always want to
be approachable. I always want to be comfortable, you know.
I feel bad sometimes when I see a lot of
my peers or a lot of other artists or people
who are in any industry when they feel like they
can't walk where they want to walk and they can't
do what they want to do. And I always want
to walk where I want to walk, and I always
want to do what I want to do.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
So I'm a person that doesn't have poles and security.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
People be like, oh, you know you need that for
what Because I don't need to have that filter between
me and my people, because you're my people, and I
don't need that filter. So I like that, you know.
I like it the fact that people come up to me.
I'm not a person that people say, oh, well listen,
can I can I have a hug? You know, literally,
they want to hug from me, and I give that
out because we're placed here magical for reasons.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
So I just I just like being me.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
This rock Sunshine tete here. Did you think hip hop
will make it this far? We remember the rapping Duke right,
and we remember Biggy. We said, I never thought of
hip hop would make it this far? Did you think
hip hop would make it to twenty twenty five? Because
you was there when it six seven years, when it's
been in existence.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
I knew it was because anything that is attached to poverty,
that's attached to the struggle, that's attached to young people,
and we're going to always have impoverished young people in
the struggle.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
So as long as we had that, we were going
to always have hip hop. And I knew that hip hop.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Is took it over the world now, I mean it's
taken over.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Yeah, it is. Hip hop is everything.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
I call it that I called hip hop the new pop.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
It's the new pop. It is. Everybody is doing it.
And it's going full circles for you now because now
you're on serious radioly on rock the Bells at your
own show, Like it's amazing seeing that that that's coming
to fruition for you, like part of like you're in
the beginning you started. Now you have a radio show.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Well, having a radio show is excellent. Ll came up
to me.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
We were actually doing an interview one day and he
was interviewing me about my movie. And while we were there,
we were just talking and he said, you know what
you need to be doing this. I need to be
in that chair. You need to be in this chair,
and we're gonna make it happen.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
And he did.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
And literally when I got home, he was like, Okay, listen,
this is gonna be a radio show and you just
do whatever it is you want to do on it,
and literally I do whatever it is that I want
to do on it. So it's not your typical radio show. Instead,
I am your friend in the car because we start
to show off with okay, move over, I'm in the car,
and then we talk about everything that takes place from work.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
It's no script.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Again, it's almost like how my life is and how
my ability to freestyle is.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
There's no script. There's no structure to the show.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
People laugh because it's not like we don't know what
I'm gonna talk about because I don't know what I'm
gonna talk about. Like I just walk in and this
is this is what it is, y'all.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Good day, bad.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Day, like because I have no script on my radio.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
This move One thing I do take is jaredal Yeah,
I fucked with Jared. I do I take to Jered.
Don't roll with that because I don't I don't believe
in Like, I mean nothing, nothing is wrong with like
Starbucks and all of those fancy drinks and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
But baby, that's what you take.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Jer go to Withever toil I out do them all.
I need to get a commercial, do it right whichever
till I out do them all I might need to
get that.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You know, I don't post that. I'm wanted to tag them.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, you better tag that. I do it all, do
it all.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Rock says. But I appreciate you so much. This is
the honor for me. You're a hip hop legend inside
the child be like right now, I got to be professional.
But listen, you're dope. I remember that. I remember Ran
Rocks hands Revenge in my head. I remember you went
at you were at them man. The Juice Crew. A
(09:04):
little bit about Juice Crew.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
You know, it has been sad for the Juice Crew
for the past couple of years because we lost We
didn't lose nobody like we were the only crew that
had no death. And then all of a sudden in
the past three years, we lost four members and it
was just it was sad for ourself, of course, bismarcky granddaddy,
I you you know, it's just you know, it's just
(09:27):
as it's sad mister C.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
You know, TJ Swan.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
So with those members, DJ Polo, with those members missing,
it's hard to take that family picture now. But one
thing I can say is that it's always going to
be edged in the stone of hip Hop, The Juice Crew, Yeah,
the Juice Crew.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Yeah, we showed up and showed out.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
You know, we were like we were originally hip hop's
first super friends. Everybody was superheroes on their own because
you see the success of everyone the Big Daddy, Knes,
Roxy and Shin Taste, So everybody was superheroes on their own.
But together we would super friends, and so it was.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Like, you know, it stuck together to do everything.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Activated like, yeah, it's a beef, Yeah, don't worry about it. Yeah,
I'm was looking at Sky and one of the coming.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I appreciate you so much, Rock Sunshine Tey. Everybody makes
sure you check out our show on Serious Ready on
Rock the Bell. She's dope. Do your history, man real
appreciate you, Thank you, thank you,
This is WOVU Studios, the number one DJ and the
game well one two three, you're in the maze with
DJ and Crys Styles.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Point nine f M. Is you guy, DJ, Chris Styles?
I'm with the legendary, legendary rock Sunshine Tey. How are
you doing to work up in Cleveland?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you? Thank you? I'm absolutely great. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I'm doing well? I got to come out right now.
A Lifetime Achievement Award? Yes for the Grammys?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yes, sir?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Could you when you got that phone call? What was
your feeling at that moment?
Speaker 4 (00:36):
When I first got the phone call, it was like,
I really wasn't excited for myself as much as I
was for those who were being inducted in my class,
such as Prince and we had just lost Frankie Beverly,
so it was Frankie Beverly, TAJ my whole, Frankie Valley,
you know the clash, and then you include Roxy and Chantey.
It's just amazing to even be considered to be honored
(00:58):
with that class. Do you know when you think think
about them, you're just like, okay, Because I remember them
telling me everyone and the first thing as they were
saying it like when they said me, I said, okay,
But then they say, Prince, you start going through everybody's
songs in your head, and you know, it was just
it was amazing. It was definitely amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I mean, I think it's long overdue because we were
talking about the impact of hip hop. Right, Yes, a
thirteen year old rock sand Shanete was killing in New
york Y, killing, battling everybody at that time. When you
were going through about it, did you know that you
were sparking something that years later it still goes on
years later. It became like a benchmark of MC's. No.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Actually, for me when it came to starting off in
hip hop, I started off in hip hop mainly because
of an income. So it was a source of income
for my family, where for everyone else it was part
of their hobbies. It was something that they wanted to do.
Everybody had rhyme books. I still today don't have rhyme books.
I don't have any of that, So one of those things.
For me, it was just something that I was able
to do and very good at it, and it was
(02:01):
able to do something for my family. So I think
I was a little different. I didn't get bit by
the bug everyone else got kind of bit by the bug,
and I just didn't get bit by the buck.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
You use it, so you're the first one take then
you're the first person that that everybody was talking about.
They don't right there rhymes, you're the first one. Nah,
I don't.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I just I just don't tell.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Me about that, Like tell us about that process. I mean,
that's a that's a crazy process. Talk about next level
where could just go in and booth and just say
something and it makes sense all the way through.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
You know, it's like, Okay, it's like, for instance, like
your pants is blue, your shirt is red, and I'm
getting a sign that's above your head ninety five point
nine f MUC right here with the BBC community, you know,
like it's just it became a second language for me.
So for everyone else, it was like they needed a beat,
they needed a freestyle, and I didn't need anything, you know,
So it.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Was it just was yeah, it was just it's pretty
easy for me.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I think once you start to do something, And that's
the reason why I put so much emphasis on young
people starting something when you're younger, because when you start
when you're younger, you truly met aster it and when
you master it, it's easy for you to do it,
and it's also easy for you to adjust because the
same way I'm able to do that to this, I'm
also able to do that.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
If another MC is in.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Front of me and they use a certain style, I
can mimic their style on the same beat.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
So you know, it's it's just I don't know. It's
definitely a blessing.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
It's best and the talent. How do you feel? What's
your feelings when a lot of the legendary females of
hip hop say your name and the sentence of like,
oh no, it's rock sane sciente like we're talking about
females have like millions of records. So but then when
they're talking about, oh no, it was rock scan shin te,
how does that feel?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It feels good.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
It feels like being being in that older sister position,
especially when it comes to those in the industry. So
when they see you as that oldest sister, there's a
level of respect that comes along with it, and every
one of their wins, I see it as one of
my wins. Like I never sat back and felt like,
oh that should be me or I should be there.
I always felt like that is them and that's their
time and it is great. So being that type of
(03:58):
supportive person has a lot to have such a peaceful existence.
So when I see them say my name or call
my name when they're getting such huge awards, like if
Missy says it when she's getting inducted into Hall of Fame,
or when Sultan Pepper says it, or you know, just
to hear Meghan and everyone else said, it's not like
to sit back and say, oh, I feel like I'm
(04:19):
not forgotten. No, I feel like I'm that big sister,
and it's just them saying, listen, thank you for doing it.
So for me, it just seems like thank you and accolade.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
And not just for the females, for the males, because
you really paved the way. Like listen, we were talking
about were talking about for real, we were talking about
like battling. Yeah, like it was you. You won battles. Yes,
it gets mel and then you you was robbed of
a battle because somebody didn't I'm not going to say
the name, but they voted and said, well, because she
was a girl, I didn't vote for her, right, and
you win of these battles like you are when you
(04:48):
go to New York, we say rock Shane. They're like,
oh yeah, goat, yeah, absolutely go it. That's what they say.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, they do.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
And I and I and I take that, I humbly
take that as a true honor. And that's a lot
of people say, well, you know, you're just so humble
with it and you're so modest, and I say, but
you know this is because I'm so blessed with it,
like I truly feel it. I think when you really
feel something, it becomes a part of you, so you're
comfortable with it.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
So for me, when someone says.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yeah, you know, you're the greatest, and da daa, and
I say okay, thank you, you know what I'm saying,
and just and like okay, so do you want something
to eat?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Like, okay, so are we going to go do that?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Exactly. And I love that because I always want to
be approachable. I always want to be comfortable, you know.
I feel bad sometimes when I see a lot of
my peers or a lot of other artists or people
who are in any industry when they feel like they
can't walk where they want to walk and they can't
do what they want to do. And I always want
to walk where I want to walk, and I always
want to do what I want to do.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
So I'm a person that doesn't have poles and security.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
People be like, oh, you know you need that for
what Because I don't need to have that filter between
me and my people, because you're my people, and I
don't need that filter. So I like that, you know.
I like it the fact that people come up to me.
I'm not a person that people say, oh, well listen,
can I can I have a hug? You know, literally,
they want to hug from me, and I give that
out because we're placed here magical for reasons.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
So I just I just like being me.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
This rock Sunshine tete here. Did you think hip hop
will make it this far? We remember the rapping Duke right,
and we remember Biggy. We said, I never thought of
hip hop would make it this far? Did you think
hip hop would make it to twenty twenty five? Because
you was there when it six seven years, when it's
been in existence.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
I knew it was because anything that is attached to poverty,
that's attached to the struggle, that's attached to young people,
and we're going to always have impoverished young people in
the struggle.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
So as long as we had that, we were going
to always have hip hop. And I knew that hip hop.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Is took it over the world now, I mean it's
taken over.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Yeah, it is. Hip hop is everything.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
I call it that I called hip hop the new pop.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
It's the new pop. It is. Everybody is doing it.
And it's going full circles for you now because now
you're on serious radioly on rock the Bells at your
own show, Like it's amazing seeing that that that's coming
to fruition for you, like part of like you're in
the beginning you started. Now you have a radio show.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Well, having a radio show is excellent. Ll came up
to me.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
We were actually doing an interview one day and he
was interviewing me about my movie. And while we were there,
we were just talking and he said, you know what
you need to be doing this. I need to be
in that chair. You need to be in this chair,
and we're gonna make it happen.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
And he did.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
And literally when I got home, he was like, Okay, listen,
this is gonna be a radio show and you just
do whatever it is you want to do on it,
and literally I do whatever it is that I want
to do on it. So it's not your typical radio show. Instead,
I am your friend in the car because we start
to show off with okay, move over, I'm in the car,
and then we talk about everything that takes place from work.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
It's no script.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Again, it's almost like how my life is and how
my ability to freestyle is.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
There's no script. There's no structure to the show.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
People laugh because it's not like we don't know what
I'm gonna talk about because I don't know what I'm
gonna talk about. Like I just walk in and this
is this is what it is, y'all.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Good day, bad.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Day, like because I have no script on my radio.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
This move One thing I do take is jaredal Yeah,
I fucked with Jared. I do I take to Jered.
Don't roll with that because I don't I don't believe
in Like, I mean nothing, nothing is wrong with like
Starbucks and all of those fancy drinks and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
But baby, that's what you take.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Jer go to Withever toil I out do them all.
I need to get a commercial, do it right whichever
till I out do them all I might need to
get that.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You know, I don't post that. I'm wanted to tag them.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, you better tag that. I do it all, do
it all.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Rock says. But I appreciate you so much. This is
the honor for me. You're a hip hop legend inside
the child be like right now, I got to be professional.
But listen, you're dope. I remember that. I remember Ran
Rocks hands Revenge in my head. I remember you went
at you were at them man. The Juice Crew. A
(09:04):
little bit about Juice Crew.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
You know, it has been sad for the Juice Crew
for the past couple of years because we lost We
didn't lose nobody like we were the only crew that
had no death. And then all of a sudden in
the past three years, we lost four members and it
was just it was sad for ourself, of course, bismarcky granddaddy,
I you you know, it's just you know, it's just
(09:27):
as it's sad mister C.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
You know, TJ Swan.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
So with those members, DJ Polo, with those members missing,
it's hard to take that family picture now. But one
thing I can say is that it's always going to
be edged in the stone of hip Hop, The Juice Crew, Yeah,
the Juice Crew.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Yeah, we showed up and showed out.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
You know, we were like we were originally hip hop's
first super friends. Everybody was superheroes on their own because
you see the success of everyone the Big Daddy, Knes,
Roxy and Shin Taste, So everybody was superheroes on their own.
But together we would super friends, and so it was.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Like, you know, it stuck together to do everything.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Activated like, yeah, it's a beef, Yeah, don't worry about it. Yeah,
I'm was looking at Sky and one of the coming.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I appreciate you so much, Rock Sunshine Tey. Everybody makes
sure you check out our show on Serious Ready on
Rock the Bell. She's dope. Do your history, man real
appreciate you, Thank you, thank you,
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