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Queen Pen

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Queen Pen
Birth nameLynise Walters
Born1972 (age 52–53)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
OccupationRapper
Years active1994–present
Labels

Lynise Walters (born 1972), better known by her stage name Queen Pen, is an American rapper and novelist.

Career

Her music career launched after she became a protégé of Teddy Riley, a record producer and member of the R&B group Blackstreet in the mid-1990s. Although she was not listed on the song, she was a featured artist alongside Dr. Dre in Blackstreet's 1996 hit, "No Diggity".[1] She signed to Riley's Lil' Man label, and released My Melody (1997), her solo debut album, produced by Riley.[2]

Her first album produced the charted singles "Man Behind the Music", "All My Love", and "Party Ain't a Party". Queen Pen earned a 1998 Soul Train nomination for Best New Artist.[3] She also gained notice from her song "Girlfriend" featuring Meshell Ndegeocello, where she explored same-sex affairs.[4]

She took a three-year hiatus from rapping, and returned with Conversations with Queen (2001), her second album. She is now a novelist. Her sons Donlynn and Quintion Walters are also rappers who go by the stage names of Nefu Da Don and Q Nhannaz.

Personal life

After the release of the single, "Girlfriend", that contained themes that were taboo in the hip-hop community at the time, some media sources presumed Queen Pen to be gay or bisexual.[5][6][7] During the song's release, Pen remained coy about her sexuality and would not disclose it unless it was going to be a "front page" story.[6] She also added that if she told the press she was straight, she would be viewed as a liar; in turn, if she were to say she was gay, she would be viewed as someone trying to get publicity.[6] In 2001, Pen disclosed, in an interview, that she was neither a lesbian or bisexual.[8]

Controversy

Feud with Foxy Brown

In 1998, a dispute between Foxy Brown and Queen Pen developed over Pen's controversial lesbian-themed single "Girlfriend."[5] Brown, who took offense to the song's subject, spewed homophobic remarks at both Pen and former rival Queen Latifah via her diss track "10% Dis".[5][9] In response, Pen reportedly confronted Brown while barefoot in the lobby of Nevada's Reno Hilton during the Impact Music Convention and tried to slap her and chase her down an elevator.[5][10] The fight was broken up by producer Derek "DC" Clark and Brown's associates Noreaga and Cam'ron.[10] Later, Queen Pen happened upon Foxy Brown again when Brown was accompanied by ex-lover Kurupt. Again, the conflict was subdued before any further physical contact occurred.[10]

In late 1998, Brown released another diss track titled "Talk to Me", which contained more homophobic remarks directed at Pen and Queen Latifah.[11] In 2001, Pen responded to the aforementioned diss track with her record "I Got Cha," in which Pen called Brown a "bum bitch," and later made remarks about her being funny and fake "like a drag queen."[12] Although Pen insisted the song was not about Brown, she responded in an MTV interview: "You make a record about me, I make a record about you. Sooner or later I'm going to have to punch you in your face."[13] Shortly after the track's release, the feud began to die down, and by July 2006, both Pen and Brown reconciled during an attendance at Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit.[14][15]

Novels

  • Situations: A Book of Short Stories (2002)
  • Blossom: A Novel (2007)

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

  1. ^ "Will the Mainstream Support More Than One Rap Queen at a Time? A Charts Investigation". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2019-03-07.
  2. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "[Queen Pen at AllMusic Queen Pen]". AllMusic.
  3. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  4. ^ Jamison, Laura (1998-01-18). "A Feisty Female Rapper Breaks a Hip-Hop Taboo". New York Times.
  5. ^ a b c d D, Davey (May 15, 1998). "May '98 Hip Hop News". Davey D's Hip Hop Corner. daveyd.com. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Jamison, Laura (January 18, 1998). "A Feisty Female Rapper Breaks a Hip-Hop Taboo". New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2013 – via prismnet.com.
  7. ^ Haye, Christian (August 15, 1998). "The Grimee". Frieze Magazine. frieze.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  8. ^ Flowers, Nina (July 2001). "Revolutions > Queen Pen: Conversations with Queen". Vibe. No. 131.
  9. ^ "Funkmaster Flex – 10% Dis Lyrics". Rap Genius. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c "Vibe Confidential: Everything You Want to Know Before You're Supposed to Know It." Vibe. August 1998: 44. Print.
  11. ^ "Foxy Brown – Talk To Me Lyrics". Rap Genius. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  12. ^ "Queen Pen – I Got Cha Lyrics". Rap Genius. rapgenius.com. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  13. ^ Reid, Shaheem (April 6, 2001). "No Diggity: Queen Pen Returns With New LP". MTV News.com. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  14. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Foxy Brown & Queen Pen reconcile". YouTube. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  15. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-04-22. Retrieved 2019-04-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 445. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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