Remy Ma stands by her recent statement on Math Hoffa’s podcast My Expert Opinion where when asked how important it is for a female to write her own lyrics, she replied, “it’s not important.”
For years, rumors in hip-hop swirled around about some of the most prominent female rappers having ghostwriters—most notably Lauryn Hill and Wyclef, Lil’Kim and the Notorious B.I.G, and Foxy Brown and Jay-Z. During the podcast, Math brings up one rumor having to do Papoose who is married to Remy Ma, being her ghostwriter.
Remy tells Math she’s never had a ghostwriter, including her husband, Fat Joe (her longtime collaborator), or Big Pun, who discovered the rapper when she was a teen. Though she admits to writing for others.
The “Whuteva” rapper has come a long way from the 16-year-old Bronx femcee standing with the giants of hip-hop in the classic M.O.P. remix of “Ante Up” where she warns “I’ll get my dogs to do you dirty, they’re all 730.”
“Nobody writes better than me,” she declares. “I like the way I think, and I like the way my mind works,” she added.
The business, as she puts it, has more to do with money and popularity than true artistry, she and Math agreed.
Most recently, she fashioned herself the godmother of female battle rap with the emergence of her all-female battle league Chrome23.
Built off the foundation forged by Queens native and hip-hop icon Roxanne Shante, female battle rap had never been seen on screen until Remy Ma’s Fight Klub appearance against New Jersey lyricist Lady Luck.
With the emergence of street legend SMACK White and his DVD series—which featured a young Remy Ma, an unsigned Nicki Minaj, and countless others, his brand evolved into the Ultimate Rap League, now known as URL. It would take years before a female battle would take place. URL’s first lady, Ms. Hustle is a protégé of Remy Ma.
Years after their Fight Klub battle, Lady Luck, who still battles occasionally faced off against Ms. Hustle for a URL event in 2020. Hustle has also battled some of the biggest men in battle rap including Aye Verb, and Nu Jerzey Twork—though she’s been asking for Hitman Holla for years.
“Writing your own material is important because nobody can tell your story better than you,” Ms. Hustle said. “I hate the narrative about females having ghostwriters when they over exceed expectations because I’m better than a lot of these guys,” she added.
Ms. Hustle from Harlem is the most talked about female battle rapper in the culture. She’s a favorite of Jadakiss, Sway, Funkmaster Flex, DJ Kay Slay (who hosted two of her mixtapes), and Remy Ma who refers to her as her ‘hard-headed lil’sis.’ Where most female battle rappers specialize in aggression, lyricism, schemes, or comedy—Hustle can flow effortlessly through the gamut of styles often intimidating her competition before the first bar is spit.
Rappers with “pens I respect, like Ms. Hustle,” according to Remy, inspired the creation of Chrome23, which had its first event last Sunday.
The inequality in female battle rap was another reason why Remy decided to get involved.
The pay discrepancy between male and female battle rappers was disrespectful she has said numerous times. “Some of the highest paid females barely crack $10,000 per battle whereas some of the highest men could possibly get $100,000 per battle,” she said in an interview with Madamenoire.
In collaboration with Hot97FM, Chrome23’s first event entitled, Queens Get the Money, was streamed live. It featured a card of 4 battles with Ms. Hustle and Rhode Island native Couture headlining the evening and winning battle of the night which included a bonus on top of their payment for performing.
Together with powerhouse press agency SLNext Level, the event ran smoothly with battle rap and hip-hop royalty blending amid clouds of bars, reefer, and jerk chicken and rice—because there was food too. The smoothness of the event spoke to the prowess and respect for Remy Ma that still rings true in the industry and the streets, and the corporate know how of back stage unsung heroes such as Gen Johnson who fielded requests from VIPs and press throughout the night.
Remy hosted each battle with outfit changes. In between battles, she provided added opportunities for female battle rappers not performing by allowing them to interview talent and celebrity attendees throughout the night in conjunction with Hot97.
Battle rappers such as Charlie Clips and Hitman Holla have become household names, but no females have had that same success. Remy hopes through Chrome 23 and the national platform and press she’s able to provide through her own connections and business acumen, she can change that—especially for the girls who write their own lyrics.
“Why is authenticity so important to you?” Math asked.
“Because I’m a real ass nigga,” she responded.
