Lynise Walters, better known by the stage name

Stage name

A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

 Queen Pen, (born 1972) is a Grammy-nominated

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

 African-American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 female rapper.

Her music career started as a protégé of Teddy Riley, a record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 and member of the R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

 group BLACKstreet

BLACKstreet

Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...

 in the mid-1990s. She was a featured rapper, along with Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre

Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...

, on BLACKstreet's 1996 hit, "No Diggity

No Diggity

"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen in her first recorded appearance. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 in the UK. It ranked at #91 on . It sold 1.6 million copies in 1996, and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a...

". She signed to Riley's Lil' Man label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

, and released My Melody (1997), her solo debut album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

, produced by Riley.

Her first album produced the charting

Record chart

A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....

 singles

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 "All My Love", "Man Behind the Music", and "Party Ain't a Party". Queen Pen earned a 1998 Soul Train

Soul Train

Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...

nomination for Best New Artist. She also gained notice from her song "Girlfriend" (featuring Me'Shell NdegeOcello

Me'shell Ndegeocello

Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, R&B, rock, and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy...

), where she explored same-sex

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...

 affairs.

She took a three year hiatus from rapping, and returned with Conversations With Queen

Conversations With Queen

Conversations With Queen is the second album by female rapper, Queen Pen. The album was released on May 22, 2001 for Universal Records and was produced by Kedar Massenburg and Queen Pen. Conversations With Queen was less successful than her previous album, My Melody, only making it to #134 on the...

(2001), her second album. She is now a novelist. Her son is also a rapper, who uses the stage name Nefu Da Don.

Albums

• My Melody (1997)
• Conversations With Queen
  Conversations With Queen
  Conversations With Queen is the second album by female rapper, Queen Pen. The album was released on May 22, 2001 for Universal Records and was produced by Kedar Massenburg and Queen Pen. Conversations With Queen was less successful than her previous album, My Melody, only making it to #134 on the...
  
  (2001)
• TBA (2012)

Singles

• "All My Love" (1997) - US Rhythmic Top 40
  Rhythmic Airplay Chart
  The Rhythmic Airplay Chart is an airplay chart that is featured weekly in Billboard Magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on Rhythmic stations, whose playlist includes mostly hit-driven R&B/Hip-Hop, Rhythmic pop, and some Dance tracks...
  
   #14, US Hot Rap Singles
  Hot Rap Songs
  Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
  
   #11, US Billboard Hot 100
  Billboard Hot 100
  The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
  
   #28, UK
  UK Singles Chart
  The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
  
   #11
• "Man Behind the Music" (1997) - Hot Rap Singles #7, Billboard Hot 100 #84, UK #38
• "Party Ain't a Party" (1998) - Hot Rap Singles #32, Billboard Hot 100 #74
• "It's True" (1998) - UK #24
• "I Got Cha" (2001)

External links

• A Feisty Female Rapper Breaks a Hip-Hop Taboo