The Real Roxanne (album)
| The Real Roxanne | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Rap | |||
| Label | Select | |||
| Producer | Full Force, Jam Master Jay, L.A. Posse, Andy Panda, Howie Tee | |||
| The Real Roxanne chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Real Roxanne is the debut album by the American musician the Real Roxanne, released in 1988.[1][2] It peaked at No. 30 on Billboard's Top Black Albums chart.[3] "Respect", which peaked at No. 55 on Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart, was released as the first single.[4][5] Roxanne supported the album by opening for DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Boogie Down Productions, and Public Enemy on separate live dates.[6][7][4]
Production
Roxanne wrote or cowrote all of the songs on The Real Roxanne.[8] It was produced by Howie Tee, Jam Master Jay, L.A. Posse, Andy Panda, and Full Force.[9][10][8][11] The recording sessions were delayed due to Roxanne's separation from Full Force.[12] By the time of its release, there were more female rappers with recording contracts, leading Roxanne to view her album as a springboard to other business endeavors.[12] "Early Early" is about how rapping is just another career choice.[13] "Roxanne's on a Roll" samples the Lyn Collins song "Think (About It)".[14] "Don't Even Feel It" samples the "Theme from Shaft"; it was cowritten by Special Ed and was his first credit.[10][8] The sound of "Bang Zoom (Let's Go-Go)" was influenced by go-go music; it was also the first major rap song to adopt William DeVaughn's "gangasta lean" phrase.[15][16] The song samples the Isley Brothers and Warner Bros. Cartoons characters.[8] "Respect" features a guest appearance from Rodney Dangerfield.[5][17] Roxanne was inspired to write it due to her conflicted feelings about diss tracks directed toward female rappers and her desire to be a role model to her daughter.[17]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All Music Guide to Hip-Hop | [18] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[19] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
The Potters Bar Times admired "Roxanne's on a Roll" but opined that the album "gives way to monotony, as the rhythm becomes ... predictable".[20] Of "Roxanne's on a Roll", the Manchester Evening News praised the "stuttering samplers" and lyrics that "slag off everyone in the same line of work."[21] Robert Christgau, alluding to the Roxanne Wars, wrote, "Roxanne Shanté's the real Roxanne. This one's the real Lisa Lisa—smart, fast-talking, Puerto Rican and proud, up on the get down."[19]
Spin opined that Roxanne "may be hip hop's Blondie—creating completely compelling, completely contrived produit ... while possessing a refined yet lust-inducing glamour".[22] Simon Frith, in The Observer, said that Roxanne is "exhilarating in the confidence with which she out-talks anything the backing tracks throw up, seeing off the hardest beats, choosing her own moments of sweetness."[23] The Daily Telegraph dismissed Roxanne's "murky beats and relentlessly self-praising raps."[24]
The Trouser Press Record Guide stated that, "with fine, sample-heavy old-school production by the likes of Jam Master Jay and Howie Tee, The Real Roxanne is irascible nasty-girl fun, a salty set of boasts, putdowns and don't-mess-wid-the-Ro' antagonism."[25] The All Music Guide to Hip-Hop called the album "a stunning debut".[18]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Roxanne's on a Roll" | |
| 2. | "Look but Don't Touch" | |
| 3. | "Early Early" | |
| 4. | "Infatuated" | |
| 5. | "Luv Scandal" | |
| 6. | "Bang Zoom (Let's Go-Go)" | |
| 7. | "Don't Even Feel It" | |
| 8. | "Her Bad Self" | |
| 9. | "Get Up on the Get Down" | |
| 10. | "Oh Darlin' (Like We Used To)" | |
| 11. | "Respect" | |
| 12. | "Howie's Teed Off" | |
| 13. | "Rap to Me" |
References
- ^ Hoffman, Frank W. (2006). Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-Hop. Facts on File. p. 219.
- ^ Perry, Imani (2004). Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop. Duke University Press. p. 84.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Albums, 1965–1998. Record Research. p. 168.
- ^ a b Huffman, Eddie (December 29, 1988). "A Good Mix of Rap Groups". Durham Morning Herald. p. B1.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2000). Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B Singles, 1942–1999. Record Research. p. 367.
- ^ "Concerts". The Morning Call. November 4, 1988. p. D7.
- ^ "Pop Music Notes". The Buffalo News. December 19, 1988. p. B4.
- ^ a b c d Nelson, Havelock; Gonzales, Michael A. (1991). Bring the Noise: A Guide to Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture. Harmony Books. pp. 190–191.
- ^ Keyes, Cheryl Lynette (2004). Rap Music and Street Consciousness. University of Illinois Press. p. 117.
- ^ a b "New Releases". Vapors. No. 4. February 1989. p. 9.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 800.
- ^ a b Browne, David (October 23, 1988). "Queens of the Hip-Hop". City Lights. Daily News. New York. p. 13.
- ^ Eddy, Chuck (1997). The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music. Da Capo Press. p. 25.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (2001). Funk. Backbeat Books. p. 110.
- ^ Bynoe, Yvonne (2006). Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture. Greenwood Press. p. 154.
- ^ Green, Jonathon (2010). Green's Dictionary of Slang. Chambers. p. 340.
- ^ a b Brackett, David (2009). The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader: Histories and Debates. Oxford University Press. p. 464.
- ^ a b All Music Guide to Hip-Hop. Backbeat Books. 2003. p. 408.
- ^ a b "The Real Roxanne". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ Keeley, Graham (August 10, 1989). "Between the Grooves". Potters Bar Times. p. 24.
- ^ Taylor, Paul (June 20, 1989). "Listen Here". Manchester Evening News. p. 35.
- ^ Howland, Don (March 1989). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 4, no. 12. p. 74.
- ^ Frith, Simon (July 9, 1989). "Releases". The Observer. p. 45.
- ^ Rostron, Tim (July 15, 1989). "Magic Mix". The Daily Telegraph. p. XVII.
- ^ Robbins, Ira (1991). The Trouser Press Record Guide (4th ed.). Collier Books. p. 537.