By the mid-90s, a new generation of women was carving out a space for themselves in the male-dominated genre of hip-hop. They ushered in a new wave of street-savvy MCing, through which they were not afraid to exude their sexuality. Building on the foundation laid by their predecessors, this new school of artists challenged the double standards that were entrenched in the genre since its inception. Without question, Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand, aka Foxy Brown, become a major figure in this, thanks to her seminal debut album, Ill Na Na.

“She got on the beat and murdered it”
Foxy Brown first burst onto the scene as a teenage sensation from Brooklyn. She was discovered at a local talent show by hitmaking production duo Trackmasters, who were working on LL Cool J’s Mr Smith album. They were so impressed that they invited her to drop a verse on “I Shot Ya,” accompanied by Keith Murray, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and Fat Joe.

“So when she got on the beat and murdered it, everybody was like, ‘Yo, this is it,’” said Trackmaster member Poke in an interview with Complex. “So we did the Def Jam deal and then immediately we started on that record. Everybody knew that we had to seize the opportunity because this was the record that was gonna launch her.”