Chris Samuel
For Women’s History Month, SOHH is highlighting five female artists that should make a comeback to music after taking hiatuses. Those female artists include Amerie, Shontelle, Tweet, Shawnna, and Lumidee.
SOHH, here are the five female musicians that should return to hip-hop/R&B:
Amerie
This R&B singer came onto the scene by singing the chorus for rap legend Nas’ 2001 song “Rule.” In 2002, she released her debut album, All I Have, featuring her hit “Why Don’t We Fall In Love.”
Amerie’s music also hit the big screen as her 2005 hit “1 Thing” was on the soundtrack for the 2005 movie Hitch.
The singer/songwriter’s last album, In Love & War, was released in 2009. An Amerie comeback should include collaborations or features of other female singers like Beyoncé and Ashanti from her heyday.
Shontelle
The Barbadian singer released her debut album Shontelligence in 2008, featuring her hit “T-Shirt,” a fan favorite.
Shontelle followed up with her 2010 album No Gravity, which contained another hit, “Impossible.” Shontelle’s last touring was with singer Jason Derulo as a supporting act in 2011, and she released an album titled Boomerang in 2022.
With a prominent return, she could make more hits like fellow Barbadian singer and superstar singer Rihanna. Fans would appreciate a feature as well.
Tweet
The Rochester native was originally a member of the female singing trio Sugah and part of Devante Swing’s Swing Mob collective. Tweet was featured on legendary producer Timbaland’s 2001 album Tim’s Bio: Life from Da Bassment.
Tweet dropped her debut album Southern Hummingbird, featuring her hit “Oops(Oh My)” featuring Missy Elliott, with whom she had a close relationship.
The “Call Me” singer released two other albums in her career, with 2005’s It’s Me Again and her last album, 2016’s Charlene. If Tweet returns to making music, she could be another star singer making hits in their 50s similar to Mary J. Blige.
Shawnna
The Chicago-bred rapper was among the most popular female rappers in the early 2000s. She was known for her sexually explicit image and lyrics. She was best known for her features with Atlanta rap legend Ludacris and was the first female artist to sign to his label, Disturbing Tha Peace.
Songs she released with Ludacris included 2000’s “What’s Your Fantasy” and 2003’s “Stand Up.” She later had a falling out with Luda due to internal business issues at the label.
One of her biggest hits was 2006’s “Gettin’ Some,” featured on her last album, Block Music. If Shawnna returned to music, she would join current female rappers such as Megan Thee Stallion and City Girls, who are known for their sexual prowess in their music.
Lumidee
The New York artist’s 2003 single “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” featuring Busta Rhymes and Fabolous from her debut album Almost Famous was a huge hit. Lumidee also dropped her second album Unexpected in 2007 and later went on a hiatus from music.
She later teamed up with Christopher “Chris Rivers” Rios, the son of the late Bronx rapper Big Pun and rapper Mike Street for the song “No One” in 2014.
In recent news, superstar rapper Nicki Minaj sampled Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” in her upcoming single, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” expected to drop at midnight on March 3. With a return to the mic, Lumidee could be a mentor and collaborate with New York’s newcomer, Ice Spice.
Saweetie Says Women Are “Running Rap” Because Of Disrespect & Violence In Men’s Music. Is This True?
In November 2022, West Coast rapper Saweetie said, in an interview on the Bootleg Kev podcast that “female rap is on top” due to violence and disrespect in men’s music.
The “My Type” rapper believes today’s music is no longer “fun party music” and male music lacks “empathy and love.”
