New York Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, has announced a new project to highlight female hip-hop artists in honor of Women’s History Month.
Jeffries, who made headlines last year with his tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. on the House floor, will release a list of his top 10 female rap lyrical collaborations, showcasing one artist each day for the first 10 days of March, which is recognized as Women’s History Month.
“In every field of human endeavor, women excel when given a fair shot,” Jeffries said. “It’s true in politics, business, science, academia and hip-hop. In honor of Women’s History Month, I will drop my top 10 list of the best female rap lyrical collaborations of all time. With 45 in the White House, hip-hop is a great escape.”
He said he will update the list each morning on his Twitter and Facebook pages.
The New York congressman said his project was inspired by Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress. Chisholm, who died in 2005, represented some of the same parts of Brooklyn that Jeffries currently represents.
“Representative Chisholm lit up the House floor for seven terms despite politics being viewed at the time as a man’s game,” Jeffries said. “She made clear through the power of her example that opportunity is everything. Her legendary contributions to our nation continue to be felt today.”
Jeffries, who has been a vocal advocate for artists and creators in Congress, along with Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) introduced in December the Music Modernization Act, which would reform the licensing process to ensure recording artists are fairly compensated.