The Biggest Mama Mia, AKA The Unlady Like Diva, AKA “The Mother of Southern Hip Hop”, Mia X, has hit another career milestone by becoming the first woman to be inducted into Rice University’s Hip Hop Archival Collection. On September 18th, in a panel discussion titled “Mia X: Soldier, Survivor, Savant,” hosted by G Dash of Swishahouse, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of Humanities and founding director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning, Anthony Pinn, and Chinara Butler, the late Pimp C’s widow, Mia X was honored for her significant role in Southern hip-hop as a trailblazing musician and cultural activist whose work expands on issues of autonomy, racial affiliation, and social equity.
Part of CERCL’s objectives to preserve and chronicle hip-hop’s intellectual investments, especially those of Southern artists, includes the Hip Hop Archival Collection at Rice, which Pinn created. Key figures, including Pimp C, Too Short, K-Rino, and SwishaHouse have already had their papers added to the collection, which is kept in the Woodson Research Center of Fondren Library. The addition of Mia X signifies a noteworthy turning point for the archive and emphasizes the vital role that women have played in the development of the genre. Mia X has always embodied tenacity throughout her career, and her addition to the Hip Hop Archival Collection honors both her historical accomplishments and her continuing influence on popular culture.
The Center for the Study of Religion and Culture (CERCL) at Rice University was founded in 2003 by Anthony Pinn. Pinn is an expert on popular culture, race, and religion. After Swishahouse was the first hip-hop label to have its contents archived by CERCL in 2012, the Hip-Hop Archival Collection was established. CERCL works on a range of connected projects to promote and recognize hip-hop’s cultural and social effects on local and worldwide communities. These projects include producing innovative courses, organizing panel discussions, lectures, and exhibits, and building an archive. Throughout the years there have been several installations including but not limited to “Awready! The Houston Hip Hop Conference”, “Straight Flexin’, No Plexin”, a hip-hop exhibit that showcased rare artifacts from rappers such as E-40 and Pimp C, and a one-on-one discussion between Dr. Anthony Pinn and KRS-One, founding member of the pioneering rap group Boogiedown Productions.
“What a great honor for me, being able to grace the stage with and produce one of the greatest emcees ever,” said KLC, the legendary producer from No Limit Records “This is well-deserved. Enjoy it because it only comes once, and nobody can take it from you.” Rapper and cultural icon YoYo said, “Being a mother in hip-hop wasn’t talked about, and the conversations that Mia X and I had about being a mother in hip-hop inspired me.” And Lil Keke, former member of Houston’s Screwed Up Click said “Mia X was the first female rapper that really captured us down here. It was like she was tough as earth; I really loved her spirit.”
Mia X is renowned for being the first female rapper to sign with Master P, the rapper and producer of No Limit Records, founded in New Orleans. In the 1990s, she became well-known for her strong voice, music that emphasized feminism, and her revolutionary approach to hip-hop. Mia X has a very diverse career outside of music. She is not just a successful rapper but also has a best-selling book, is an actress, a culinary expert, an educator, and an activist. Her autobiography, “Things My Grandma Told Me, Things My Grandma Showed Me,” focuses on the principles she learned from her childhood and applied to her several career endeavors. New Orleans city council member Oliver Thomas said, “What a wonderful opportunity. We are so proud of the legendary Mia X, one of the pioneers of hip-hop and rap in addition to being one of our great New Orleanians. We’re overjoyed that you’re receiving recognition for both your human and entertainment accomplishments as a rapper.”
“When I got the call, I was shocked because they told me that I would be the first woman that would be inducted,” Mia X said. “I just took it all in for a moment and just thought about how grateful I am to see a genre of music that I fell in love with in 1979 and to see us come this far.” And looking at the landscape of female hip-hop today, I’m sure the aunties are proud. We wouldn’t have the Meg’s and the Latto’s and yes even the Nicki’s without the Mia X’s and the Yoyo’s and the MC Lyte’s. Memphis native Glorilla just released her debut album “Glorious” making it the third female rap album this decade to chart ALL songs on the US Apple Music charts, so clearly the game isn’t changing anytime soon. The energy and sisterhood between the OG’s the big sisters and the new artists radiate an energy we probably haven’t seen in hip-hop since at least the 90’s. Yeah, diss records and rap beef are fun, but what’s better than one baddie on a track?? TWO.
Thank you Mama Mia for the fearlessness in your feminism, the wisdom in your words, and your extraordinary example as a cultural icon. Because of you breaking ceilings in a genre that was never intended to consider us, today not only are we considered, but we are contenders.
