Roxanne Shante admits to lying about Ph.D, issues apology

October 14, 12:33 PMNY Hip-Hop Music ExaminerSamantha Greaves

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Roxanne Shante apologizes for lying. (Photo: Google) 

It seems like Diddy is not the only person telling tall tales. It has just been revealed that Hip-Hop artist Roxanne Shante lied about receiving her Ph.D from Cornell University.

Roxanne Shante is known as one of the most influential female emcees in Hip-Hop. Her lyrical skills were incomparable to any other female emcee along with her rise to the top. What was even more impressive about Roxanne (Real name Lolita Shante Gooden) was her story after she decided to put down the mic.

For years Shante said that she decided to pursue a career in Psychology and that she did it by having her former label Warner Music foot the bill. In fact this past August, Roxanne Shante reportedly told the New York Daily News that she received her doctorate from Cornell University and that Warner Music funded her education “for life”; which included the company paying over $217,000 for her to attend school. Shante shared this same story with VH1 during their “100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs” special.

After an investigation by Slate.com, it was revealed that many of Roxanne’s claims were not true. The rapper responded to the allegations by releasing a statement via email stating, “[I] made a mistake on an application and put my old name so maybe that's the reason for [Cornell's] computer error?"

Roxanne Shante. (Photo: Google)

On Monday (10/12), Roxanne Shante decided to come clean about her supposed education admitting that she fabricated the entire story about her doctorate and the role Warner Music played in her education. She also took the time out to apologize.

 
It is very easy to criticize someone and I have left myself open to criticism. All I can say to that is before you level any further criticism and cynicism, walk in my shoes. I am making this statement to apologize to the people that truly care about me for any angst that this situation has caused, and to thank them for their continued support...Like all of you, I am human and may have not made the correct decision all the time. And, like anyone else, I would like to think that my entire life or career is not judged by one error or mistake. –HipHopDX

This may be seen as disappointing to people who took Shante’s story to be true. Her success story was one ripped out of the pages of a story that ended with a happily ever after. For it to be revealed that her claims were fiction is both shocking and an eye opener.