"In an exclusive interview with Rock The Bells the Lady of Rage discussed her time working and living at Chung King Studios in New York. "I was sort of paying my dues," the "Afro Puffs" MC says. "I was living and working at Chung King and seeing all the artists that came through like Brand Nubian, Leaders of The New School, Nikki D, Black Sheep and Run-DMC - they were in positions that I was aspiring to get to."
Rage revealed that she only needed the ear of someone with connections to hear her rhyme, and that Chubb Rock, who also frequented the studio was the first to hear her rhyme. "Just seeing them live and direct kept me motivated, and it was right there within reach," she explained. "I'm right there, and all I needed was just someone to hear me, and Chubb Rock just happened to be the one who heard me."
In an exclusive Rock The Bells interview in 2022 Chubb Rock spoke of their shared history. "We were at Chung King in studio A and the Leaders of The New School were in Studio B," Chubb recalled. "Lady of Rage was the receptionist at Chung King, and I came in one day and I was like, 'You're always writing in that book. What are you writing?'" Once Rage revealed that she was writing rhymes and that she was in fact an MC, Chubb was immediately impressed after hearing the Farmville, VA rapper spit.
"She was incredible so we put her on the Finesse & Synquis album [1988's Soul Sisters], and we put her on the 'Treat Em Right' album," he said, referring to his third project, The One. Rage appeared on the track, "Bring 'Em Home Safely" under the moniker Rockin' Robin.
Rage referred to her mic skills as her ace in the hole and explained that only a few asked her to spit after finding out that she was an MC. "Some of 'em knew that I could spit, but I didn't broadcast it," she recalls. "Leaders of The New School knew as well as Nikki D and Chubb Rock and that's about it. I used it as my ace in the hole, I'd say that I could rhyme, but they wouldn't ask to hear me."
The Lady Of Rage On Her Time Working At Chung King Studios: 'I Just Needed Somebody To Hear Me'
