Rashia Tashan Fisher (born December 18, 1974), known professionally as Rah Digga, is an American rapper and actress. She is best known as a longtime member of the Flipmode Squad, a

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

group led by

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

. Her debut album, '' Dirty Harriet'' (2000), peaked in the top-20 of the ''Billboard'' 200, and she released her second album, ''

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...

'', in 2010. She starred in the horror film '' Thirteen Ghosts'' (2001) as Maggie.

Early life

Rah Digga was born in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. She studied

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She learned how to rap by studying the raps of

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...

Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of Golden age hip-hop, golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: ''Paid in Full ...

, and

Kool G Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Cr ...

of the Juice Crew.

Career

Music

She worked with

group Twice the Flavor before joining the Outsidaz, leading to a feature on the track "Cowboys" from the Fugees album ''

The Score The Score may refer to: Films and television * The Score (1978 film), ''The Score'' (1978 film), a 1978 Swedish film, released in Sweden as ''Lyftet'' * The Score (2001 film), ''The Score'' (2001 film), a 2001 crime drama film starring Robert De Ni ...

''. She was spotted by Q-Tip at the Lyricist Lounge which led to her meeting

and joining his Flipmode Squad.Edwards, Paul, 2009, '' How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC'', Chicago Review Press, p. 328. She has appeared on several

albums. Her critically acclaimed debut album "Dirty Harriet" was released on April 4, 2000 on Flipmode/Elektra Records and is certified gold in the U.S. and platinum worldwide. She also worked with Bahamadia on the track "Be Ok" from ''Lyricist Lounge, Vol. 1''. At that time they were the two leading women of the Lyricist Lounge movement, which also served as the home base for artists such as

Mos Def Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...

, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch,

Common Sense Common sense () is "knowledge, judgement, and taste which is more or less universal and which is held more or less without reflection or argument". As such, it is often considered to represent the basic level of sound practical judgement or know ...

, Lord Have Mercy, Foxy Brown and Shabaam Sahdeeq. In 2001 she starred in the film '' Thirteen Ghosts'' and sang the title track "Mirror Mirror" on the soundtrack. Also in 2001, she performed with Deborah Cox, Monica,

Tamia Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development deal with War ...

and Mýa at Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration contributing an original rap verse to " Heal the World". Rah Digga performing in New York City

Her second album ''Everything Is a Story'' was due to be released on Clive Davis's

J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG's record labels in late 2008 at the end of their merger. It was distribut ...

in 2004, but was shelved. Many songs from the album had leaked to the internet in an unofficial 23-track album of unreleased material, and in 2010 Rah Digga released her own version of the album, featuring additional tracks. Rah Digga released a new album, ''

'', in 2010. Production was handled by Nottz, and a promo single was released entitled "This Ain't No Lil Kid Rap". Since then she has been releasing music independently through her website Rahdiggamusic.com,

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...

and the iTunes Store. Rah is a cultural music ambassador for the US government through her non-profit "Lyrics Matter" in conjunction with the Next Level program.

Acting

Rah Digga first appeared in '' Da Hip Hop Witch'' (2000), playing a fictionalized version of herself. She was then cast in the film '' Thirteen Ghosts'' (2001) alongside

Tony Shalhoub Anthony Marc Shalhoub ( ; ; born October 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is known for a variety of roles ranging from comedic to dramatic on stage and screen. He has received several accolades including five Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, s ...

, F. Murray Abraham, Shannon Elizabeth and Matthew Lillard in her first real acting role. In the same year, she also appeared alongside

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

and Joy Bryant in

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

's '' Carmen: A Hip Hopera'' (2001). In 2003 and 2009, she was featured in the documentary films ''Queens of Hip Hop'' (with

Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (sometimes stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa) is an American hip-hop, hip hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (rapper), Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (rapper), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). ...

) and ''Say My Name'' (with

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

, Jean Grae, Miz Korona, Remy Ma, and

MC Lyte Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a ...

, among others). Additionally, Digga has appeared as a guest star on ''

The Mo'Nique Show ''The Mo'Nique Show'' is an American talk show hosted by comedian and actress Mo'Nique. Airing on BET, the series began October 5, 2009. The show's second and final season premiered on Monday, October 4, 2010. Overview The show ran all-new episo ...

''. Digga is a cast member of the film ''Stars'' (2022), directed by Mars Roberge.

Public image and personal life

Rah Digga has been called "one of rap's most prominent women MCs" by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

and "one of

's most skilled female MCs" in the book '' How to Rap''. She was in a relationship with fellow rapper Young Zee. The couple has a daughter named Sativa, born in 1997. She married partner Troy Weeks during

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

's "Rock the Bells" cruise in November 2023. The ceremony was officiated by fellow rapper

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American Rapping, rapper, producer and actor who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influe ...

Discography

;Studio albums * '' Dirty Harriet'' (2000) * ''

'' (2010)

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

**1997: Best Hip Hop Album (Fugees "The Score"), Winner **1997: Album Of The Year (Fugees "The Score"), Nominated *

BET Awards The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...

**2006: Video of the Year ("Touch It (remix)"), Nominated **2006: Best Collaboration ("Touch It (remix)"), Nominated **2004: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Nominated **2002: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Nominated * BET Hip Hop Awards **2006: Hip-Hop Video of the Year ("Touch It (remix)"), Nominated **2006: Best Collabo ("Touch It (remix)"), Winner **2006: People's Champ Award ("Touch It (remix)"), Nominated * MTV Video Music Awards **2006: Best Rap Video ("Touch It (remix)"), Nominated **2006: Best Male Video ("Touch It (remix)"), Nominated

References

External links

*
Rah Digga

page
Rah Digga on Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Digga African-American actresses 21st-century American women rappers African-American women rappers East Coast hip-hop musicians Living people New Jersey Institute of Technology alumni Rappers from Newark, New Jersey Actresses from Newark, New Jersey 1972 births 21st-century American rappers 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American women