Biography
In 1997 Chicago native and self-styled street poet Lateefa turned seventeen. A guest at the celebration, Rashawnna Guy, soon became her closest friend and creative ally in the drive for hip-hop recognition. Daughter of blues impresario Buddy Guy, Rashawnna—known professionally as Shawnna—absorbed the styles of Nas, Ice Cube, and the Wu-Tang Clan while sharpening her delivery in Chicago subways and underground clubs. Lateefa, called Teefa, shaped her verses through her own writing and layered them over beats supplied by her cousin. Performing together as Shawnna and Teefa, the pair quickly earned fervent local support; their demo’s airplay on Chicago radio led Relativity Records to sign them. In 1998 Infamous Syndicate joined the Lyricist Lounge tour and drew widespread praise as the foremost female duo to embody Chicago hip-hop.
Albums