Hip-Hop Trailblazer Gwendolyn ‘Blondy’ Chisolm Passes Away in Atlanta at Age 66

FILE - In this 1980 promotional photo, members of the pioneering hip-hop group The Sequence pose for a portrait. Pictured from left to right are Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook, Gwendolyn "Blondy" Chisolm, and Angela "Angie B." Brown, later known as Angie Stone. Chisolm, who co-founded the group and helped lay the foundation for women in rap, died April 6, 2026, at age 66. (Photo: Sugar Hill Records)

Gwendolyn "Blondy" Chisolm, a pioneering force who co-founded hip-hop's first all-female rap group, The Sequence, passed away in Atlanta on April 6. She was 66.

According to her family, Chisolm died peacefully following a brief illness on Easter Sunday that led to septic shock. For readers who revere the explosive female rap dominance of the '90s and '00s, the DNA of Chisolm's work is inescapable. Long before the industry recognized the commercial viability of women on the mic, Chisolm laid the blueprint. She teamed up with her C.A. Johnson High School cheerleading friends — Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook and Angela Brown, who would later achieve massive solo fame as neo-soul powerhouse Angie Stone — to form The Sequence.

Their entry into the industry is the stuff of rap lore. After finessing their way backstage in Columbia, South Carolina, the trio delivered an impromptu, a cappella audition for label executive Sylvia Robinson. They were signed to Sugar Hill Records on the spot. Weeks later, they released "Funk You Up." The gold-certified record became the first rap hit performed by women and the first hip-hop vinyl released by an all-female act. The track became a foundational text, heavily sampled and interpolated throughout the '90s and '00s by artists ranging from Dr. Dre and Trina to Erykah Badu and En Vogue.

RIP Gwendolyn 'Blondy' Chisolm, Hip Hop Musician
The Sequence
Sugarhill presents The Sequence: "Funk You Up"
Sampled by Dr. Dre, En Vogue, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars#InMemoriam #RIP pic.twitter.com/Wp2XA0rYaO

— LegacyTributes (@InMemoriamX) April 9, 2026

"My sister gave a lot of herself to the music industry," Chisolm's sister, Monica Scott, noted in a statement following her passing. "Everyone knows her famous lyrics and melodies, which continue to bring joy to millions of people. She was a creative force who touched countless hearts."

Beyond her early triumphs, Chisolm remained a vibrant creative presence. At the time of her death, she was finalizing edits on her upcoming memoir, "The First Blonde in the Hip Hop Game," promising an unfiltered look at navigating the rugged early days of the industry. Artist Raymond R. Burton, a close collaborator, mourned the unfinished project online, sharing, "We just talked and discussed doing artwork for your book and we both were so excited to reconnect and bring your story to the world."

The loss of Chisolm compounds a heavy period of mourning for fans of the pioneering trio. Her passing comes just over a year after the tragic death of Angie Stone, who was killed in a sprinter van crash near Montgomery, Alabama, in March 2025. With Chisolm's passing, Cheryl Cook now stands as the lone surviving member of the group that built the framework for women in the culture.

Before her passing, Chisolm was actively collaborating with the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville for an upcoming exhibit honoring The Sequence. While she will not be there to see it open, her indelible impact ensures her voice will never be erased from the history she helped write.

R&B Icon Mary J. Blige Says Viral Fast-Food Advertisement Fallout ‘Crushed’ Her

Mary J. Blige speaks during an interview on Scott Evans' "Guest House" podcast in an episode released Saturday. During the candid conversation, the R&B legend opened up about the intense public backlash she faced following a controversial 2012 fast-food commercial. (Screengrab: "Guest House" with Scott Evans)

More than a decade later, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul is finally setting the record straight about one of the most polarizing moments of her career.

During a candid appearance on Scott Evans' "Guest House" podcast released Saturday, April 18, Mary J. Blige opened up about the intense fallout from her infamous 2012 Burger King commercial, admitting the intense public backlash "crushed" her.

The controversial ad, which featured the R&B legend singing passionately about crispy chicken snack wraps, was pulled from television almost immediately after it aired. It drew severe criticism across social media and major media outlets, with many arguing the spot leaned heavily into harmful racial stereotypes.


According to Blige, the version that made it to air was fundamentally different from the creative concept she originally agreed to shoot.

"The whole way that sh*t went down was wrong, the whole way they shot it was wrong. I had bad representation, bad management, bad everything and everybody dropped the ball... It did show me something, one minute people are with you and one minute they are not. It showed me just how fickle the game is." — Mary J. Blige, on Scott Evans' "Guest House" Podcast

"I agreed to be part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence," Blige explained on the podcast. "Unfortunately, that's not what was happening in that clip."

At the time of the 2012 incident, the fast-food corporation claimed the commercial was released prematurely before final approvals were secured. However, the damage to Blige's public image lingered, marking a rare, highly publicized misstep for an artist known for her fiercely authentic connection to her fanbase.

The viral revelation arrives as Blige is currently experiencing a massive career renaissance. She is finalizing rehearsals for her highly anticipated "My Life, My Story" Las Vegas residency, which officially kicks off on May 1 at Dolby Live at Park MGM. The residency follows her recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the release of her latest studio album, "Gratitude."

By addressing the Burger King controversy directly, Blige is effectively closing the door on a lingering decade-old narrative just days before taking the stage for one of the most significant live performance runs of her career.

Dismembered Teen’s Death Leads to Capital Murder Charges for Singer D4vd

David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old viral singer who performs under the moniker D4vd, is shown in a police booking photo. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office officially charged Burke with capital murder on Monday in connection with the brutal death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were found in his impounded vehicle last fall. (Photo: Los Angeles Police Department)

Following an intense, months-long investigation that cast a dark shadow over the music industry, breakout alt-pop and R&B singer D4vd has been officially charged with capital murder.

The 21-year-old artist, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was charged Monday in connection with the brutal death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The announcement from Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman comes just days after Burke was arrested by homicide detectives at a Hollywood home on Thursday.

The case initially shocked the public in September 2025, when Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered and heavily decomposed remains were discovered inside an abandoned Tesla Model Y registered to the singer. The vehicle had been towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood.

According to prosecutors, Burke now faces charges of first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14, and mutilation of human remains. The murder charge includes severe special circumstances — lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and killing a witness in a criminal investigation — which open the door for a potential death penalty sentence.

During a Monday morning press conference, Hochman outlined the prosecution's harrowing timeline, stating that Rivas Hernandez went to Burke’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, and was never heard from again. He further alleged the "financial gain" circumstance stemmed from Burke's effort to protect his lucrative music career, which was being threatened by an alleged sexual relationship with the underage girl. Celeste was considered a key witness in that underlying investigation.

Burke, who rose to massive viral fame in 2022 with his hit "Romantic Homicide" before releasing projects like "Petals to Thorns" and "The Lost Petals," has maintained his innocence. Following his arrest last week, his defense team — comprised of prominent attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter — released a statement pushing back against the LAPD's allegations.

"Let us be clear — the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death," the lawyers stated. "We will vigorously defend David's innocence."

The singer had been on tour supporting his debut full-length album, "Withered," when the victim's body was originally discovered last fall, forcing the immediate cancellation of his remaining North American and European tour dates. He was scheduled to be arraigned in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.