What Really Happened to Queen Pen?

Lynise Walters, better known to fans as Queen Pen, burst onto the music scene when she appeared on Blackstreet’s 1996 hit single “No Diggity.” Afterward, she built up her own fanbase with her real and raw lyrics, she completely fell off the music scene. This is a story about rap beefs, domestic issues, and questions surrounding her personal preference.

Now grab your favorite flavor of RRG popcorn, sit back, relax, and let’s discuss what really happened to Queen Pen.

A teen mom

In her documentary entitled The Story Behind the Pen, Queen Pen said she began hustling at the age of 15. She also took time to develop her rap skills. Everyone knew her as Queen, and when she started walking around with a notebook and pencil to write down her rhymes, they started calling her pen. Eventually, she combined the two names together and came up with the rap moniker Queen Pen.

She told The New York Times she was on public assistance in order to support her family. And by the time she was 17, she was the mother of two sons. Her youngest son’s father was Darren “Buffy” Robinson of the New York hip-hop group The Fat Boys.

During a visit to a Virginia Beach IHOP, she spotted singer and producer Teddy Riley. She approached him and told him she was a rapper. Teddy was on his way out the door, so he told Queen Pen once she finished eating to meet him at his Virginia Beach studio. 

When Queen Pen showed up to the studio and unleashed her freestyle, Teddy was impressed. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to do anything to help her career at that time, but he promised her that he’ll have an opportunity for her soon.

On December 10, 1995, her son’s father, Buffy, passed away at the age of 28. It was a devastating time in her life, but things in Queen Pen’s life were about to take a turn.

Her big break

Teddy was working on a song with Blackstreet, and the song was missing something. That’s when Teddy got the great idea to call the rapper he had met at IHOP. When Queen Pen received the call, she had no idea she would be featured on one of the hottest songs of the ‘90s.

In July 1996, “No Diggity” was released, and it flew to the top of the charts. Queen Pen was transformed into a Grammy award-winning artist when the song took home the award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.

While Queen Pen was an integral part of the song and video, she often wasn’t given her due credit since she was so unknown at the time. In a Billboard article, only Dr. Dre got credited as a rapper on the song, and according to Pitch Fork website, Queen Pen went unmentioned on the cover of the single. 

Despite being dissed by the industry, Teddy was in her corner. Days after she recorded her verses, Teddy signed her to his record label. 

She immediately began working on her debut album, My Melody, which was released in December 1997. Despite the single “Party Ain’t a Party” peaking at number 26 on the charts, the album had only sold 40,000 copies one month after its release.

One song, in particular, entitled “Girlfriend,” had everyone talking. The track was all about Queen Pen stealing a dude’s girlfriend. The song received a lot of backlash during a time when the industry wasn’t as open as it is today. And, of course, it led people to question if maybe Queen Pen was down for the ladies.

When asked about her orientation, Queen Pen danced around the subject. She simply stated, “I’d rather be a mystery for a minute.” 

Beef and mommyhood

Just like most female rappers, Queen Pen got thrown into a feud at the start of her career. In 1998, during a convention in Nevada, she reportedly got into it with fellow rapper Foxy Brown. According to sources, Queen Pen was upset when she heard Foxy took shots at her personal preference on a mixtape. When the women ran into each other at the convention, Queen Pen’s hand reportedly connected with Foxy’s face. There were rumors that they got into it a second time as well.

Pushing the drama aside, Queen Pen did many good things during her time in the industry. She took time out of her schedule to speak to young moms at group homes,  juvenile centers, and inner-city schools.

In 1999, she gave birth to her third child. After the birth, Queen Pen went on a three-year hiatus to focus on her family before she turned back to music.

In 2001, Queen Pen admitted that going back to the studio was hard. She told MTV she only had six and a half weeks to finish her album but being with her family was more important than superstardom. 

Even though she missed the stage, her hiatus was longer than expected. Teddy Riley’s record label folded and her contract became the property of Interscope Records. Teddy told Queen Pen he was launching a brand new label, so he convinced her to leave Interscope and join his new company. 

Queen Pen was loyal and she considered Teddy family, so she left Interscope. But when Teddy decided not to launch his new label, Queen was left out in the cold.

Back to the music

She had to go back to square one and find her own deal. Thankfully, a friend who was the head of Motown decided to give her a chance. The album Conversations with Queen was released in May 2001. Though the album was highly anticipated, and it talked about topics like domestic issues, and her rumored relationship with RL from R&B group Next, the album flopped. Vibe magazine went on to describe the album as a, quote, “dissatisfying second effort from an artist who was once considered one of hip hop’s most promising female voices.”

She switched gears in 2002 by releasing a collection of short stories called Situations. She released a second book, entitled Blossom, in 2006. That same year, she finally squashed her beef with Foxy Brown at the Hip Hop Summit.

Shedding light on domestic violence 

In 2008, Queen Pen was back in the news when her ex-boyfriend and the father of two of her children, Kendall Wicker, put his hands on her. According to NY Daily News, he damaged her Grammy and threw a brick through her car window. Queen Pen also required constructive surgery following the incident.

While Queen Pen had spent so much time talking to victims of domestic issues and bringing awareness, she said, “I’m trying to get help. When is someone going to listen to me?” In the meantime, Queen Pen was trying to find a new place to live, care for her kids and continue on with her career, including working on a third album with an anticipated 2009 release date. The album was said to be produced by Teddy. One single called “Jungle Fever” was released, but as of this video, the album still isn’t available for her fans.

Queen Pen is now a mom of five and a grandmother. Her two eldest sons are following in her footsteps by embarking on rap careers, and, of course, Queen Pen is right by their sides every step of the way. We wish Queen Pen and her family nothing but the best.

Let us know if you’re shocked by what happened to Queen Pen.