Singer Samantha Lawrence, who carried out in UK duo Wee Papa Woman Rappers, has died on the age of 55.
Lawrence appeared within the hip-hop group alongside her older sister, Sandra. They reached Quantity Six within the UK with their 1988 single ‘Wee Rule’, for which they’re greatest identified.
In a press release, Samantha’s household stated (by way of The Independent): “It’s with nice disappointment that we announce that beloved sister and mom Samantha Lawrence handed away on Sunday [December 1].
“Samantha, aka TY Tim, was identified for her chart success with Wee Papa Woman Rappers, a hip-hop pop duo that she based together with her older sister Sandra Lawrence, aka Complete S.”
Sandra confirmed that Samantha had died peacefully in London after being identified with secondary most cancers this yr. The household has requested for privateness “at this devastatingly unhappy time”.
In a tribute to the late artist, DJ Dave Pearce – who labored with Wee Papa Woman Rappers – wrote: “Sam was a part of a defining and groundbreaking period of trailblazing British feminine rappers who in opposition to the percentages conquered the UK charts alongside the likes of Cookie Crew.
“It was a extremely thrilling time for me and all the time a pleasure to work with them on my Radio London hip-hop present again within the day, their constructive power was infectious.”
Pearce went on to reward the duo, saying that they had been “all the time eager to experiment”. He additionally remembered how they “fused dancehall with reggae with ‘Wee Rule’ and stepped into the home enviornment courtesy of Kevin Saunderson’s remix of ‘Warmth It Up’”.
The previous Radio 1 DJ added: “By her success, Sam could have impressed others to observe their goals. I’m glad I had the possibility to remind her of that not too long ago.
“Ideas together with her sister Sandra and daughter KeeKee. Relaxation In Peace.” You possibly can see the message within the submit beneath.
‘Wee Rule’ seems on Wee Papa Woman Rappers’ debut album studio album, ‘The Beat, The Rhyme, The Noise’. The duo’s second and last file, ‘Be Conscious’, arrived in 1990 earlier than they first broke up the next yr.
A brand new iteration of the group, dubbed The Wee Papas, launched two singles between 1992 and 1994: ‘Wee Are The Women’ and ‘Wherever You Go’.
Wee Papa Woman Rappers’ additionally reached Quantity 21 within the UK with the music ‘Warmth It Up’ from their debut album.
The pair had been backing singers for Feargal Sharkey earlier than beginning their very own group and being signed to Jive Data – a British-American impartial label.
In 2023, the sisters appeared within the second episode of the BBC‘s three-part documentary sequence First Ladies Of Hip-Hop – the place they had been praised for “bringing genuine British hip-hop to a mainstream viewers”.
“We had been born in Hammersmith, west London, introduced up in South Ealing, and had our teenage years in Acton,” Samantha defined of their beginnings.
Sandra added: “Then I used to be, you already know, influenced by rap music and I assumed, ‘Yeah we might, you already know, that is one thing that I wished to do’.
“After which my sister, being solely 4 years youthful than me… I stated, ‘Come on, we might be bed room rappers, we are able to do that’. I liked simply rapping with my sister, as a result of she was simply superb. Wonderful.”
Sandra then stated within the episode that she felt like a “type of underdog” when performing alongside her youthful sister. “She simply impressed me,” she defined, earlier than Samatha spoke in regards to the pair’s “distinctive” respective kinds.
