Gwendolyn “Blondy” Chisolm — who cofounded pioneering female hip-hop trio The Sequence with Cheryl “The Pearl” Cook and the late Angela “Angie B” Brown (aka Angie Stone) — has died. The rapper-singer-songwriter succumbed following a brief illness on Monday (April 6) in Atlanta. She was 66.
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“My sister gave a lot of herself to the music industry. Everyone knows her famous lyrics and melodies, which continue to bring joy to millions of people,” Chisolm’s sister Monica Scott said in a statement on behalf of the Chisolm and Scott families. “She was a creative force who touched countless hearts.”
Calling Chisolm “the star of our family,” Scott added, “We’re heartbroken right now. But we take comfort in knowing that her beautiful spirit lives on through the songs she shared with the world. We hope the world will remember her as a passionate artist and a voice for a generation. You can honor her memory by turning up her music.”
Recognized as the first female hip-hop act and the first such act signed to Sugar Hill Records, The Sequence is best known for its 1979 Gold-certified hit “Funk You Up.” Peaking at No. 15 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the single also made history as the first chart hit released by a female hip-hop group. With its bass-thumping, body-bopping beat, “Funk You Up” played a key role in hip-hop’s evolution.
Over the ensuing decades, the song has continued to connect with music fans thanks to being sampled by artists such as Dr. Dre (“Keep Their Heads Ringin’”), En Vogue (“Whatever”) and Erykah Badu (“Love of My Life Worldwide,” also featuring Sequence member Stone). Katy Perry interpolated the song in a commercial (“Did Somebody Say”) for a food delivery service.
That creative force was sparked when Chisolm teamed up with C.A. Johnson High School friends Cook and Stone as The Sequence. While backstage at a Sugarhill Gang concert in 1979, the trio got the chance to perform an impromptu audition for Sugar Hill Records CEO Sylvia Robinson. After signing them to the label, Robinson also produced the group-penned “Funk You Up.”
Before disbanding in 1985, The Sequence charted two more singles. “Funky Sound (Tear the Roof Off)” and “I Don’t Need Your Love (Part One)” reached No. 39 and No. 40, respectively, on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The group also recorded three albums: Sugar Hill Presents The Sequence (1980), The Sequence (1982) and The Sequence Party (1983).
According to the press release sent to Billboard, Chisolm continued to work in the music industry, collaborating with established and emerging artists, booking/producing shows and writing/recording her own music. The latter includes the 2011 song “On Our Way to the Movies” with Sequence’s Cook. Following Stone’s death in 2025, Chisolm worked with Tyler Perry to arrange the former’s memorial and funeral services.
Having earlier relocated from Charlotte, N.C., to Atlanta, Chisolm spent time speaking to students at HBCUs about hip-hop’s influence and the music business. At the time of her death, she was completing her memoir and collaborating with Nashville’s National Museum of African American Music to present a permanent exhibit spotlighting The Sequence’s iconic legacy.
A private memorial service for Chisolm will be held at a future date.
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