Queen Pen is the alias of American rapper Lynise Walters (born in 1972), who enjoyed moderate success with her R&B-infused brand of hip-hop in the late 90s. She was also one of the first female rappers to openly talk about homosexuality, most notably in her song “Girlfriend.” Although uncredited, Walters’ first brush with fame came through her involvement in Blackstreet’s 1996 hit, “No Diggity,” on which she rapped alongside Dr. Dre. Walters eventually became a protégé of Blackstreet’s Teddy Riley, who produced My Melody (1997), her studio debut. The album proved highly successful, with the singles “Man Behind the Music,” “All My Love,” and “Party Ain’t a Party” peaking at Number 7, 11, and 32 on the Hot Rap Singles chart, respectively. In 1998, she received a nomination for the Soul Train Awards in the category of Best New Artist. Following a three-year hiatus, Walters released Conversations with Queen (2001), an album that reached Number 31 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and spawned the single “Ghetto Divorce.” In subsequent years, Walters retired from the music business to focus on her literary career, publishing the books Situations: A Book of Short Stories, and the novels Blossom and Crossroads.
