During the late 1990’s, the state of New Orleans had a stronghold in the hip-hop community, much thanks to Master P’s No Limit records. The No Limit roster consisted of rappers including Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal, C-Murder, Romeo Miller, Soulja Slim, even Snoop Dogg and more. The first lady of No Limit was the talented female rapper Mia X.
The Mother of Southern Rap, Mama Mia’s rap career has been full of sold out concerts, gold albums, and incredible star-studded collaboration, but she has just received one of her most prestigious awards.
Mia has just received her honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanitarianism. This doctorate, signed by former President Joe Biden, is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to humanitarian work, philanthropy, and community service.
Dressed in her cap and gown, she posted on social media, “I pray my parents and grandparents are proud and smiling from heaven.”
Mia’s career began in the late ’80s and early ’90s before she graduated from high school, when she performed in a “mobile entertainment service” called New York Inc. with Mannie Fresh, who would later rise to stardom as the production genius behind Cash Money Records. She made her recorded debut in 1992 with the single “Ask them Suckas” (an answer song created in response to “Ask them Hoes” by 39 Posse), on Lamina Records. In 1993, she released “Da Payback,” a maxi-single which appeared on both the Rap Dis! and Lamina Records labels, which despite its status as “the No. 1-selling local record of 1993 at Odyssey Records” did not generate any income for the artist.
In 1994, Mia X signed a contract for two albums with Roy Joseph, Jr.’s Emoja Records. The label (along with its successor, Slaughterhouse Records) released her full-length debut Mommie Dearest in 1995.
In the 2010s, Mia X was diagnosed with uterine cancer but overcame it. In surgery for the cancer, the surgeons accidentally “tore her cornea off”, and that left her with 73% vision in one eye.
Just like Mia’s diagnosis, Black women face disproportionately high rates of uterine cancer mortality, often diagnosed at later stages and with more aggressive subtypes than white women, despite similar incidence rates.
A recent study in JAMA Oncology reports uterine cancer death rates are rising by almost 2% per year, with the highest spikes among people of color. Black women are not only more likely to be diagnosed with uterine cancer, they are more than twice as likely to die from it than other racial and ethnic groups, the study found.
“A white woman who is diagnosed with endometrial cancer has a five-year survival rate of 84%,” says Dr. Onyinye Balogun, radiation oncologist at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine. “If you’re a Black woman, that falls to 64%. That should not be the case.”
Black women also have a greater risk of developing an aggressive, faster-growing type, called non-endometroid uterine cancer, which is rising significantly, Dr. Balogun notes. “This type of cancer is more likely to metastasize (spread),” she says.
Uterine Cancer Symptoms
With no screening test for uterine cancer, like the Pap test for cervical cancer or mammograms for breast cancer, women need to be especially aware of their body and see a doctor as soon as they experience signs, Dr. Balogun says.
Here are some symptoms to pay attention to:
Rice University’s Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning (CERCL) will honor hip-hop pioneer Mia X by inducting her into its Hip Hop Archival Collection. The event, titled “Mia X: Soldier, Survivor, Savant,” is set for Sept. 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall at the Rice Memorial Center.
Known as “The Mother of Southern Hip-Hop,” Mia X’s influence stretches beyond music, encompassing film, literature and even the culinary arts. The first female rapper to sign with Master P’s No Limit Records, her multifaceted career as an artist, entrepreneur and educator has spanned more than three decades. As a result, Mia X has become a symbol of resilience, creativity and empowerment, not only in the hip-hop world but also as a business leader and community advocate. Her induction into the Hip Hop Archival Collection recognizes the impact of Mia X as an artist whose work intersects themes of social justice, race and empowerment.
“Mia X is a major figure in the history of hip-hop, blazing a path many others have followed,” said Anthony Pinn, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of Humanities and founding director of CERCL and Rice’s Center for African and African American Studies. “Having Mia X contribute to the CERCL Hip Hop Archival Collection helps us to extend Rice’s engagement with the expansive geography of hip-hop. We are excited to bring Mia X to campus, and we look forward to our ongoing connection.”
The contributions of Mia X will be celebrated during a panel discussion featuring Pinn; Chinara Butler, widow of the late Pimp C; and G Dash, a key figure in the SwishaHouse movement. The discussion will explore Mia X’s pioneering influence and the enduring impact of her work on hip-hop culture.
Founded by Pinn as a way to preserve hip-hop’s cultural importance while highlighting its role as a platform for intellectual and community leadership, the Hip Hop Archival Collection is a cornerstone of CERCL’s mission to document and honor the cultural significance of hip-hop, particularly in the South, where artists like Mia X have shaped the genre’s evolution. The archive features materials from other key artists such as Pimp C, Too Short, K-Rino and SwishaHouse. It’s housed in Fondren Library’s Woodson Research Center.
The event is co-sponsored by the CCM Foundation, Fondren Library, Woodson Research Center and ViiV Healthcare, whose contributions make the preservation of hip-hop’s cultural legacy possible.
Way to go, Dr. Mia X!
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