Gwendolyn “Blondy” Chisolm, the rapper and singer-songwriter and a founding member of the rap group The Sequence, the first female rap group to have a hit song, passed away on April 6 in Atlanta, Georgia, according to Rolling Stone.
She was 66 years old.
Her sister, Monica Scott, confirmed that she passed away in a hospital due to septic shock following a recent illness.
“My sister gave a lot of herself to the music industry,” Ms. Scott said in a statement released by the Chisolm and Scott families. “Everyone knows her famous lyrics and melodies, which continue to bring joy to millions of people. She was a creative force who touched countless hearts.”
In 1979, Ms. Chisolm teamed up with Cheryl “The Pearl” Cook and Angela “Angie B” Brown (who later became famous as Angie Stone) to form the group that would capture the hearts of fans with their infectious energy and catchy beats. Their breakout hit, Funk You Up, quickly became a staple in the music scene, but interestingly enough, they were barely a cohesive group when they started recording with the iconic Sugar Hill Records.
This occurred only a few as after the label released the Sugarhill Gang’s classic, Rapper’s Delight, an anthem that became the first rap track to reach the Top 40 and helped make rap a popular music genre.
The Sequence quickly followed up with Funk You Up, an infectious tune that marked a major milestone in music history as one of the first records by a female rap group to achieve commercial success. This catchy track not only climbed its way to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart but it was also only the third rap song ever to break into the Top 50. The song’s success was a game-changer, proving and laying the groundwork for women to make a seismic impact in a genre traditionally ruled by men.
Gwendolyn Yvonne Chisolm was born on October 20, 1959, in Columbia, South Carolina, to Alonzo Chisolm Sr. and Virginia Young (Chisolm) Scott. She was raised in Saxon Homes, a housing project that would shape her early years. Alongside her family and other members of The Sequence, her childhood was colored by the close-knit community dynamics typical of such neighborhoods. Her mother was a fiercely protective figure.
“I was the only girl in the projects that had to talk to her friends through the window,” she remembered in a 2007 oral history, reported by The New York Times. Even at the age of 20, Ms. Chisolm had to deal with her mother’s strong disapproval of going to a Sugarhill Gang concert at the Township Auditorium in Columbia with Ms.Cook and Ms. Stone, which would later change her life.
“[My mom] said, ‘If you walk out this door, don’t you ever come back,’” she said. “I never went back.”
Ultimately, the three of them never got into the concert. The tickets that Ms. Chisolm’s boss at Super Saver had promised her never arrived at the box office as expected. However, fortune smiled upon them when a member of the Sugarhill Gang’s staff started flirting with Ms. Brown, allowing them to sneak backstage.
They quickly started commanding attention. “Once we got back there, we started talking,” Ms. Chisolm remembered in a 2007 interview. “We said we could sing and rap better than the Sugarhill Gang.”
Their claims went unheard at first. Then they heard a woman say, “I’ll listen to y’all.” It was Sylvia Robinson, known as the “Mother of Hip-hop,” who had just started Sugar Hill Records that year with her husband, Joe Robinson.
As Rolling Stone later reported, Ms. Robinson called over a bass player to create some beats while the women began an impromptu audition. Their first two songs didn’t go well, and they were ready to leave when Ms. Cook suggested they try Funk You Up, based on one of their old cheerleading squad cheers from C.A. Johnson High School.
“Stop it right there,” Ms. Robinson said, according to Ms. Chisolm. “Oh my god, I’m going to make you girls stars. That’s a hit.”
The Sequence split up in 1985. Ms. Brown transitioned into a successful songwriting career, penning hits for many big-name artists like Mary J. Blige and Lenny Kravitz, before re-emerging in the late 1990s as Angie Stone, a prominent figure in the neo-soul movement alongside contemporaries like ErykahBadu and Lauryn Hill. She would also have a highly successful career as an R&B solo artist, particularly in the neo-soul genre, with chart-topping albums and singles. Her 2007 album, The Art of Love & War, reached number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and she had multiple top 10 hits on R&B charts, along with over 1.4 million albums sold in the US. Tragically, she passed away last year at the age of 63 from injuries sustained in a car accident.
We’re heartbroken to hear about the passing of Gwen “Blondy” Chisolm from the seminal group The Sequence. Condolences to the family and loved ones of this crucial contributor to the history of Hip-Hop ❤️🕊️ pic.twitter.com/S1upHowUTe
— Rock The Bells (@RockTheBells) April 8, 2026
Ms. Chisolm remained active in the music industry, shifting her focus to concert production and artist management, ultimately serving as ams. Stone’s personal assistant, a role that likely deepened their professional bond.
The influence of The Sequence still lives on, with their tracks inspiring generations of artists like Ice Cube, En Vogue, Dr. Dre and Bruno Mars. Their evolution from innovative pioneers to a respected legacy not only illustrates the transformation of the music industry, but the indelible mark left by these talented women.
Ms. Chisolm is survived by her brother, Milton Stewart, and her sister.
