Tanya "Sweet Tee" Winley

Who is Tanya "Sweet Tee" Winley?

Tanya “Sweet Tee” Winley is one of the earliest female rappers, active from 1979 to 1982. She is the daughter of Paul Winley, of Winley Records on 125th Street in Harlem. Paul Winley recorded Tanya's and sister Paulette's "Rhymin' and Rappin'" and Tanya's solo "Vicious Rap", which are two of the earliest examples of rap songs by women. Tanya Winley is possibly the first recorded female rapper, and was a contemporary of Lady B.

The beginning of her song "Vicious Rap" is sampled in Diamond D & The Psychotics "Best Kept Secret." Ego trip lists three of Tanya's songs as hip hop's greatest singles by year. "Rhymin' and Rappin'" ranks #6 in 1979, "Vicious Rap" ranks #9 in 1980, and "I Believe In The Wheel of Fortune" ranks #32 in 1982. Her repertoire is small, but her rhymes were written and recorded while she was a teenager. Her "Vicious Rap" is one of the earliest examples of conscious rap.