What Music in 1999 Makes Us Miss About Our Best, Modern, Woman-Led Lives

A scrub is a guy who thinks he’s fly…and is also known as a busta…

We’re once again in an age where prime-time television is now once again the domain of women airing out the misdeeds of dominant men against them. Thus, it’s important to remind ourselves that a life where the unabated wisdom and intelligence of women is readily accessible as a showcase of our best experiences is also our best life. If needing more substantive than empirical evidence to validate my theory, do realize that in 1999 — a year wherein the American music industry earned an (adjusted for inflation) total of $30 billion — 45% of the top 20 Billboard songs featured African-American female vocalists. Furthermore, 70% of the top 20 highlighted a woman as either the lead or a feature. In 2017, zero women were lead artists on any of the top 20 Billboard songs, and three featured women in supporting roles. Because numbers never lie, a life invoking the brilliance of women early and often, is, again, our best experience.