[2] Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, she grew up in the South Bronx, New York City during the earliest years of hip hop culture and rap music.
[4] As a member of the Funky 4 + 1, one of the first hip-hop crews to appear on national television, her style influenced notable rappers like MC Lyte and DMC (born Darryl McDaniels) of Run-DMC.
[8] As a pioneer affiliated with the Zulu Nation, MC Sha-Rock inspired a style of rapping made famous by Run DMC and called the "echo chamber".
[11] Of all members of the Funky 4 + 1, pop critic Robert Christgau reserved special praise for Green in his review of "That's the Joint", "Quick tradeoffs and clamorous breaks vary the steady-flow rhyming of the individual MCs, and when it comes to Sha-Rock, Miss Plus One herself, who needs variation?
On February 14, 1981, The Funky 4 + 1 were introduced as New York City "street rappers" from the Bronx along with headlining musical guests Blondie with its lead singer Debbie Harry on Saturday Night Live.