When you speak of the greatest of all time on the mic, whether male or female, any GOAT list isn’t complete without mentioning MC Lyte. She still stands as a symbol of an era when skills earned respect and she was one of very few women whose mic rocking ability equaled their beauty. Lyte set it off for the women, dropping the first female MC full length LP. When her debut album, “Lyte As A Rock”, hit the airwaves and record store shelves in 1988, it wasnt just the femcees that knew they had to step their game up. Lyte helped set the tempo for the “Golden Era” and will forever be recognized as not just a phenomenal female MC, but a pioneer of Hip Hop in general.
Born Lana Moorer in Brooklyn, New York, Lyte fell in love with the Hip Hop culture at a young age and began writing rhymes before puberty. With the help of her brothers Milk Dee and Gizmo(Audio Two), she began honing her lyrical skills which led to her first single “I Cram To Understand U” in 1986. It wasn’t until she dropped Lyte As A Rock that the rap world began to take notice. The unforgettable battle with Antoinette, her sophomore album, “Eyes On This”, all geared by her raspy, but feminine voice, fueled not only her career, but the female MC movement as a whole. She was an essential participant in the Stop The Violence Movement and continued throughout her career to influence Hip Hop in a positive way.
With eight solid studio releases, six major movie soundtrack credits, and a Grammy nod, Lyte is undoubtedly a vital aspect to Hip Hop and music in general. Her guest appearances and collabo list bear no boundaries, with songs from the likes of Janet Jackson, Sinead O’Connor, Bootsy Collins, Moby, India Arie, Will Smith, and a host of others. Even though classic tracks such as “I’m Not Havin’ It” with Positive K and “Ruffneck” were made specifically with us Hip Hop heads in mind, MC Lyte’s distinct voice and charismatic style accents all genres of music.
Nowadays, you might not hear Lyte spitting a verse, but you will catch her voice on your television or radio at any given time, as the voice of numerous advertisements including Tide and AT&T. She also signed a three year deal with Sirius Radio, hosting a talk show interviewing black celebrities and entertainers. Lyte has been the announcer for the BET Award show for several years. As one of the best to ever do it, MC Lyte still continues to prove that her voice holds a vital relevance to the world.
-Courtney Brown(@CourtneyBrown)
