MC Lyte

Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is a Grammy–nominated American rapper, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap[2][3][4], Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.[5][6] She released a total of 8 solo studio albums (Legend of 2015 the latest to date) and an EP with Almost September.[7]

MC Lyte
Lyte in October 2019
Background information
Birth nameLana Michelle Moorer
Born (1970-10-11) October 11, 1970
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)Emcee-songwriter, model, actress, motivational speaker, dj, voiceover talent, narrator, mentor
Years active1988–present
LabelsOmnivore Recordings
DuBose Music Group[1]
First Priority Music/Atlantic Records
East West America/Elektra Records
Associated actsAudio Two, Grand Puba, LL Cool J, Xscape, Lil Mama
Websitemclyte.com

With songs like Cha Cha Cha, Paper Thin, Ruffneck (with which she also got the first gold certification by a female solo rap artist)[8] and Poor Georgie she has influenced the work of later female rap figures such as Lil Kim, Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Eve, among others.[9][10] She has also collaborated with artists like Sinéad O'Connor, Janet Jackson, Brandy, Xscape, P. Diddy, Will Smith and Beyoncé.

MC Lyte was recognized for her career with the VH-1 Hip Hop Honors and BET Hip Hop Awards "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Lifetime Achievement. Also About.com was ranked No. 26 on their list of the 50 best MCs of our time[11]and No. 6 in the Greatest Rappers Ever survey organized by NME.[12]

Early life

Lana Michele Moorer was raised in Brooklyn, New York City. She began rapping at the age of 12.[13] MC Lyte's original stage name was Sparkle.[14] She began recording her first track at age 14, although it took two years before it was able to be released.[15]:1

She regards Milk Dee and DJ Giz, the hip hop duo Audio Two, as "totally like [her] brothers", because the three grew up together. Audio Two's father, Nat Robinson, started a label for them called First Priority.[14] After making the label, Robinson cut a deal with Atlantic with one condition, that Lyte would get a record contract with Atlantic as well.[16]

Musical career
Lyte at the October 14, 2007 BET Hip Hop Awards

At age 17 in 1988, she released her single debut, "I Cram to Understand U (Sam)," about drug addiction and its impact on relationships, being one of the first songs written about the crack era.[17] She was 12 years old at the time she wrote the song.[18] Lyte was also featured in the remix and music video of "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, which debuted in May 1988 on MTV.

In September 1988, she released her first album, Lyte as a Rock, with which she became the first female solo rapper to release a full album.[15]:3 In addition to "I Cram to Understand U (Sam)", the album featured songs like "Paper Thin," its title track, and the diss track "10% Dis," a response to then-Hurby Azor associate Antoinette.[15] Despite not having a great commercial performance, it is considered one of the best and most important rap albums, both in the 80s and in history.[19][20][21][22]

Less than a year and a half later, Lyte followed her debut album with the 1989's album Eyes on This. This album, like its predecessor, received a great critical reception and is recognized as a hip hop classic.[23] This album featured the hit single "Cha Cha Cha"[24] (which spent 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles, peaking at # 1), the socially conscious "Capuccino," and a new diss track to her rival Antoniette, "Shut the Eff Up! (Hoe)." At the beginning of that same year, Lyte joined Stop the Violence Movement with Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy and Heavy D, among others. Together they released the single "Self Destruction" in response to violence in the hip hop and African American communities. The song debuted at No. 1 on the first week of Billboard's Hot Rap Songs existence[25][26] and the proceeds were donated to the National Urban League.[27]

In 1990 she became the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall.[28]

On May 1, 1991, Lyte performed on "Yo! Unplugged Rap", the first MTV Unplugged to feature rap artists, alongside A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and LL Cool J.[29] In September 1991 Lyte released her third album, Act Like You Know, featuring a new jack swing sound. Even though singles "Poor Georgie" and "When in Love" peaked at # 1 and # 3 on the Hot Rap Singles respectively, the album fell in the charts, only peaking at #102 on the Billboard 200 and #14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and reviews were generally mixed. That year she also participated in the socially conscious single "Heal Yourself" by the collective "HEAL Human Education Against Lies", which also included Big Daddy Kane, Boogie Down Productions, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J.

For 1992 she began work on her next album, titled Ain't No Other, released on June 22, 1993. On this album she returned to a more hardcore sound and had better critical and commercial performance. Following the single "Ruffneck,"[15]:6 (her third song # 1 on the rap list, # 10 on the Hot R & B / Hip-Hop Songs and # 35 on the Billboard Hot 100), which sold half a million copies, she became the first female rapper to achieve gold certification as a solo artist, in addition to earning a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Rap Solo Performance category.

Lyte collaborated on pop star hits like Janet Jackson's You Want This and Brandy's I Wanna Be Down alongside Queen Latifah and Yo-Yo.[15]:7[30] She also participated in the rap version of "Freedom" on the soundtrack for the movie Panther, alongside Meshell Ndegeocello, Patra, Yo-Yo, Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa and Left Eye Lopes of TLC.[31]

In August 1996, after signing with Elektra Records affiliate East West, Lyte released the fifth album of her career, Bad as I Wanna B. With a sound more oriented to R&B and dance music, it became one of her most commercially successful albums. On this album she had the two most commercially successful singles of her career: "Keep On Keepin' On" featuring the R&B group Xscape (# 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and # 3 on Hot R & B / Hip-Hop Songs and # 27 on the UK Singles Chart) and the Puff Daddy remix of his song "Cold Rock a Party", (# 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, her fourth # 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and # 14 in the UK between other charts in Europe), featuring Missy Elliott.[15]:8 With both she achieved gold certifications in the US market, and for "Keep On Keepin 'On" she also won a Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards in the category of best R&B, Soul or Rap video.

Her 1998 follow-up album, Seven & Seven received both lackluster commercial and critical reception, which resulted in Lyte leaving East West Records.

Lyte released the independently produced record The Undaground Heat, featuring Jamie Foxx, in 2003, which was notable for the song "Ride Wit Me." The single was nominated for both a Grammy and a BET Award.

MC Lyte's song "My Main Aim" was the title song of the basketball video game NBA Live 2005 by EA Sports. In 2005, she released two songs produced by Richard "Wolfie" Wolf called "Can I Get It Now" and "Don't Walk Away" (with Meechie). In 2007, she released a song called "Mad at Me" and, in 2008, two songs called "Juke Joint" and "Get Lyte". In 2009, a song titled "Brooklyn" was released, as well as "Craven".

"Dear John" (featuring Common & 10Beats) was released on September 9, 2014 and peaked on the Billboard Twitter Trending 140 chart at number three.[32] After twelve years without an album, MC Lyte's eighth album, Legend, came out on April 18, 2015. "Ball" (featuring Lil Mama & AV)[33] and "Check" are also singles from the album.[34]

Other ventures

Acting
MC Lyte's diary displayed in National Museum of American History.

Her first acting role was in 1991, an off-Broadway theater play titled Club Twelve, a hip-hop twist on Twelfth Night alongside Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, and Lisa Nicole Carson. After she made her film debut in the 1993 movie titled Fly by Night, starring alongside Jeffrey Sams, Ron Brice, and Steve Gomer, she also starred other films, such as A Luv Tale (1999), Train Ride (2000), Civil Brand (2002) and Playa's Ball (2003). In 2011, she guest starred in the Regular Show episode "Rap It Up", portraying a member of a hip-hop group also including characters voiced by Tyler, the Creator and Childish Gambino. Lyte signed with the production unit, Duc Tha Moon, for three years and eventually made a deal with Sirius Satellite Radio.[24] Lyte also made appearances on the following television shows: Lyric Cafe, Hip Hop Honors, and Black in the 80's.[24]

In June 2006, MC Lyte was interviewed for the documentary The Rap Report, Part 2. MC Lyte talked about her career in rap music and what it was like during the beginnings of hip hop. She also performs a concert of her most famous hits. The program is produced by Rex Barnett.

In 2007, Lyte joined the cast of MTV's Celebrity Rap Superstar[35] and coached Shar Jackson to a hip hop emcee victory in a mere eight weeks.

In 2017 Lyte played Detective Makena Daniels in the drama series Tales. Immediately following she played DEA Special Agent Katrina 'K.C.' Walsh in the Police drama S.W.A.T. and Tiffany in TV ONE production Loved to Death. Lyte has been featured on television as herself on such shows as In Living Color, Moesha, Cousin Skeeter, New York Undercover, My Wife and Kids, and Sisters in the Name of Rap. She also acted on TV in such shows as In the House, Get Real, Half & Half, Queen of the South, and The District.

In 2020, Lyte starred in Bad Hair directed by Justin Simien,[36] and Sylvie's Love, a period piece set in the 1960s opposite Tessa Thompson.[37]

Business and commerce

MC Lyte opened Shaitel, a Los Angeles boutique that specialized in accessories from belts to sunglasses. "We sell a mixture of new and vintage [items]," she explained. "We also have a few signature pieces that are done just for the store. We boast to bring a little New York flavor out here to California."[38]

In 1997, MC Lyte launched Sunni Gyrl Inc., a global entertainment firm that specializes in artist management and development, production, and creative services and consulting.

Voiceover

In 1996, MC Lyte began doing voiceovers, working on a short-lived BET show called The Boot and doing some branding for the Starz network, Tide, AT&T, the National Urban League, and many others. She did the voice of Tia for the Mattel toy line Diva Starz from 2000 to 2004.

DJ MC Lyte

DJ MC Lyte served as the DJ of choice at Michael Jordan's 50th Birthday Celebration, at his 2013 wedding reception, and at Jay Leno's farewell party. Lyte has gone on to provide music for The Image Awards, Nissan, Google, Black Enterprise, and many others.

Speaker

MC Lyte has spoken at colleges and universities, for organizations around the globe, and with notable people like Iyanla Vanzant, Russell Simmons, and Soledad O'Brien bringing a message of empowerment from her book Unstoppable: Igniting the Power Within to Achieve Your Greatest Potential. She also partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund on the iLEAD international tour[39] in South Africa to empower the continent's youth and up and coming leaders.

Leadership and philanthropy

In February 2006, her diary, as well as a turntable, records, and other assorted ephemera from the early days of hip hop, were donated to the Smithsonian Institution.[40] This collection, entitled "Hip-Hop Won't Stop: The Beat, the Rhymes, the Life" is a program to assemble objects of historical relevance to the hip hop genre from its inception.[41] MC Lyte served as the President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy (the Grammy organization) from 2011 to 2013.[42] She was the first African American woman to serve in this role.[42]

She is the founder of Hip Hop Sisters Foundation,[43] which presented two $100,000 scholarships to college students each of the first two years of its inception and three $50,000 scholarships as a part of its #EducateOurMen initiative during its third year during the Soul Train Music Awards Red Carpet Preshow.[44]

Personal life

In early 2016, she started dating Marine Corps veteran and entrepreneur John Wyche, after meeting him on Match.com. They announced their engagement in May 2017, and in August they exchanged their vows during a musical wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Reggae Congo bands played as Lyte walked down the aisle, and the couple's friend Kelly Price serenaded them during the ceremony. Afterward, an intimate gathering with only close friends and family members was held.[45][46] In August 2020, she filed for divorce. This comes after 3 years of marriage.

Discography
Main article: MC Lyte discography

Studio albums

Collaboration albums
  • The Almost September EP with Almost September (2008)

Filmography
Cine
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Fly by Night Akusa
1997 An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn Sista Tu Lumumba
1999 A Luv Tale Alia
2000 Train Ride Katrina Daniels
2002 Civil Brand Sgt. Cervantes
2003 Playas Ball Laquita
2013 The Dempsey Sisters Taylor Powell
2017 Patti Cake$ DJ French Tips
2017 Girls Trip MC Lyte
2019 Loved to Death Tiffany
2020 Bad Hair Coral
2020 Sylvie's Love Mikki
TBA Lost Grils: Angie's Story Pastor Kim Post-production


Television
Year Title Role
1995 New York Undercover Female Rapper
1996 Moesha Self
1998 In the House Lu Lu
1998 Cousin Skeeter Self
1999 Get Real Beth Hunter
2002 The District Karla
1998–2002 For Your Love Lana
2003 Platinum Camille FaReal
2003 Strong Medicine Nikki
2004 My Wife & Kids Self
2004–2006 Half & Half Kai Owens
2017 Tales Makena Daniels
2018 S.W.A.T. DEA Special Agent Katrina 'KC' Walsh
2017–2018 Queen of the South The Professor
2018 Power Jelani Otombre
2019 New York Undercover LT. April Freeman

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1994"Ruffneck"Best Rap Solo Performance[47]Nominated
2004"Ride Wit Me"Best Female Rap Vocal PerformanceNominated

Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1995"You Want This" with Janet JacksonMusic Video of the YearNominated
1996"Keep On Keepin' On" with XscapeBest R&B/Soul or Rap Music VideoWon

MTV Video Music Award
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1995"I Wanna Be Down" featuring Brandy, Yo-Yo, and Queen LatifahBest Rap VideoNominated

Billboard Music Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
1997HerselfTop Rap ArtistNominated
"Cold Rock a Party"Top Rap SongNominated

BET Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2004HerselfBest Female Hip-Hop ArtistNominated

Other accolades

During October 2006, MC Lyte was one of the honored artists on VH1's annual award show Hip Hop Honors.[48] She was joined by fellow female MC's Da Brat, Remy Ma, and Lil' Kim as they performed some of her tracks, such as "Cha Cha Cha", "Lyte as a Rock", "Paper-Thin", and "Ruffneck". She became the first female emcee to be inducted into the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors.[49]

In 2013, MC Lyte received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Hip Hop Inaugural Ball. She was the first female solo hip hop artist to receive BET's "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Lifetime Achievement Award.[13][50]

In January 2019 received The Trail Blazer Award at the Trumpet Awards in Atlanta with rappers Yo Yo, Lil Mama, Da Brat, Big Tigger, and Dj K-Rock helping to celebrate with a performance.

References
  1. "MC Lyte: Still Rockin' With The Best (Interview by Han O'Connor)". Allhiphop.com. January 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
  2. "MC Lyte reps feminist beat at hip-hop conference". The Metropolitan. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  3. "MC Lyte". Philadelphia CityPaper. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  4. Joan, Newlon Radner (1993). Feminist Messages: Coding in Women's Folk Culture. University of Illinois Press. p. 220. ISBN 9780252062674.
  5. "Ladies First: 31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop". Billboard.com. March 31, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  6. "Hip-Hop's Greatest Year: Fifteen Albums That Made Rap Explode". Rolling Stone. February 12, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  7. "Almost September - Almost September". AllMusic. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  8. "MC Lyte". Kennedy Center. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  9. "MC Lyte". AllMusic. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  10. "Lil Kim On Her Female Rap Influences -- MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Roxanne Shanté People's Party Clip". video: YouTube. November 16, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  11. "50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987 - 2007)". Rap.about.com. February 15, 1999. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  12. "Greatest Rappers Ever – Voted For By You". NME. June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  13. Orcutt do not corruptBold text, KC (March 25, 2016). "The First Ladies Of Rap: MC Lyte". The Source. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  14. MC Lyte. "MC Lyte". HalftimeOnline.net (Interview). Retrieved September 2, 2016. Actually Milk and Giz are totally like my brothers but they are not my blood brothers but I was basically raised within that family.
  15. MC Lyte (January 7, 2011). "Full Clip: MC Lyte Breaks Down Her Entire Catalogue (Brandy, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J & More)". Vibe.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  16. Light, Alan (1999). The Vibe History of Hip Hop. New York City: Three Rivers Press. pp. 182. ISBN 0-609-80503-7.
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  19. "25 Albums That Changed Hip-Hop Forever". NME.com. October 4, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
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  21. "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. September 10, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  22. "The Source: 100 Best Rap Albums". rocklistmusic.com. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
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  24. "MC Lyte Net Worth 2019, Bio, Wiki, Age, Height". Wealtholino.com. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  25. "Hot Rap Songs – 1989 Archive – Billboard Charts Arhive".
  27. "How Stop The Violence Movement's "Self Destruction" Became One of the Most Important Rap Releases". Okayplayer. January 15, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  28. "Carnegie Hall Goes Black". theroot.com. April 3, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  29. "When Hip-Hop Plugged Into 'Unplugged'". TV OZY. September 23, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  30. "I Wanna Be Down (Remix)" – Brandy (feat. MC Lyte, YoYo & Queen Latifah)
  31. "The True Story Behind 'Freedom,' the Peak Black Girl Song of the 1990s". ZORA. May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  32. "MC Lyte Returns, Charts With 'Dear John' From Next Album". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  33. Coleman, C. Vernon (April 18, 2015). "MC Lyte Drops Her First Album in 12 Years, 'Legend' – XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  34. Diaz, Evelyn. "MC Lyte Goes Vinyl for New Album". BET.com. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  35. "Celebrity Rap Superstar – Ep. 101 – Let the Raps Begin". MTV.
  36. Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  37. N'Duka, Amanda (March 8, 2019). "Tessa Thompson/ Nnamdi Asomugha-Starrer 'Sylvie' Rounds Out Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
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  39. "Thurgood Marshall College Fund Presents iLead". Thurgood Marshall College Fund. May 1, 2013. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013.
  40. "MC Lyte's diary goes to Smithsonian". Latin American Herald Tribune.
  41. "Hip-Hop Comes to the Smithsonian" (Press release). National Museum of American History. February 28, 2006. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
  42. MC Lyte (January 13, 2015). "MC Lyte Explains How To Join The Recording Academy & Vote in the GRAMMY Awards". HipHopDX.com. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  43. Grimm, Marrio (October 29, 2010). "MC Lyte on Her Site for Women 'Hip Hop Sisters'". HipHopClub.biz. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  44. "Two MC Lyte $100,000 First Wave Scholarship Winners: 2nd Year in a Row". HipHopSisters.org. September 4, 2012.
  45. Chen, Joyce (August 14, 2017). "MC Lyte Marries Marine Corps Veteran in Jamaica Wedding". The Knot News. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  46. "MC Lyte Wedding Photos- [site:name]". Essence.com.
  47. "MC Lyte". Grammy.com.
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