Filed under: Black Music Month
There may have been other popular MCs to hold it down earlier for the ladies, but MC Lyte (born Lana Michelle Moorer) made an undeniably huge splash when she dropped her 1988 debut album, 'Lyte As A Rock.'
But even before that album came out, the Brooklyn-bred Lyte was regarded as a deft lyricist with a husky, confident delivery. Her first song 'Cram To Understand U (Sam)' was a cautionary tale of a boyfriend addicted to crack cocaine. It caught the attention of label bigwigs at First Priority who eventually signed her.
Lyte, who went on to release several other albums through the mid-1990s, proved that a female MC with the right balance of hardcore lyrics, street cred and sex appeal could appeal to fans of all genders. She found success precisely because she didn't compromise her image by dealing in sexually charged innuendo, wearing skimpy clothing or kowtowing to the demands of being a member of an all-male act. Lyte stood on her own with hits including "Cha, Cha, Cha,' "Cappucino,' "Ruffneck' and "Cold Rock a Party' with Missy Elliot.
In recent years, she's appeared in several TV and movie roles, has been a judge on MTV reality show 'Celebrity Rap Superstar' and has done a fair amount of voiceover work for BET and other media companies. In 2006, she was celebrated by other female artists during VH1's annual Hip-Hop Honors show.
Influence is felt by ... Remy Ma, Jean Grae, Lauryn Hill, Nicki Minaj