MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer, better recognized by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper-songwriter, actress, television announcer, and businesswoman. Regarded as a pioneer in the field of female rap, MC Lyte initially gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a full solo album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock. The album spawned the singles "10% Dis" and "Paper Thin".
In 1989, she joined the supergroup Stop the Violence Movement, and appeared on the single "Self Destruction", which was the inaugural number-one single on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. That same year, she released her second album Eyes on This, which became one of the first albums by a female solo rapper to chart on the Billboard 200. That album included the single "Cha Cha Cha". In 1991, MC Lyte released the hit single "Poor Georgie", which marked her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100. Her 1993 single "Ruffneck", made her the first solo woman rapper to achieve a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
In 1994, she collaborated with Janet Jackson on the song "You Want This", and was featured alongside Queen Latifah and Yo-Yo on the remix track "I Wanna Be Down" by Brandy. Her 1996 single "Keep On, Keepin' On" featuring Xscape, reached the top ten on Billboard Hot 100. She then collaborated with Missy Elliott on the hit song "Cold Rock a Party", which was her fifth number-one song on the Hot Rap Singles chart. In 2004, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance for the track "Ride Wit Me".
Throughout her ongoing career, MC Lyte had collaborations with mainstream artists such as Sinéad O'Connor, Will Smith, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Moby, Aerosmith, Beyoncé and will.i.am, and has been cited as an influence to many women in hip hop. In 2023, Billboard & Vibe ranked her as one of the 50 greatest rappers. She has received the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Lifetime Achievement from the BET Hip Hop Awards, and was honored at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors. In October 2014, Lyte become the first female artist to perform Hip Hop at the White House. In September 2016, she was awarded with the W. E. B. Du Bois Medal, Harvard University's highest honor in the field of African and African-American studies. In addition to her current career as a rapper, she has worked in parallel as voiceover talent for various events, writer, DJ and has starred in various roles in film and television. In 2022, has her directional debut with the short film Break Up In Love. Lyte has worked with several charities, including her own foundation, Hip Hop Sisters.
Early life
Lana Michele Moorer was born in the Queens borough of New York City and was raised in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York City. She began rapping at 12-years-old. MC Lyte's original stage name was Sparkle. She recorded her first track at age 14, which was released 2 years later.She regards Milk Dee and DJ Giz, the hip hop duo Audio Two, as "totally like brothers", because the three grew up together. Audio Two's father, Nat Robinson, started a label for them, called First Priority. After making the label, Robinson made a deal with Atlantic under the condition that Lyte would get a record contract with Atlantic as well.
Musical career
Beginnings: ''Lyte as a Rock'' and ''Eyes on This'' (1987–1990)
In 1987, at the age of 16, Lyte released her debut single, "I Cram to Understand U ", being one of the first songs written about the crack era. She was 12 years old at the time she wrote the song.In April 1988 she released her debut album Lyte as a Rock. In addition to "I Cram to Understand U " were released as singles "Paper Thin", the eponymous "Lyte as a Rock", and "10% Dis", a diss track to then-Hurby Azor associate Antoinette. The album peaked at No. 50 on the then Billboard Top Black Albums. 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. In 1988, The Village Voice magazine rated Lyte as "the best female vocalist in hip-hop". Lyte was featured in the remix and music video of "I Want Your " by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, which debuted in May 1988 on MTV.
In January 1989, Lyte joined the 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 Hot Rap Singles existence and the proceeds were donated to the National Urban League. In late August 1989, her song "I'm Not Havin' It" with Positive K entered the Billboard Hot Rap Singles, peaking at No. 16, becoming MC Lyte's first appearance on a chart as solo artist. In October 1989, Lyte published her second album Eyes on This. This album, like its predecessor, received a great critical reception and is recognized as a hip hop classic.
With Eyes on This she became the first solo female rapper to have an entry on the Billboard 200. From this album came the singles "Cha Cha Cha", the first time as solo artist she charted on the Billboard Hot Black Singles and reached No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles. "Stop, Look, Listen", and the socially conscious "Cappucino". In 1989 she also collaborated with Foster & McElroy, known for their work with En Vogue and Tony! Toni! Toné!, in the song "Dr. Soul". This single peaked at No. 10 on Billboard Black Songs.
In 1990, MC Lyte performed at Carnegie Hall.
MC Lyte's DJ since the start of her career, DJ K-Rock, is a cousin, Kennith Moorer. Aside from a break in 1992, the two have toured consistently to the present. During that time she also had her own dancers, Leg One and Leg Two, who performed with her in shows and in music videos.
1991–1995: ''Act Like You Know'' and ''Ain't No Other''
In May 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. Her performance was praised by Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker, who commented, "MC Lyte performed her song 'Cappucino' like a rapping Aretha Franklin: Lyte brought out the soul in her lyrics." In September 1991, Lyte released her third album, Act Like You Know, which incorporated a softer R&B/New Jack Swing sound across some of the tracks.This release received more mixed reviews than her previous albums and commercially it performed more weakly than its predecessor, Eyes on This. From this album came the singles "When in Love" and the socially conscious "Poor Georgie" and "Eyes Are the Soul".
In 1991 she also participated in the socially conscious single "Heal Yourself" by the collective "HEAL Human Education Against Lies", which included Big Daddy Kane, Boogie Down Productions, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J.
Between 1991 and 1992, Lyte participated in "The Greatest Rap Show Ever" concert held at Madison Square Garden with Public Enemy, Naughty by Nature, Queen Latifah, Geto Boys and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, among others. In the fall of 1991, she performed in the hip-hop special Sisters In The Name of Rap alongside Salt-N-Pepa, Yo-Yo, Queen Latifah and Roxanne Shanté, among many others. It was recorded at the Ritz in NYC as a pay-per-view TV concert and released on VHS in 1992.
In October 1992, as part of the Mo Money soundtrack, MC Lyte collaborated with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, known primarily for their work with Janet Jackson, on the single "Ice Cream Dream". In 1992 she performed on Kris Kross's Back to School Jam tour, which featured A Tribe Called Quest and Fu-Schnickens.
In 1992, Lyte began work on her next album, titled Ain't No Other, which was released on June 22, 1993. With a more hardcore hip hop sound, Lyte achieved better critical reception than her prior album. "Ruffneck" was released as a single, which became her first top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 35, and fourth No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles, also earning her first gold certification. With "Ruffneck", MC Lyte had a nomination for the 36th edition of the Grammy Awards in the Best Rap Solo Performance category. In October 1993, Lyte performed at the 1993 Budweiser Superfest with SWV, Bell Biv Devoe, LeVert, Big Daddy Kane and Silk.
In May 1994, MC Lyte performed in the finale of The Arsenio Hall Show, alongside KRS-One, Wu-Tang Clan, Naughty by Nature, Guru of Gang Starr, Yo-Yo, Das EFX and A Tribe Called Quest, among others. In June, she collaborated with Ice Cube, Public Enemy's Chuck D and Ice-T on Public Enemy's Terminator X album Super Bad. In the middle of 1994 she collaborated with Janet Jackson on the single remix and music video for "You Want This", peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a nomination for Music Video of the Year at the 2th edition of the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. In the summer of '94 she participated in Janet Jackson's Janet World Tour.
In early 1995, she collaborated with Queen Latifah and Yo-Yo on the remix of Brandy's top 10 single "I Wanna Be Down", earning a nomination at the 12th edition of the MTV Video Music Award in the Best Rap Video category. In April 1995 she collaborated alongside Meshell Ndegeocello, Patra, Yo-Yo, Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa and TLC's Left Eye Lopes in the rap remix of "Freedom" on the Panther movie soundtrack In June, she performed at the Jam for Peace with Warren G, Mary J. Blige, Brownstone, Adina Howard, Montell Jordan and Soul for Real. In 1995 she also collaborated with Lin Que on the remix of Mary J. Blige's "You Bring Me Joy".
1996–1998: ''Bad as I Wanna B'' and ''Seven & Seven''
In February 1996, MC Lyte collaborated on the R&B group Xscape's single "Can't Hang". In February she also collaborated with Lord Finesse on the interlude "Taking It Lyte" from his album The Awakening. In March, after signing with East West Records, she released "Keep On Keepin' On", the first single from her forthcoming album. This new collaboration with Xscape reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, her highest position on this chart as main artist, getting a gold certification. "Keep On Keepin' On" was part of the soundtrack of the film Sunset Park. In September, she won the Best R&B, Soul or Rap Video category in the 3th edition of Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards with this song.In August 1996, Lyte released her fifth album, Bad as I Wanna B. With tracks with a Pop/R&B-oriented sound the album received mixed reviews. In November, she released a Sean "Puffy" Combs remix of "Cold Rock a Party" featuring Missy Elliott. This single peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her fifth No. 1 single on the Hot Rap Singles, earning a gold certification. It entered the top 40 of various charts outside the United States, being No. 1 and certified platinum in New Zealand.
In February 1997, "Keep on Pushin" was included in the soundtrack of Dangerous Ground, in which MC Lyte, Bahamadia, Nonchalant and Yo-Yo collaborated under the production of Pete Rock. In March 1997, she collaborated with R&B singer Billy Lawrence on the single "Come On", which was included in the soundtrack of the movie Set it Off. In June and July 1997, she embarked on a USO Tour, performing for American troops in Italy and Greece.
In November she collaborated with LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes on the debut album of the R&B supergroup LSG on the track "Curious", which was later released as single. In 1997, Lyte also collaborated with Parliament-Funkadelic's Bootsy Collins on the single "I'm Leavin U " from his album Fresh Outta 'P' University.
File:Mc lyte-05.jpg|thumb|MC Lyte in Hamburg, Germany, 1998
In August 1998 MC Lyte released her sixth studio album Seven & Seven. It had a poor commercial and critical reception despite having the collaboration of famous producers and artists such as The Neptunes, LL Cool J, Missy Elliott, L.E.S. and Trackmasters, which lead to Lyte's departure from EastWest Records. In 1998 she went on another USO Tour, performing in Germany.