MC Lyte
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| MC Lyte | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Lana Michele Moorer | |
| Born | October 11, 1971 | |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York City | |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop R&B |
|
| Years active | 1987–Present | |
| Label(s) | Elektra Records | |
| Associated acts |
Audio Two | |
MC Lyte (born Lana Michele Moorer on October 11, 1971 in Brooklyn, New York) is a female rap artist. Some contend that she was the first female rapper commonly acknowledged to be in the same league as male rappers: she frequently curses, and she has a no-nonsense demeanor. Many call her the best female rapper of all-time.[citation needed]
MC Lyte developed a reputation for introspective lyrics that speak to many people's lives. She was the first rapper ever to perform in Carnegie Hall and The Arsenio Hall Show. A few years back she became the first rap artist to tour for the USO, performing for troops stationed in Italy, Greece, Sicily, and Sardinia -- an audience she intends to reach out to again in the near future.
She released her first single, the crack tale "I Cram to Understand U (Sam)", at the age of twelve before signing a contract with First Priority. Her debut album, Lyte As a Rock, was released in 1988. It featured the previous single and "10% Dis." The memorable “I Cram to Understand U (Sam),” which dealt with a lying boyfriend’s true mistress: crack. "10% Dis" is another classic that targeted her former microphone rival Antoinnette. "Paper Thin" is another classic song that is considered her greatest hiphop cut and possibly the greatest hiphop cut from a female hiphop artist.[citation needed]
She then made a guest appearance on a remix of Irish alternative singer Sinéad O'Connor's "I Want Your (Hands On Me)," which became a dance hit in 1988.
This was followed by the releases Eyes on This in 1989 (including "Cappucino"). Both her "Lyte As A Rock" & "Eyes On This" are considered her classics, especially the latter. It spawned the album's first single 'Cha Cha Cha', which peaked at #1 on the rap charts. Also featured 'Cappucino' which is a metaphysical story weaved around a bad cappuccino experience. The 'Cappucino' video was directed by Ric Menello, who also helmed the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right to Party."
Act Like You Know was released in 1991, a generally softer, more melodic and often R&B-ish effort than either of her first two LPs. But even so, the album is far from a sellout; Lyte's music still has plenty of bite, substance and integrity. As before, she's at her best when telling some type of story instead of simply boasting about her rapping skills. Especially riveting are "Eyes Are the Soul" (a poignant reflection on the destruction caused by crack cocaine), "Lola at the Copa" (a warning about how a one-night stand can lead to AIDS; the title is a reference to the Barry Manilow hit "Copacabana"); and "Poor Georgie," which describes a young man's life and death in the fast lane. Lyte's change of direction proved to be short-lived -- with her next album, Ain't No Other, she returned to hardcore rap in a big way.
Ain't No Other was released in 1993. Lyte ditched the pop elements and emphasized hardcore rap on this LP. The song that did the most to define the album was "Ruffneck," a catchy, inspired single that found Lyte expressing her preference for ragamuffin street kids from the inner city. That same single, which was a response to Apache's single, "Gangster Bitch", is what became the first single to go gold by a female emcee. "Ruffneck" expressed Lyte's allegiance to hip-hop's hardcore, and she's equally rugged and hard-edged on tunes like "Fuck that Motherfucking Bullshit," "Hard Copy," and "Brooklyn." As a bonus track, First Priority includes a remix of "I Cram to Understand U," the song that had put Lyte on the map in 1987.
Lyte then moved to EastWest Records America and released Bad As I Wanna B (1996), which included a collaboration with Missy Elliott called "Cold Rock a Party". Seven & Seven (1998) also included guest appearances from Missy Elliott, along with LL Cool J and Giovanni Salah. Lyte is also featured as Kai, a recurring role on the UPN sitcom Half & Half. In December of 2004, she was inducted as an honorary member into Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.
In December of 2005, her latest single "Wonder Years" (produced by DJ Premier of Gangstarr fame) leaked onto the internet to rave reviews. Her upcoming album, Back To The Future features production from DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Audio Two, King of Chill & Kay G. It is scheduled for release in May 2006.
In February of 2006, her diary was donated to the Smithsonian Institution, as well as a turntable, vinyl records and other memorabilia from her fellow hip-hop pioneers, for a collection that will trace the history of the Bronx-born music genre.
In October of 2006, MC Lyte was one of the honored hip hop artists on the VH1's annual award show Hip Hop Honors. She was joined by fellow female emcee's Da Brat, Remy Ma, and Lil' Kim as they performed some of her classic tracks, "Cha Cha Cha," "Lyte As A Rock," "Paper Thin" and "Ruffneck".
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rap | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 1989 | "Cha Cha Cha" | - | #35 | #1 | - | Eyes on This |
| 1989 | "Cappucino" | - | - | #8 | - | Eyes on This |
| 1989 | "I'm Not Havin It " | - | - | #16 | - | Eyes on This |
| 1991 | "When in Love" | - | #14 | #3 | - | Act Like You Know |
| 1992 | "Poor Georgie" | #83 | #11 | #1 | - | Act Like You Know |
| 1992 | "Eyes Are the Soul" | - | #84 | - | - | Act Like You Know |
| 1993 | "Ice Cream Dream" | - | - | 11 | - | Mo' Money Soundtrack |
| 1993 | "Ruffneck" | #35 | #10 | #1 | #67 | Ain't No Other |
| 1994 | "I Go On" | #115 | #68 | #27 | - | Ain't No Other |
| 1994 | "You Want This" (Janet Jackson featuring MC Lyte) | #8 | #9 | - | #14 | janet. |
| 1994 | "Freedom" | #18 | #10 | - | - | Panther soundtrack |
| 1996 | "Keep On, Keepin' On" (MC Lyte featuring Xscape) | #10 | #3 | #2 | #27 | Sunset Park Soundtrack |
| 1996 | "Can't Hang" (Xscape featuring MC Lyte) | #56 | #16 | - | - | Bad as I Wanna B |
| 1997 | "Cold Rock a Party" (featuring Missy Elliot and Puff Daddy) | #11 | #5 | #1 | #15 | Bad as I Wanna B |
| 1997 | "Everyday" | - | #44 | - | - | Bad as I Wanna B |
| 1997 | "Come On" (Billy Lawrence featuring MC Lyte) | #41 | #19 | - | - | Billy Lawrence |
| 1997 | "Curious" (LSG featuring LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and MC Lyte) | - | #28 | - | - | LSG |
| 1998 | "I Can't Make A Mistake" | - | - | - | #46 | Seven & Seven |
| 1998 | "It's All Yours" (featuring Gina Thompson) | - | - | - | #36 | Seven & Seven |
| 2000 | "Jammin'" (Bob Marley featuring MC Lyte) | - | - | - | #42 | Shit I Never Dropped |
| 2003 | "Fighting Temptation" (Beyoncé, featuring Missy Elliott, MC Lyte and Free | - | - | - | - | The Fighting Temptations Soundtrack |
| 2004 | "Girlfriend's Story" (Gemma Fox featuring MC Lyte) | - | - | - | #38 | Girlfriend's Story |
[edit] Awards & nominations
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Performance - Solo for "Ruffneck" |
| 1995 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Music Award nomination for Music Video of the Year for "You Want This" with Janet Jackson |
| 1995 | MTV Music Award nomination for Best Rap Video for "I Wanna Be Down" (Remix) Feat. Brandy, Yo-Yo, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah |
| 1996 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Music Award Win for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video for "Keep On, Keepin' On" with Xscape |
| 2003 | Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance - Female for "Ride Wit Me" |
