mc lyte
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One of our greatest pioneers is making a return. MC Lyte has announced her first album in over 10 years.
As reported by WBLS the Brooklyn, New York native is preparing a comeback. On a recent episode of That’s That Joint on Rock The Bells Radio she revealed that she has a project in the works. I got a new record. I’m working on it right now” she said. The new single is out, it’s [called] “Woman”. The new record is coming.” When asked by Grandmaster Caz for more details she confirmed the album’s timing. “The album comes out August 9 and the next single comes out June 9.”
The “Paper Thin” MC went on to explain that she was hesitant to start rapping again but was encouraged by some of peers to pick up the pen and pad. She recalled a conversation she had with LL Cool J saying “but what about you? Stop being scared, put out some music.” MC Lyte also revealed that Nas’s record “Where Are They Now” also inspired her to come back. “And then of course, Nas, he gives a call out to all people of the late ’80s, early ’90s. I slipped in at the end of the ’80s, but a lot of my success came from the ’90s. So he’s just like, ‘Where y’all at? Drop some music.’”
MC Lyte is the first female MC to release a solo album with Lyte As A Rock in 1988. Her last album Legend was released in 2015. You can listen to her newest single “Woman”, which features Salt, Big Daddy Kane and Raheem DeVaughn, below.
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Source: handout / Lady Luck
In the pulsating heart of Hip-Hop where lyricism reigns supreme and storytelling is an art form, few voices resonate with the raw, unapologetic power of Lady Luck.
A lyrical force, she strides through the music scene like a queen. From the battleground to the underground and the mainstream; her rhymes cut through the noise with razor-sharp precision. As we sit down with this fearless lyricist, we unravel the layers of her journey and delve into the mind of Lady Luck, where every word is a testament to her unwavering spirit and unmatched talent.
Lady Luck’s evolution in music is a testament to her resilience and growth as an artist. From the fierce and now legendary battles between herself and Remy Ma, where she honed her skills and made her mark, to the more reflective and positive messaging we hear in her latest single, “Praise”, her journey has been transformative. The tragic loss of her mother served as a catalyst, prompting Lady Luck to channel her pain into her music, using her platform to spread messages of hope, empowerment and self-discovery. This shift in focus showcases her versatility as an artist and highlights her ability to turn personal tragedy into a beacon of light for others.
Hip-Hop Wired: We know you are a vet in the game, but to kick things off let’s talk about your female Rap influences. Who are the top five that influenced you to pick up the mic?
Lady Luck: Oh wow, I’m a little biased because I feel like my top five should be everyone’s top five [laughs], but I would say it’s Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Da Brat, loved Da Brat, and Nikki D. Of course, Nikki D, we can’t forget her, but can I get some honorable mentions? Because I want to add Lady of Rage, Roxanne Shante and Antionette. I mean I have some honorable mentions for all of the girls who poured into me, pause. [laughs]
I understand because when it comes down to influences, narrowing it down to just five can be hard because there are so many great artists.
Like The Sequence, for instance. They were the first female Rap group signed by my aunt, Sylvia [Robinson], and Angie Stone is in the group, only then she was known as Angie B. She was also my godmother at that time.
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As a battle rapper whose previous ongoing battle against Remy Ma is now considered infamous, how do you feel about the hate female rappers receive for verbally sparring like their male counterparts?
It’s like that all the time, but that is rooted in gender inequality. No different than when a woman speaks up for herself, she’s considered “bitchy,” but you learn that it’s part of it. I personally appreciate everything the girls are doing and shaking up s–t. I appreciate Nicki and Megan and Drake versus everybody, I almost want to get in on it. [laughs]
Being a veteran MC who has learned to navigate and flow with the current music, how do you feel about the current state of culture and the wave of new artists collaborating with vets as a way to pay homage to those they were inspired by?
I think it’s dope and the first time we have seen something like this in the industry at this rate. Like shout out to Coi Leray for teaming up with Busta [Rhymes]; the fact he is still on fire is dope. I love it. I love that the lines are blurred with the internet because I believe it’s a gift and a curse. Yeah, anyone can drop an album, but anyone can drop an album so it’s the power that’s there too. Look at Hit-Boy, his father came home from jail and started dropping that old-school heat–people enjoyed it.
One thing I love about you as an artist is that you always highlight the artists that you are listening to and shine a light on those you feel need to be seen. Who are some new artists you are checking for and would like to collaborate with?
I’m really bad with names because I smoke so much weed. [laughs] So when this question comes up I always remember someone I should have mentioned later, but Lola Brooke for sure. A lot of artists I hear on Sirius Mixtape Radio because it’s my go-to. Steff-G, she’s definitely on my radar. It’s just so many dope people out there right now, shout out to anybody who’s not giving up.
Speaking of not giving up, over the years you have made a few interesting transitions as an artist. We have seen you go from gutter and gritty, to sexy, to empowering and now seemingly an elevated conscious state. I know you attribute that to the recent passing of your mother–but you have a very masterful way of channeling life into your art.
I just been through hell man; I don’t look like what I’ve been through. It’s funny, I was telling my wife the same thing, that I may look like I am strong and not going to break down, but there are moments I want to break down. But know I can’t. I honestly feel like there’s more to life than what “they” are telling us like we are a lot more special and advanced than we are led to believe. So I have been looking for truth honestly–that’s how I got cool with Forbidden Knowlege and did projects with him because I want to know more. I don’t want to just be in the matrix promoting violence and on a lower frequency anymore. There’s so much more and I want to find out.
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I saw that you recently posted your recipe for plant-based General Tso chick’n, is veganism a part of the new journey?
Yeah, we were trying something different with cooking up mushrooms. We are actually about to start a podcast about cooking up mushrooms in different ways. I’m not a vegan yet, but I am working on getting away from eating chicken and meat so much because I love mushrooms, and it’s much cleaner.
With so many things going on, is there anything else we should be on the lookout for?
I am in New Jersey working on a street renaming for my mother. We are in the early stages, so be on the lookout for more details about Donna Lee’s Way coming soon. Also, we got my shades lines, Sundai Wear, and we got our new artist, DollyB, going crazy and my new album, The Human Experience. I am working with a bunch of great artists and dope producers so be sure to check that out.
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Source: Michael Buckner / Getty / MC Lyte
As we approach the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, it’s hard to think of women as just contributors to Hip-Hop when really the truth is that Hip-Hop would likely not have become a global force without women.
Even the often-told story of Kool Herc’s first hip-hop party in the South Bronx at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on August 11, 1973, came about as the result of his sister Cindy Campbell’s idea to throw a back-to-school party.
Early on, women in Hip-Hop decided they wouldn’t be relegated to the background or as support to the men rocking the mic. There were B-girls deejaying, influencing fashion, dance, art, and battle rapping – loud and up-front.
The pioneers came out bold – Roxanne Shante, Lisa Lee, MC Sha-Rock, Wanda Dee, Debbie D., Sweet Tee, Mercedes Ladies, The Sequence, and the list goes on to today with young emcees like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B. Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice, Scar Lip, DreamDoll, Mumu Fresh and more.
This Sunday, June 4, at 8 p.m. MC Lyte will be hosting for the second year “I AM Woman” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in celebration of women in Hip-Hop. This year artists performing will include Rapsody, Kash Doll, Bahamadia, Mama Sol, and of course, MC Lyte – the first solo female rapper to release a full album.
We talked to MC Lyte about the 50th anniversary and what Hip-Hop would have looked like without women.
What does it feel like to witness this 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop? You’ve been an emcee since you were 12.
MC Lyte: It feels invigorating. It feels like there’s room and space. I feel like we’re at a crossroads. It feels like the importance of where and when you entered hip hop doesn’t matter. We all contributed. Period.
There’s no reason to identify people as old-school or new-school. The importance of the 50th is that it started 50 years ago, and it’s still going. So everybody’s participation is important whether it started it or helped to maintain it, or helped to propel it into other areas. I’m excited to be a part of anything that has lasted 50 years. Everybody has their own relationship to Hip-Hop – it’s almost like a person. We do know that it has inspired all of us in one way or another.
Take me back to the beginning. I know you were inspired by Salt-N-Pepa. You battled Roxanne Shante and Antoinette – which went on for years on Mr. Magic and Red Alert’s shows. Growing up in East Flatbush – how excited were you at the time about hip-hop?
When I first started in the area where I grew up in the ’90s, it was more about Caribbean music and rockers, reggae. At a block party in 1982, somebody played rap. Still, outside of that, my relationship with hip-hop started much earlier in Harlem with my older cousins playing cassette tapes and The Treacherous Three and the Cold Crush Brothers, Funky Four Plus one more, Sha- Rock, Kurtis Blow. My relationship started earlier on, but once I was able to procure a record deal and got my feet wet, Hip-Hop was all over the place. It was unstoppable. We went everywhere. It started in New York and sprouted out to New Jersey and Philly, Boston and Virginia, and Delaware. It was sort of like New York was the nucleus, and then it sort of bubbled out like a bomb.
How has Hip-Hop evolved as it relates to what’s going on in society now?
You have kids who are growing up who have known Hip-Hop since the day they stepped on the planet. They’ve never known a time without it – to see and feel it. I think Hip-Hop 50th gives everyone an opportunity to look back so they can see how this was built, who was involved prior to. Your favorite artist of today was inspired by someone else, and that person was inspired until we go back to the true roots and foundation of it all.
The way that its grown, Hip-Hop has become a respected format and genre of music, and not only that – we set trends. Fashion looks at what we do. Movies look at what we do. Sports and hip-hop go hand-in-hand. I don’t know if there’s a player that hits the court that doesn’t listen to Hip-Hop prior to getting there. During the game, you have a deejay playing music that’s encompassed in Hip-Hop.
You’ve written lyrics that were socially conscious, “Cram to Understand” and “Cappuccino,” how do you feel about the trajectory Hip-Hop has taken as it relates to lyricism?
I think it’s necessary to show the whole Diaspora of hip-hop and all of its nuances and genres. In the beginning, it was meant to reflect the communities that we’re from and speak to the communities that we’re from and give a glimpse of what’s happening in our communities to the world. It was necessary for an NWA, for a Naughty by Nature – necessary for Tupac. Listening to “Dear Mama” or “Keep Your Head Up.” – I haven’t really heard anything like that since. There are so many of those emcees that have come on the scene and moved Hip-Hop into a whole other direction. But it’s very necessary for the growth and the stretching that hip-hop has to do in order to stay alive.
How do you feel that women in particular – since the focus this weekend is on women in Hip-Hop – How do you think that Hip-Hop has survived because of women? What would the landscape have looked like if women weren’t in it?
If women weren’t in it, it would have been flat. Women give life. A woman who understands that that’s what her innate purpose is. Giving life in some sort of way – new thoughts, new concepts, new creations and I think we come from a place of truth and being able to nurture, teach, educate, and entertain.
I love where Hip-Hop is now because it’s not all for one person to do all things. It’s like being in a relationship where you’re expected to be everything – you couldn’t possibly be. That’s why your spouse needs friends. I think in Hip-Hop now, we have so many contributors now that one person can be one way. I remember when we came in, we had to have a song on the album that touched every aspect of Hip-Hop – it has now loosened up. When I put out an album, you had to have a socially conscious song, a party song, and a club song, and if you didn’t have an album that touched all of those things, then it wasn’t complete. That’s what NWA did. They did thematic records that allowed them to stay in one space for the whole album – you knew what you were getting.
Talk about the upcoming event at the Kennedy Center – “I Am Woman” – this is your second year honoring women in Hip-Hop.
We launched last year – Da Brat, Yo-Yo, Monie Love, Tierra Whack, Trina Remy Ma- we had some tremendous talent. We packed that bill, but we didn’t have a lot of time with each artist.
I think this year we will get to spend more time with the artists. – Bahamadia – representing Philly, Kash Doll from Detroit, and Mama Sol got a standing ovation last year, so she’s coming back representing Flint, Michigan. She will kick off our show.
It’s a celebration of women in Hip-Hop. I want to make sure with my platform that I shine my light on the women who make it what it is.
https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/hip-hop/2022-2023/mc-lyte-presents-i-am-woman/ June 4 at 8 p.m.
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Photo: Michael Buckner / Getty
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Legendary Hip-Hop star MC Lyte will walk away from her marriage to entrepreneur and former Marine John Wyche with her music catalog intact.
The couple split in 2020 after marrying three years earlier. The divorce was finalized this week, according to Blavity.
Lyte, whose real name is Lana Michele Moorer, leaves the marriage with full ownership of her music catalog after it was deemed protected under the couple’s prenup agreement.
She will also retain ownership of other creative property, including royalties connected to her creative works and everything she owned prior to the marriage—those items include “jewelry, watches, and personal effects in her possession, custody, or control, and earnings and accumulations before the date of marriage, during the marriage, and post-separation, her Subaru, financial accounts in her name, all furniture, furnishings, and other personal property in her possession, custody, or control. She also gets to keep her term life insurance policy.”
Additionally, Wyche will not receive spousal support.
The couple met on Match.com and split due to “irreconcilable differences.”
In an appearance on The Real in February 2022, Lyte shared that divorce is a difficult process, saying, “You get to a point where you’re like, this isn’t working. It doesn’t matter. What really matters is that we end up in a happy place.”
“It’s hard in the beginning, but you realize to have happiness doesn’t mean you have to remain together, and it doesn’t mean that you are a failure because the marriage failed. It’s all ego. You just have to be able to let go.”
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