MC Lyte

Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper.

Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first 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 1987, at the age of 16, Lyte released her debut single, "I Cram to Understand U (Sam)", 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 would release her debut album Lyte as a Rock.

In addition to "I Cram to Understand U (Sam)" 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 #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.

That year The Village Voice magazine would rate Lyte as "the best female vocalist in hip-hop".

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 of that year on MTV.

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.

In 1989 released her second album Eyes on This (1989), 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", the first song by a woman to reach number-one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles.

In January 1989 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 #1 on the first week of Billboard Hot Rap Singles existence and the proceeds were donated to the National Urban League.

In late August of that year, her song "I'm Not Havin' It" with Positive K would have an entry on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles (peaking at #16), becoming MC Lyte's first appearance on a chart as solo artist.

In October 1989 Lyte would publish her second album Eyes on This.

This album, like its predecessor, received a great critical reception and is recognized as a hip hop classic.

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 (RIAA).

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 would become 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 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.

Billboard & Vibe ranked her as one of the 50 greatest rappers (2023).

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 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 also worked with several charities, including her own foundation, Hip Hop Sisters.

Lana Michele Moorer was raised in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York City.

She began rapping at the age of 12.

MC Lyte's original stage name was Sparkle.

She began recording her first track at age 14, although it took two years before it was able to be released.

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.

After making the label, Robinson cut a deal with Atlantic under a condition that Lyte would get a record contract with Atlantic as well.