The Source |Happy 54th Birthday To Hip Hop’s Female GOAT MC Lyte!

Born on this day in 1970, Lana Michelle Moorer has been a pillar of feminism and respect for women in Hip Hop since her 1986 debut. After her first single, “I Cram to Understand U” sent shock waves through the growing New York Hip Hop scene, Lyte was awarded a record deal from First Priority Music and given the ability to take her message to the street. MC Lyte was the first woman to tackle any issue of feminism in Hip Hop and was in no way quiet about it. Her debut album, Lyte as a Rock, was a middle finger to Hip Hop’s male standard, serving as the first full-length album from a female rapper. Here stood a young woman lyrically holding her own in a sea of some of the most hungry and prolific MC’s in the genre’s history while simultaneously checking the whole industry on their lack of respect for the fairer sex. Her ability commanded a positive response and made her a new force to be reckoned with. Her follow up album only did more for her career, creating her image as Hip Hop’s female kingpin, demanding respecting and delivering nothing but fire. This album, titled ...