MC Lyte has had collaborations with mainstream artists such as Sinead O'Connor, Janet Jackson, Brandy, Xscape, Will Smith, Mary J Blige, Jay-Z, Moby, Aerosmith, Beyonce and will.
51 Facts About MC Lyte
2.
MC Lyte has worked with several charities, including her own foundation, Hip Hop Sisters.
3.
MC Lyte was recognized for her career with the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Lifetime Achievement from the BET Hip Hop Awards and was honored at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors.
4.
MC Lyte began recording her first track at age 14, although it took two years before it was able to be released.
5.
In 1987, at the age of 16, MC Lyte released her debut single, "I Cram to Understand U ", being one of the first songs written about the crack era.
6.
MC Lyte was 12 years old at the time she wrote the song.
7.
In January 1989 MC Lyte joined Stop the Violence Movement with Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy and Heavy D, among others.
8.
In October 1989 MC Lyte would publish her second album Eyes on This.
9.
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.
10.
In October 1992, as part of the movie 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".
11.
Also during that year MC Lyte began work on her next album, titled Ain't No Other, which was released on June 22,1993.
12.
In October of that year, MC Lyte performed at the 1993 Budweiser Superfest with SWV, Bell Biv Devoe, LeVert, Big Daddy Kane and Silk.
13.
In May 1994 MC Lyte participated on the performance on the finale of The Arsenio Hall Show, alongside the likes of KRS-One, Wu-Tang Clan, Naughty by Nature, Guru of Gang Starr, Yo-Yo, Das EFX and A Tribe Called Quest, among others.
14.
That year MC Lyte collaborated with Parliament-Funkadelic's Bootsy Collins on the single "I'm Leavin U " from his album Fresh Outta 'P' University.
15.
In November 1999 MC Lyte collaborated in the remix of Jammin of Bob Marley in the remix album Chant Down Babylon.
16.
In March 2000 MC Lyte collaborated with Common and Bilal on the track "A Film Called " on Common's album Like Water for Chocolate.
17.
In March 2003, MC Lyte released the independently produced record Da Undaground Heat, Vol.
18.
In May 2004, MC Lyte collaborated with Teena Marie and Medusa on the song "The Mackin' Game" from Teena Marie's album La Dona.
19.
That year MC Lyte was nominated at the 4th edition of the BET Awards in the Best Female Hip Hop Artist category.
20.
MC Lyte would be the first female solo rapper to achieve this recognition.
21.
In 2007 MC Lyte joined The Roots and Big Daddy Kane on the "VH1 Hip Hop Honors Tour".
22.
In 2007 MC Lyte released the singles "Mad At Me" and "Money" with KRS-One, the latter part of KRS-One's album Adventures in Emceein.
23.
In May 2008, as member of the group Almost September with Philip "Whitey" White and Jared Lee Gosselin, MC Lyte released The Almost September EP.
24.
In February 2009 MC Lyte collaborated with India Arie on the track "Psalms 23" from her album Testimony: Vol.
25.
In 2011 MC Lyte performed again at the Essence Music Festival and released the single "Dada da Da".
26.
In January 2013 MC Lyte receives the Lifetime Achievement Award at Russell Simmons's Hip Hop Inaugural Ball.
27.
On October 14,2014, MC Lyte performed "Cha Cha Cha" and "Dear John" to the President Barack Obama at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legislation that created the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, becoming the first female artist to perform Hip Hop at the White House.
28.
MC Lyte's first acting role was in 1991, an off-Broadway theater play titled Club Twelve, a hip-hop twist on Twelfth Night alongside Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, and Lisa Nicole Carson.
29.
MC Lyte signed with the production unit, Duc Tha Moon, for three years and eventually made a deal with Sirius Satellite Radio.
30.
MC Lyte made appearances on the following television shows: Lyric Cafe, Hip Hop Honors, and Black in the 80's.
31.
In June 2006, MC Lyte was interviewed for the documentary The Rap Report, Part 2.
32.
MC Lyte talked about her career in rap music and what it was like during the beginnings of hip hop.
33.
In 2007, MC Lyte joined the cast of MTV's Celebrity Rap Superstar and coached Shar Jackson to a hip hop emcee victory in a mere eight weeks.
34.
In 2017 MC Lyte played Detective Makena Daniels in the drama series Tales.
35.
MC Lyte has been featured on television as herself on such shows as In Living Color, Moesha, Cousin Skeeter, New York Undercover, My Wife and Kids, and Sisters in the Name of Rap.
36.
In 2020, MC Lyte starred in Bad Hair directed by Justin Simien, and Sylvie's Love, a period piece set in the 1960s opposite Tessa Thompson.
37.
In 2021 and 2022, MC Lyte starred as Tina Nixon in VH1's Hip Hop Family Christmas and its respective sequel, Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding alongside Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, Terrence J, Redman, and Serayah.
38.
MC Lyte opened Shaitel, a Los Angeles boutique that specialized in accessories from belts to sunglasses.
39.
MC Lyte did the voice of Tia for the Mattel toy line Diva Starz from 2000 to 2002.
40.
DJ MC Lyte served as the DJ of choice at Michael Jordan's 50th Birthday Celebration, at his 2013 wedding reception, and at Jay Leno's farewell party.
41.
MC Lyte has gone on to provide music for The Image Awards, Nissan, Google, Black Enterprise, and many others.
42.
MC Lyte has spoken at colleges and universities, for organizations around the globe, and with notable people like Iyanla Vanzant, Russell Simmons, and Soledad O'Brien bringing a message of empowerment from her book Unstoppable: Igniting the Power Within to Achieve Your Greatest Potential.
43.
MC Lyte partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund on the iLEAD international tour in South Africa to empower the continent's youth and up-and-coming leaders.
44.
In 1991, MC Lyte was featured in TV informercial promoting pro-abortion rights political action "The Most Exciting Women in Music" alongside Corina, Juliet Cuming, Kim Gordon, Lady Miss Kier, Kate Pierson, Crystal Waters, Tina Weymouth.
45.
MC Lyte served as the President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy from 2011 to 2013.
46.
MC Lyte was the first African American woman to serve in this role.
47.
MC Lyte has considered artists such as Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim, Roxanne Shante, Doug E Fresh, Boogie Down Productions, Kool Moe Dee, Sha-Rock from Funky 4 + 1, Run-DMC and Big Daddy Kane as her inspirations early in her musical career.
48.
MC Lyte claimed to know "all the words" on Kurtis Blow's records.
49.
MC Lyte has influenced the work of later female rappers such as Queen Latifah, Lil' Kim, Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Monie Love, Eve, Rapsody, and Flo Milli, as well as rock artist Jack White.
50.
Reggae Congo bands played as MC Lyte walked down the aisle, and the couple's friend Kelly Price serenaded them during the ceremony.
51.
MC Lyte is an honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority.