Mc Lyte

MC Lyte made an indelible mark in music history in April 1988 with her debut album, ‘Lyte as a Rock,’ becoming the first female rapper to release a full solo album. This seminal work, featuring singles like ‘10% Dis’ and ‘Paper Thin,’ followed her impactful 1987 debut single, ‘I Cram to Understand U (Sam),’ which addressed the crack epidemic. She continued to break barriers in 1989 with her second album, ‘Eyes on This,’ becoming the first solo female rapper to chart on the Billboard 200. In 1991, her third album, ‘Act Like You Know,’ featured the hit single ‘Poor Georgie,’ marking her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100.

Du Bois Medal, their highest award in African and African-American studies. She received The Trail Blazer Award at the Trumpet Awards in 2019. Evolving her creative pursuits, she made her directorial debut in 2022 with the short film ‘Break Up In Love,’ and in 2024, scored and acted as music supervisor for the film adaptation of ‘The Memo.’