Hip-hop is often perceived as music’s boys club. However, as MC Lyte’s career would attest, the microphone is an equal opportunity employer. One of the best female MCs to rock the mic, Lana Michelle Moorer was raised in Brooklyn and began rapping at the age of 12.

When she was only 18, she released her classic album Lyte as a Rock. She held her own on each subsequent album, even becoming the the first solo female rapper to earn a Grammy Nomination with her song “Ruffneck”. As one of the most talented MCs during rap’s nascent years, MC Lyte’s longevity became evident over 3 decades in the music business. Savvy and multitalented, she has ventured into television, movies, and Broadway.

Amazingly, though, MC Lyte’s most meaningful work has come off-stage. Lyte has contributed to the Smithsonian Institute and lectured for universities and organizations throughout the world. However, she is proudest of her Hip Hop Sisters Foundation which awards yearly scholarships to young women who work hard inside the classroom and the booth.

A transcendent artist, MC Lyte is an OG and deserves credit for paving the way for MCs of any gender.