MC Lyte is the most accessible of icons. The emcee from Brooklyn has been in the public eye for more than 35 years — yet there’s always been an easy relatability to her persona and her music. And on her new album, 1 Of 1, Lyte’s easygoing toughness projects the wisdom of experience while radiating a joie de vivre that comes from all that she’s successfully navigated.
She came roaring out of NYC as a teenager with the topical “Cram 2 Understand U,” before dropping the first full-length album by a female rapper with 1988s Lyte As A Rock and followed it with the successful Eyes On This (which spawned hits like “Cha Cha Cha” and Cappuccino”) a year later. Into the 1990s, she landed more mainstream chart hits like “Poor Georgie,” “Ruffneck” and “Keep On Keepin’ On” before branching out into acting and voiceover work into the 2000s. But even as Lyte became known to a new generation for TV appearances, philanthropy and award show omnipresence — she never paused as an emcee and artist. Lyte has always put in the work.
Promotional image for ‘1 Of 1’ by MC Lyte.
Photo courtesy of 2R’s Entertainment.
Lyte’s last full studio album was 2015’s Legend, but the gap between projects hasn’t meant that she’s been quiet. She dropped singles with V Bozeman and Lil Mama in 2018 and primed fans for 1 Of 1 with singles “King King” alongside Queen Latifah and “Woman” (more on that later). Teaming up with West Coast mainstay Warryn Campbell, Lyte sounds as focused and energized as she ever has on her latest; and the result is an inspired and introspective album. And she doesn’t spend time rehashing old themes or erratically chasing trends. Quite the contrary — L-Y-T-E sounds reinvigorated and confident throughout 1 Of 1. Possessing one of rap’s most recognizable voices with a wit and perspective that’s always uniquely Lyte — not to mention a reputation as a storyteller of the highest order — Lyte’s legacy as an artist has been cemented for decades. That she can deliver a strong set after ten years should surprise no one.
Also, Lyte has quietly crafted an inspired body of post-2000s work — though much of it hasn’t gotten mainstream love. “The Wonder Years,” her stellar 2007 collaboration with DJ Premier isn’t on streaming; nor is her 2018 project Legend. But the woefully underrated Almost September project is widely available — a soulful one-off that features the Brooklyn legend teaming up with singer/songwriters Jared Lee Gosselin and Whitey White. That EP now, in retrospect, looks like an early indication of where Lyte was heading musically.
The album’s lineup of guest stars is undeniably impressive — from Common to Q-Tip to Mary Mary and Stevie Wonder — there’s no missing the star power. But they’re inspired choices who are all delivering the goods here. This is feel-good music that never lets the sentimentality get too sweet, but also bears the hallmarks of a woman embracing everything life is and what she’s learned.
“My close friends would call me grandma because I’m always imparting something that can be used later,” Lyte told Grammys.com prior to the album’s release, “and I don’t even know that I’m really doing it. I’m just talking. It’s just the idea of never being afraid to share your weaknesses and your shortcomings. Just being an open book to help someone else get to the next step, the next phase.”
A 1 Of 1 highlight is the groovy “Woman,” where Lyte champions positive partnership with a Raheem DeVauhgn hook that serves as a sequel of sorts to his own 2008 classic. With Big Daddy Kane and Cheryl “Salt” James contributing to the conversation, it’s a showcase for how hip-hop can offer grown vibes in a song about love and relationships.
“To Rock the Mic” repurposes the hook from “Proceed” by The Roots as an anthem of endurance and perseverance; the industry gets eviscerated on the Wu-esque “Lyte Ghost Lil Mama” as Lyte bemoans her own history of label woes and Ghost gives a shout-out to pioneers like Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow who never saw the kind of money the industry made from what they built. Her understated chemistry with Common shines on “Change Your Ways” — with a Stevie Wonder appearance, to boot. “Alright” is reflective without sounding bitter — another look at industry pitfalls through a lens of lived-in experience and another album highlight.
The rap industry has never cultivated longevity for its women. Even the most iconic names from Lauryn to Lil Kim to Latifah have gone long stretches without releasing music. So many of rap’s finest have short discographies and for hip-hop’s queens that can be especially true. But that has always said more about the industry than it does the talents or artistry of a Monie Love or Eve. Lyte’s quiet consistency has always garnered respect — but an album like 1 Of 1 serves as a creative crescendo for a legend whose greatness has always had a tendency to hide in plain sight.
Superproducer Easy Moe Bee makes an appearance near the album’s end, discussing Lyte’s legacy and the importance of elder statesmen and women in hip-hop.
“What Lyte did in [1989], what she did in [1995] — and beyond — she can still be that today,” the veteran hitmaker says in the clip. “[She] don’t have to have no qualms, no worries or contradictions in her mind like ‘my character then — would it fit now?’ She’s always been the same, all the way through. The question that I have is: how do we age gracefully and at the same time continue to be able to be who we were?”
In a year that has seen no shortage of rap legends delivering inspiring work, MC Lyte dropping some of her best music is a testament to the talent that has always made her distinct and influential. Lana Moorer is one of the best to ever do this. And she will always remind you. 1 Of 1 is the full maturation of an emcee that the world got to see evolve from teenage upstart to veteran spitter to bonafide rap legend over the last 35 years. A grown ass woman whose perspective — and pen — is sharper than ever.
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
