Legendary MC Lytes Exclusive Interview Spoke on Race n Recent Injustice System In America

Mi peeps from the 90s, remember MC Lyte? The Brooklyn-born hip-hop pioneer released her first album, Lyte As a Rock, at age 18 in 1988 as the first female MC to drop a full LP.
She also made history as the first female solo rapper to be nominated for a Grammy when her 1993 hit “Ruffneck” was up for a nod. In addition to dropping seven studio albums with an eighth on the way and five no. 1 hits, the two-time Grammy nominee has several acting credits and has lent her recognizable voice to various voiceover campaigns and televised events, including the BET Awards.

The 44-year-old currently co-hosts the nationally syndicated radio show Café Mocha Radio with comedian Loni Love and Angelique Perrin. And you can also see her whipping up a holiday dish with Chef Roblé on set at The Walmart Holiday Hub in Los Angeles. Yep, girlfriend is everywhere!

Fans got an extra special treat in October when she hit the stage with Brandy, Queen Latifah and Yo-Yo for the 20th anniversary of Brandy’s “I Wanna Be Down (Remix)” at the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards.

Watch video if you need a reminder of who MC Lyte is.

All of this is good with this femcee, but philanthropy and celebrating the lives of others who help uplift their communities has a special place in her heart. That’s one of the reasons why she co-hosted the Salute Her: Superwomen Making a Difference Awards reception on Monday in Chicago. The event, sponsored by Café Mocha Radio, honoured nine Chicago-area women in various categories, including Syleena Johnson, singer and R&B Divas: Atlanta star, digital strategist and blogger Luvvie Ajayi, and fashion designer Barbara Bates.

“The women who are working in the community need to be acknowledged. Who else is going to acknowledge them? It’s up to us say we love the work you’re doing, continue it,” she explained. “Helping people can become a contagious thing, and when you see the good that it does, all of a sudden you have people who have never stepped out of their comfort zone to help anyone wanting to now help.”

MC Lyte touched on several topics during her sit down after the Salute Her reception including the myth (yes, myth) that Black women can’t get along, whether hip-hop artists like Iggy Azalea should address the “plight of Black people,” and Bill Cosby.

Toni Morrison once said that black women were the original girlfriends, you know, sister-friends. But there are some black women who feel that we aren’t that friendly toward one another. The support that women in this room are showing one another obviously counters that but it seems to be a reality for some. Why is that? 

MC LYTE: For about the last eight years I’ve come on board as an honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho. So now I have sorors and it’s a sisterhood that I’ve never experienced before. I think it takes you actually living through that experience to know that it can happen and to know someone that really has your back and the only interest that they have is in having you feel better about who it is that you are. I don’t think that’s very common in everyday life for women. I do believe that whatever it is that you look for is what you will find. So if you’re steadily looking to disagree with women or think working with another woman is never going to work, if you have that type of attitude, then that will come to pass. I think that whatever it is that you’re looking for– whether it’s looking for strong women for mentor-ship or guidance or that you want to become that–you have to be willing to do it for someone else.

Before you joined the sorority how were your relationships with women? 

MC LYTE: Well, I had a funny style anyway because I am an only child; I’m independent. For me to actually lean on the shoulder of someone was really unheard of unless it was my mom. But I think it took getting older and understanding that you can have really substantial friendships with women and build a sisterhood with women who will catch you when you’re about to fall. If you have a group of friends, there are some who have gone through the things that you’re going to go through or that you may be going through now. It’s so funny because when you have real sister-girlfriends and you start talking about something that you’re going through, one out of three is going to say, “Girl, this is what you do.” So you get some of your best advice—and you might not have gone to them for that—but just in talking and being honest, being open and being true, you get to reap some of the benefits of having real friendships.

That’s very true. But some pessimists will still argue against that.  

MC LYTE: It is a mind-set of a certain people. People live at different levels and I don’t mean monetarily. I mean spiritually. And when you’re open, you can understand the concept of two sisters from two different misters forming healthy friendships where one isn’t jealous or envious of the other but they really want one another to succeed in life. And fortunately for those who went on line and became a part of sororities that’s what that whole experience teaches you: that no one is better or less, greater or less, everyone is equal. You ask what we are going to bring to the table because we need a common goal. It’s like, yeah, we’re sisters, but don’t be so much into me and I won’t be so much into you; let’s go do some work together. And through the course of that journey we’re helping other people who are learning who they are and at that point we can gain a mutual respect for what we’re doing.

Who are some of your sister-girlfriends in the entertainment industry? 

MC LYTE: I would definitely say Faith Evans, she’s a real, good sister of mine. Nicci Gilbert is a good sister of mine. Jada Pinkett [Smith] is like my sister. So, yeah, there’s a network, different pockets of people who have things in common from the east coast. There’s a different slang, a different tempo that we move to. I think for many reasons you need to have good solid friendships, people who know you and people who are willing to listen, people who care and are willing to share, too.

Your foundation Hip Hop Sisters recently gave away several scholarships. Please share more about your organization and the moment when you realized you had to give back.

MC LYTE: We’ve given away four $100,000 scholarships, so $400,000. And we’ve just given away three $50,000 scholarships to young men to attend Dillard University in 2015.

[I did this because] I wanted to help someone further their education. I believe with education you have options and when you have options you stay out of harm’s way and you’re on the move to get done what you need to get done. You’re focused and you can become successful whether it’s working for someone else or becoming an entrepreneur, whatever it is. But you have to get the basic skills and foundation in order to do anything.  The president of our foundation, Lynn Richardson, went after a few schools to see what we could drum up in terms of scholarships.

You are a hip-hop pioneer. Do you have any mentees in the industry? 

MC LYTE: Lil Mama happens to be managed by my company Sunni Gyrl and so she gets all of the mentoring. She’s young, you know, and she’s like, “Hey what are you doing?” She’s so wise and she’s extremely talented. So we’re just mapping out a plan for her re-entry.

Aside from Café Mocha and your hosting and voice-over duties, what are some other things you have going on?

MC LYTE: I have a new album coming out the first quarter of next year and one of the songs on it is “Dear John” with Common. I also have a song with Lil Mama called “Ball” and the video, along with the song “Dear John,” are available at MCLyte.com. I’m also doing lots of touring and speaking engagements all across the nation. And I deejay and I host and I perform. I just performed at the Arie Crown Theater last night to a packed house. It was beautiful. God is good.

Who in hip-hop are you feeling right now?

MC LYTE: Kendrick [Lamar]. I like his style, he’s not afraid to challenge other people. He’s very forthcoming in lyrics and I can appreciate that quality. I like Kanye [West] for the same reason. 

You and Kanye haven’t worked together. Do you want to?

MC LYTE: Absolutely. That would be awesome.

There are a lot of talented female emcees who don’t receive anywhere near the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Do you see this changing? 

MC LYTE: I wouldn’t wait for the opportunity. I would just keep moving. Because the key is what are you in it for? If you’re in it for the glitz and the glam and the fame and all of that, then you’re going to have to acquiesce to what it is mainstream media expects you to do as a female emcee. However, if you’re out to get a message out there and to enlighten people and educate them, keep going. Get your music out any way possible. 

You along with a few others in hip-hop have been vocal about social injustice issues like Ferguson, Mo. teen Michael Brown and New York chokehold victim Eric Garner dying at the hands of police. Some have argued that more prominent faces in hip-hop should speak out as well, including Iggy Azalea. Do you agree? 

MC LYTE: I feel you should do what is innate to you. Just because Iggy has taken on the moniker of female emcee doesn’t mean that she’s on a mission for the plight of black people. There are some black emcees who are not interested in fighting for the plight of black people. So how is it we can look at her and expect her to say anything …It would be nice. It would be nice if every person who wasn’t of colour felt as though they are tired of seeing us oppressed. It would be nice if they all said something. But that’s not what’s going to happen. It’s even black people who won’t say anything.

Why do you think some black people are silent on these issues? 

MC LYTE: It’s just an-awareness. It’s an acknowledgement of living in today. Today’s music doesn’t reflect what’s actually happening in the community. It’s more fantasy. It’s more fantasy than it is reality. So to see rappers rap about their jewellery and their cars, it’s like who is it for? So it’s somewhat disappointing. But I would imagine if you’re a real emcee and a true emcee who speaks about the social injustices or are just socially aware, you’re speaking about everything that’s happening in your environment. That’s what I’m looking for. 

And what about non-blacks in hip-hop?

MC LYTE: I would expect that Iggy shouldn’t be the only one that we’re looking at. And that would be nice if they did, if they agreed with the position that we’re being oppressed. Some people feel that we’re not; that we’re dreaming or something. It’s just the acknowledgement of this is what’s happening and it’s unfair. We know it as we’re on Instagram, we’re on Twitter, and as black people you can see who is aware. You know, when I can see Taraji P. Henson with her comment, Faith Evans with hers, you can see Sunshine Anderson with hers, Ludacris with his, Common with his. It’s just an-awareness and you see a movement of people coming together and acknowledging what is happening in this moment and change has to happen. 

You watched and were a fan, like many of us, of “The Cosby Show” and “A Different World.” Any thoughts about the rape allegations Bill Cosby is facing? 

MC LYTE: Really, it doesn’t matter what I think. It’s the truth and the truth will prevail. So I just hope he’s innocent.

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