Line-up

Headliner
MC Lyte Last time in Twin Cities: 1 year ago

Venue

Dakota

1010 Nicollet Mall, 55403, Minneapolis, MN, US

dakotacooks.com/

Capacity: 250

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Additional details

Doors open: 19:00

Concert in your area for Hip-Hop, Electronic, and R&B.

Find out more about Hip-Hop and Electronic.

MC Lyte biography

Lana Michele Moorer, better known by her stage name MC Lyte is an American rapper originally from Brooklyn who became the first solo female rapper to release a full album in 1988.

Never one to shy away from her musical ability, at the age of 17 Lyte began giving tips and teaching other MCs the best way to create rap and rhymes. She has been constantly developing and improving her own brand of hip hop and has released a total of ten albums to date.

Her debut 'Lyte as a Rock' was released in 1988 and charted at #50 on the US R & B Charts. She was the first solo female rapper to release a full album and it was a critical success, as well as featuring a #1 US Rap single 'Paper Thin'.

Since then she has had three more #1s on the US Rap chart and three top ten hits on the US R & B chart. The 1996 release 'Keep On, Keepin' On' also charted at #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, Lyte's highest chart position to date. Her albums have enjoyed similar commercial success, all charting well on the US R & B Chart. 'Eyes On This' remains the peak at #8 upon its release in 1989.

Her services to female hip hop are considered immeasurable by many and she has received a number of prestigious honours from the industry over her career. In 2006 MC Lyte was included in a list of artists honoured on VH1's annual award show Hip Hop Honors. Whilst In 2013 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hip Hop Inaugural Ball, and she has been honoured by the BET awards who awarded her the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Lifetime Achievement Award in the same year. She also became the first female solo rapper to be nominated for the Best Rap Single Grammy Award in 1993.

Live reviews

Women empowerment in a male dominated world can sometimes be a struggle but certain females do not need that extra push. MC Lyte, one of the original female rappers of the late 1980s who is still one of the main influences of Hip Hop culture.

Lyte makes an appearance at the Restoration Rocks Festival taking place in her hometown - Brooklyn NYC and opens her set with the infamous ‘Cha Cha Cha’. She walks on stage with swag and immediately gets the audience hyped with the classic “hey hoo” repetition. Accompanied by a female DJ (another representation of female empowerment), she constantly requests for her to switch up the beat. This element bought lyte to those audience members who aren’t as familiar with her work but could recognise the rhythm instead.

Lyte then switches things up and rhymes straight into another timeless hit ‘Paper Thin’. New rappers and Hip Hop artists still respect the veterans that came before them and for Lyte, Missy Elliott could not admire her more; especially as she quotes Lyte ‘Paper Thin’ lyrics in her own single ‘Cop That Disc’.

The Restoration Rocks Festival bought back memories of what Hip Hop is really about. Rappers and wordsmiths talking about daily struggles and what life living in the hood was really like; the essence of their work came from real life experiences which I feel is lacking lyrically in the modern day.

Nearly 30 years later, Lyte still has the same assertive feminism in her delivery, ability to interact with the crowd and does not look at day over 30 years old. If you are interested in discovering or rediscovering Hip Hop, an MC Lyte ticket is a must!

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