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!
DJ Rozwell
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