Need a Ruff Neck? Well, you know who to talk to. She's one of the greatest female lyricists of all time, MC Lyte, who will be the very deserving recipient of the “I AM Hip Hop” award, presented by Sprite, at this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards. Lyte will be honored for her trailblazing contributions to hip-hop, both as genre and a community at large.
MC Lyte was the first female rapper to ever release a solo album (1988’s Lyte as Rock). She went on to release seven more studio albums and four compilations, and was the first African American woman to serve as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy. Also known for her philanthropic work, Lyte is the founder of the Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, which will soon award the “MC Lyte $100,000 First Wave Scholarship” to its second recipient.
MC Lyte joins an illustrious list of previous “I Am Hip-Hop” award winners, including Grandmaster Flash, KRS-One, Russell Simmons, Ice Cube, Salt N’ Pepa, LL Cool J, and Rakim. She is clearly in good company, and deservedly so.
The BET Hip Hop Awards air Tuesday, October 15th, at 8 PM, only on BET. Be sure to tune in as the industry honors one of its absolute greats.
