Mc Lyte


Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, longtime songwriter, lyricist, and performer, Mc Lyte, has always known just how to carry herself and rip the mic.

One of the most well-respected female rap artists and forerunners in the industry, Mc Lyte (Lana Moorer), has managed a lot of ‘firsts’ including becoming the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall and the first female solo artist to be nominated for a Grammy for her single, “Ruffneck” back in ’93.

Expanding her career tenfold as an actress, with her most noted role as Kai, a record company president on UPN’s sitcom, “Half & Half,” she has also been the distinctly articulate voice behind AT&T, VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors, McDonalds, Nike, and Coca-Cola campaigns. You might have also heard her on the weekends, hosting her radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio, recently celebrating its first-year anniversary.

In town to help celebrate long-time friend, Doug E. Fresh's birthday at the Charles H. Wright African-American Museum, FrontPage had a chance to kick it with Mc Lyte a day before the festivities.

FP: As a female artist, how have you managed to remain relevant in a forever changing music industry?

ML: Well, I guess just staying real. You know talking to people about things that affect them today. So it doesn’t matter how long ago I hit the scene or made a record, what’s important is that you talk about issues that are still happening, that are still going on. And at that point, people become interested.

FP: What are things that you touch upon that are affecting people today?

ML: Oh boy, everything, the same things that was affecting them then. Teenage pregnancy, independence, safe sex, anti-violence campaign that’s everlasting, teaching women to be themselves and not try to be anybody else; men for that matter as well. Young boys need to know that everybody’s different. They’re unique for a very special reason and to mock and mimic other people just to be in or down or cool is really none of the above.

FP: You are lyrically undisputed, period. As a female artist and compared to many, if not most men. How did you begin to cultivate your gift at such an early age?

ML: I wrote stories and poems. I wrote rhymes at a very early age. I started writing at like eleven, twelve, somewhere around there.

FP: If you weren’t doing rap, what do you think you’d be doing right now?

ML: Probably doing other things that I’m still doing. You mean if I was never a rapper to begin with?

FP: Yes.

ML: Probably would have done radio. I was really into using my voice and wanting to be heard and wanting to talk to people and get a message out there.

FP: Besides emceeing, acting on major sitcoms and doing voiceovers for major companies, have you taken a dive into the entrepreneurial pool, like creating your own clothing line, restaurant, shoe, club, etc?

ML: I’ve had my own line. I’ve had my own restaurant. I’ve had my own boutique. I still presently have a production company (Sunny Girl). I have a new label with two partners of mine (Whitey and Jared Lee) and we’re distributed through Sony/BMG in Europe. Yeah, I’ve definitely tried the entrepreneurial hat and in some cases it sticks and others I want it off.

FP: What is the name of your label?

ML: Right now we’re just calling it ‘ASR’.

FP: What does it stand for?

ML: Almost SeptembeR.

FP: Do you have any prospect for another album release?

ML: Almost September is coming--- actually the Sixth Song EP (Extended Play) is out digitally right now on all the digital platforms. We call it the starter kit for Almost September which is the new group. The EP drops October 31 in Europe and then the full album in Europe drops in February. So we haven’t chosen a date here yet in the United States.

For more information, visit www.almostsemptember.com.

Contact Deanna Dunham at deanna.dunham@gmail.com or visit www.deannadunham.com.