MC Lyte - Michael Benabib, Classic Hip Hop Photographer
MC Lyte (born Lana Michelle Moorer on October 11, 1970) is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock. She has long been considered one of hip-hop's pioneer feminists. Lyte's fourth album, 1993's Ain't No Other, became her first to reach gold status and was notable for her first top 40 pop hit, "Ruffneck". "Ruffneck" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Single, making MC Lyte the first female solo rapper ever nominated for a Grammy. She later went on to become a featured artist on hits by Janet Jackson.