MC Lyte is a 53-year-old emcee from Queens, New York, who is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of female rap. Her first four albums, “Lyte as a Rock”, “Eyes on This”, “Act Like You Know” and “Ain’t No Other”, were released through First Priority Music/Atlantic Records and received positive responses. Elektra Records’ debut album Bad as I Wanna B also received critical acclaim. is the weakest work on her discography. Still, I’m curious about her 9th LP since 2024 is her return year.
After the title introduction, Muni Long’s first song “Thank You” is a gorgeous opener produced by Nottz, telling the story of lighting a fire, while “Life & Luxury” tells the story of an ungrateful opponent through DJ Scratch. took the soulful boom bap route. “King King” featuring Queen Latifah continues to shred soul samples and pay homage to men, and after the “Sunni Block Barber Shop” interlude, “To Rock the Mic” features a funkier beat with Warryn Campbell promising to continue tearing it up lyrically .
The 2-and-a-half-minute long hardcore hip-hop anthem “1-5” talks about how it takes skill to rip a mic, and if you’re lucky enough, it’ll pay you off before “Make a Livin'” brags that she’s the live act of art in the bill gallery. “All Day All Night,” produced by the folks behind Easy Mo Bee, ends the first half of the album with a romantic theme, but then “Lyte Ghost Lil Mama,” featuring Ghostface Killah and Lil Mama, finds the trio talking over a dusty bap beat. Games don’t appeal to them.
“Kick Back Relax” takes a calmer approach, telling everyone in her way to kick rocks with negativity, following the “Vote 4 Change” episode, “Change Your” starring Common and Stevie Wonder “Way” has to be one of the most thought-provoking ones here to encourage you to change your life. The captivating lead single “Woman” featuring Big Daddy Kane and Salt speaks to female empowerment, while the soulful “Alright” featuring Cory Mo offers encouragement that everything will be okay. The last song after the Easy Mo Bee interlude, “Music Is,” ends on a 1 of 1 note, telling us that this is all she does.
I personally haven’t been a fan of MC Lyte’s projects since Bad as I Wanna B 28 years ago, and her first in almost a decade proves to be a second coming of age as she’s mentally at a The different positions are also another example of the hip-hop veteran’s return to form. She demonstrates her signature blend of love, bragging, and storytelling to inspire, uplift, and educate listeners to some of the best work I’ve heard supporting her in a long time.
Score: 8/10
