MC Lyte - Trailblazer Award
The first female to perform hip-hop in the White House and first African American female to serve as the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammy Organization): these are just the first of many firsts. Lyricist, inspirational speaker, DJ, actress, pioneer, icon, veteran and entrepreneur describe one of the most prolific and well-respected female hip-hop artists of all time: MC Lyte. She has consistently found ways to reinvent herself musically, while expanding her resume and gaining new fans. A current member of the Board of Trustees of Dillard University and reared in Brooklyn, New York, MC Lyte always has her finger on hip-hop’s pulse. Many are familiar with her stellar music making skills, but over the course of her extensive career, MC Lyte has ventured out to other avenues that have allowed her to show the world just how talented she truly is.
A pioneer in the industry, she opened the door for future female hip-hop artists by daring to do what had never been done while doing something she loved. MC Lyte is the first rap artist ever to perform at New York’s historic Carnegie Hall, the first female rapper to ever receive a gold single, the first female solo rapper ever nominated for a Grammy and in 2006, MC Lyte became the first solo female rapper to be honored/inducted on VH-1’s Hip-Hop Honors.
MC Lyte has graced network television as well as the big screen, and she has been the voice behind the VH-1 Hip-Hop Honors, The BET Awards and national campaigns for Wherehouse Music, Nissan, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Nike. She has recently unveiled her lyrical talent once again to the world with the release of her latest single, "Anything," featuring A.V. & JoiStaRR. She has a recurring role in CBS's SWAT, USA's Queen of the South & Starz’s Power.
A role model to women who is respected by men everywhere, MC Lyte never compromises who she is and consistently reinforces the notion that a woman can turn heads fully-clothed. Whenever possible, MC Lyte enjoys traveling across the nation to use her expertise and story of success to motivate others to take ownership of the world around them while striving to be the best they can possibly be. Author of UNSTOPPABLE: Igniting the Power Within to Achieve Your Greatest Potential, MC Lyte provides keynote addresses at educational institutions, community centers and corporations around the globe and has also been active in many social projects, including anti-violence campaigns, HIV/AIDs prevention and Rock the Vote. MC Lyte is also the author of Living in the Lyte: Lessons in Life, Love and Truth, Fusion: Bridging the Gap between the Civil Rights Movement and Hip-Hop, a book she co-authored with Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. and Your Man and Your Money, a book that she co-authored with business partner & celebrity financial expert, Dr. Lynn Richardson.
MC Lyte resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband, John. She reigns as the CEO of Sunni Gyrl, Inc. and the chair of Hip-Hop Sisters Foundation, which has presented over $900,000 in college scholarships (www.hiphopsisters.org/news). She is a past president, trustee and governor of the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammy organization), a member of the Board of Trustees at Dillard University and is a proud honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
A pioneer in the industry, she opened the door for future female hip-hop artists by daring to do what had never been done while doing something she loved. MC Lyte is the first rap artist ever to perform at New York’s historic Carnegie Hall, the first female rapper to ever receive a gold single, the first female solo rapper ever nominated for a Grammy and in 2006, MC Lyte became the first solo female rapper to be honored/inducted on VH-1’s Hip-Hop Honors.
MC Lyte has graced network television as well as the big screen, and she has been the voice behind the VH-1 Hip-Hop Honors, The BET Awards and national campaigns for Wherehouse Music, Nissan, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Nike. She has recently unveiled her lyrical talent once again to the world with the release of her latest single, "Anything," featuring A.V. & JoiStaRR. She has a recurring role in CBS's SWAT, USA's Queen of the South & Starz’s Power.
A role model to women who is respected by men everywhere, MC Lyte never compromises who she is and consistently reinforces the notion that a woman can turn heads fully-clothed. Whenever possible, MC Lyte enjoys traveling across the nation to use her expertise and story of success to motivate others to take ownership of the world around them while striving to be the best they can possibly be. Author of UNSTOPPABLE: Igniting the Power Within to Achieve Your Greatest Potential, MC Lyte provides keynote addresses at educational institutions, community centers and corporations around the globe and has also been active in many social projects, including anti-violence campaigns, HIV/AIDs prevention and Rock the Vote. MC Lyte is also the author of Living in the Lyte: Lessons in Life, Love and Truth, Fusion: Bridging the Gap between the Civil Rights Movement and Hip-Hop, a book she co-authored with Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. and Your Man and Your Money, a book that she co-authored with business partner & celebrity financial expert, Dr. Lynn Richardson.
MC Lyte resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband, John. She reigns as the CEO of Sunni Gyrl, Inc. and the chair of Hip-Hop Sisters Foundation, which has presented over $900,000 in college scholarships (www.hiphopsisters.org/news). She is a past president, trustee and governor of the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammy organization), a member of the Board of Trustees at Dillard University and is a proud honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.