#legend (mc lyte)

[afrotumble]

[hiphopvibe1]

MC Lyte - "Make A Livin'" [VIDEO]

MC Lyte Drops Visuals for “Make A Livin'” with Powerful Tribute to Nipsey Hussle Continue reading MC Lyte – “Make A Livin’” [VIDEO]

[singonavine71]

Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper, DJ, and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap. Lyte 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 released a total of eight solo studio albums (2015's Legend being her latest) and an EP with Almost September.

[unbrandedauteur]

Janette Beckman is a British photographer mostly known for her documentary style images.

In 1982 she saw her first Hip hop show in London, featuring acts like Dondi White and Grandmixer DST. She regarded this show as a new renaissance in music, art, fashion, and dance. “That Christmas I went to visit a friend in NYC and never left.”

Beckman would go on to photograph acts like LL Cool J, MC lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Slick Rick, and many more.

At the time acts such as the ones listed were still in infancy stages of their careers, but they would go on to be bigger than anyone could anticipate. In a 2015 interview she says “30 years later, people going “oh you photographed legends.” I guess I did, but they weren’t legends when I was taking pictures of them.” (To me) Signifying her willingness and drive for success as a upcoming photographer.

Beckman is still active to this day, recently shooting acts such as Bktherula (Bottom right)

(Top to bottom)

Andre 3000 NYC + 2003

Kurtis Blow NYC + 1987

DE LA SOUL Long Island + 1989

[ash-wilson-fanpolmamki]

Welcome to my blog!

I am glad to see you here! I don't think I'll post anything here often; most of the time I just follow the news and some blogs :)

Some information about me:

• You can call me Ash✨.

• I speak English/Russian, 🇺🇸/🇷🇺.

• He or they, 👦/🗣️.

• I like casual communication in the style of "hello, how are you". Such simple things make me happy, very much! ☺🙌🏼

• I have a lot of strange ships in stock: I ship everything that is possible and everything that is not. But please respect my opinion if you don't like my ships🙏🏻.

• I also write something like fanfiction, but it's in Russian. Maybe in the future I will upload excerpts/write stories in English and post them here 📔🖊.

• Some words from English slang/the abbreviations I may not understand, and also write the words wrong🗣️. I'm sorry in advance🙏🏻.

• I do not draw professionally and not in color. I just do it for fun, but I also try to make it come out more or less normally 🎨.

• I'M LOVE MUSIC SO MUCH! And I try playing on guitar, hehe 🎸🎼🎧.

• Support LGBTQ+ 🫶🔴🟠🟡🟢🔵🟣

That's all for now. Now my favorite fandoms that change at the speed of light:

• Yandere simulator🔪🩸.

• Brawl Stars (yeh, bruh)💣🔫.

• Gacha World/Gacha Resort (but not Gacha life and OC!) 🎀🪄.

• Talking Tom and Friends🏀📔🎤🍔🎉.

• The Amazing World of Gumball🫂🐱.

• Doki Doki Literature Club! 📕📗📘📙.

• Liar Liar! (Visual novel)🔪🫂.

• League of Legends💣⚔️.

(This list will probably be updated).

My favourite ships:

• Enpitsu x Gema; Shozo x Maka x Borupen; Mantaro x Budo (or any other guy; also Tsubaki); Otohiko/Riku x Kokona; Saki x Mai; Sakura x Unagi; Fureddo x Kaga; Kaga x Tsuruzo x Itachi; Kiba x Beshi, Rojasu x Sukubi, Rojasu x Fureddo — from Yandere Simulator!💔

• Stu x Surge; Edgar x Janet; Penny x Carl/Melodie; Fang x Buster — from Brawl Stars!💓

• Phantom x Cykopath; Gwen x Kilios x Inferno; Lyte x Vinyl (please don't hit me for this...); Luni x Lilith; Keito x Nyxeria Luiselle; Xavier x Phantom — from Gacha World/Resort!💖

• Tom x Ben; Ben x Angela — from TTaF!💘

• Gumball x Tobias; Darwin x Carrie; Rob x Penny; Ocho x Bobert; Gumball x Sarah x Darwin — from TAWoG!💞

• Natsuki x MC — from Doki Doki Literature Club!❤‍🔥

• Toru x Yukari; Minami x Tanaka — from Liar Liar!❤‍🩹

• Sett x Aphelios; Samira x Sett — from League of Legends!💓

I think that's exactly it! Thanks for reading, have a nice day!💗

[omegaremix]

Omega Radio’s 50 Years Of Hip-Hop. When the ‘Brentwood Era’ started, I had the dial on WBLS, one of New York City’s hip-hop / rap stations. It not only signified the first-ever genre I’d pay close attention to, but also signified the beginning of personal cassette dubbing.

For a few years, I’d record as much as possible off to the right of the dial, then later on Hot 97 and Kiss FM. I’d capture Kid Capri, Kool DJ Red Alert, Funkmaster Flex, and Ed Lover, Dr. Dre, and T-Money of Yo! MTV Raps. Running concurrently was In Living Color, a rap-centric die-laughing comedy show that introduced us to the Wayans Brothers, Homey The Clown, Fire Marshall Bill, The Homeboy Shopping Network, and more. My formative years listening to hip-hop / rap lasted as long from middle school to graduating senior year. There’s no shortage of mostly positive memories in Brentwood, in thanks to all of my cassette dubs from that era.

I returned to hip-hop / rap when I discovered WUSB a few years later and stumbled upon one of their shows, Ghetto Radio, who showed me a more underground side of things. Street FM, Eminent Audio, and The Basement practically changed my life because they introduced me to sampling culture, forever opening up a new world in getting to know more about myself. As soon as I became a Stony Brook student, I inquired about joining the station. Now, I became a dee-jay and gave back to our listeners the same way WUSB gave to me. It wasn’t until my second run at the station (Winter 2013) when I started Omega Radio and took my show more seriously.

For 11 years, we’ve taken every chance we get to play hip-hop / rap. Our shows started when we did a five-hour bonus broadcast to usher in a new year: classic Seventies’ vinyl classics on New Year’s Eve, then three hours of the rough stuff on New Year’s. Since then, we paid it forward by delivering all-time legends (The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac), more golden-era cuts (EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love), the Eighties (Kool Moe D, MC Shan, Eric B & Rakim, classic old-school moments (Whodini, Sugar Hill Records, Afrika Bambaata), and even white-label underground releases (Lo-Down Click, Erule, Brother Arthur). Let’s not forget the ladies of the game, either (Queen Latifah, Monie Love, MC Lyte, and Yo-Yo to name a few).

Later on, we introduced deluxe editions of our shows consisting of golden-era legends still doing their thing (KRS-One, Onyx, Dres of Black Sheep), backpack artists (Jedi Mind Tricks, R.A. The Rugged Man, the Griselda camp), beat tapes (Fuzzoscope, All These Fingers), and newer artists (clipping., Danny Brown, Obnox, Dabrye). We also made some legend specific tributes for Public Enemy, N.W.A. (edited for FCC quality-control), and The Wu-Tang Clan, which happened to be Omega’s most popular show to date. As long as it isn’t Kanye West or TekashiSixNine, we’re good.

The good news? There’s no sign of up stopping. We’ll continuously re-visit our golden-era finds until they’re depleted, and may even consider re-introducing our white-label bonus shows. And we’ll still play our new, current, and relevant hip-hop, rap, and backpacker finds on our deluxe shows.

Found below is each and every hip-hop / rap broadcast Omega WUSB has broadcast up until this point. We urge you to check them all out. Want to re-visit an era with the most creative freedom? Any artists you missed out on? Trying to find a one-hit wonder you want to make a legend out of? No worries. We have you covered.

Here’s to fifty more years of hip-hop - and you can all thank DJ Kool Herc for that.

December 31, 2012-January 1, 2013; #5. (Double bonus.)

February 25, 2013; #10.

June 30, 2014; #55.

July 19, 2014-July 20, 2014; #56.

August 17, 2014; #59.

November 22, 2014; #68.

July 13, 2015; #87.

August 24, 2015; #91.

June 27, 2016; #114.

August 15, 2016; #120.

February 11, 2017; #132.

July 29, 2017; #142. (Partial.)

July 28, 2018; #168.

September 3, 2018; #173.

October 15, 2018; #177.

December 10, 2018; #183. (Wu-Tang Clan.)

May 4, 2019; #194.

June 29, 2019; #199.

July 20, 2019; #201. (Public Enemy.)

August 19, 2019; #205. (N.W.A.)

August 24, 2019; #206. (Partial.)

March 16, 2020; #223.

August 3, 2020; #236.

August 15, 2020; #237.

October 26, 2020; #245.

January 30, 2021; #254.

April 21, 2021; #260.

May 19, 2021; #264.

June 16, 2021; #268.

July 3, 2021; #271. (Double deluxe.)

August 11, 2021; #278. (Hip-Hop’s 48th.)

January 3, 2022; #294.

January 12, 2022; #295.

April 25, 2022; #305.

May 21, 2022; #307.

June 20, 2022; #312.

August 22, 2022; #325. (Delayed.)

August 27, 2022; #326.

October 24, 2022; #333.

(Originally published on August 11, 2023.)

[cyarskaren52]

Contrary to what some hand-wringing "purists" might tell you, sex is a part of Hip-Hop. 

Shocking, right?

Of course, that shouldn't be breaking news: sex is a part of human experience. It's been a part of culture and art ever since civilization has created culture and art, so why would rap music and Hip-Hop culture be any different? From the minute Big Bank Hank of The Sugarhill Gang rapped about being able to "bust you out with my super sperm"—words that were actually written by Grandmaster Caz aka Casanova Fly (keyword: "Casanova")—sex has been a topic of many rap lyrics and videos. From Too $hort and 2 Live Crew, to LL COOL J and Lil Kim: there is a brilliant, provocative history of sex rap. The examples are endless—Kool G Rap's "Talk Like Sex"; The Notorious B.I.G.'s "F**kin' You Tonight"; there are even popular songs from artists like MC Lyte and Q-Tip that are highly erotic (Google the lyrics to Lyte's "Keep On Keepin' On" right now). 

For the purposes of this examination, it should be recognized that sexy rap songs can both offer the sensual and also wallow in the raunchy. The most seductive can feel as tantalizingly alluring as a quiet-storm classic; the raunchiest can make the most bashful bride buss it open. But it's all good. Balance, people...

Here are the 25 Dopest Rap Songs to F*%! To; a playlist for when you wanna get right by gettin' a little wrong...

#26

"STRAWBERRIES" - SMOOTH [BONUS SONG]

Our BONUS SONG pick is a celebrated classic guest spot! Well, ACTUALLY this is more of an R&B song than a rap song—but Smooth is a rapper and she raps on this seductive classic. So there.

#25

"COCKTALES" - TOO $HORT

The Oakland legend is one of the foremost authorities on raunchy rap. Hell, he damn-near invented the genre. And this quasi-sequel to his classic "Freaky Tales" is one of his naughty best. 

#24

"TALK SEX" - KOOL KEITH

When it comes to freaky raps, Kool Keith is like $hort Dog's weirdass cousin. Like his Bay Area contemporary, the oddball emcee out of the Bronx is one of the longest-running legends of raunch, and this track from 2018 is an example of his hilariously scatological approach to sex songs.

#23

"HOW DO U WANT IT" - 2PAC FEAT. K-CI & JO-JO

Pac always found a way to balance his socio-political rage, thuggishness and straight seduction. This monster hit from his double album ALL EYEZ ON ME is one of the most famous examples of the latter. And the X-rated, porn star-themed video is the stuff of legend. 

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#22

"RICH SEX" - FUTURE

The Atlanta trap star managed to popularize a new lane within the rap game via his digitized crooning. And it was the perfect launching pad for a sexy sound that came to be embodied by this hit single. 

#21

"BED" - NICKI MINAJ FEAT. ARIANA GRANDE

She's got a more varied body of work than some of her detractors want to recognize, but when Nicki goes sexy, she GOES SEXY. And while this ain't the raunchiest at all, this hit single with pop megastar Ariana Grande is one of her most sinfully seductive tracks. 

#20

"BIG MOMMA THANG" - LIL KIM FEAT. JAY-Z, LIL CEASE

The opening track is everything that announced Kim as a superstar: bold, brazen and bangin.' Jay delivers one of his first high-profile guest spots as Kim makes it clear she's ready for her close-up.

#19

"ONE MINUTE MAN - MISSY ELLIOTT FEAT. LUDACRIS AND TRINA

Missy found yet another musical kindred spirit in Ludacris during the early aughts, and they capitalized on their connection regularly, including on the 2001 club hit “One Minute Man” from her third album, "Miss E… So Addictive." Trina's guest verse steals the show, as "da baddest bitch" gets raw and raunchy about what she needs in the bedroom.

#18

"GETTIN SOME ..." - SHAWNNA FEAT. TOO $HORT

The St. Louis rap star was a standout for Ludacris and the Disturbing Tha Peace label, and this monster single was a big reason why. It's one of the early 00s most inescapable tunes, and one of $hort's best guest spots. 

#17

"85" - YOUNGBLOODZ FEAT. BIG BOI, JIM CROW

The hook. That groovy production from Atlanta veterans Parental Advisory. This ATL classic is a late-night creep anthem. Anybody who's ever hopped in the whip to ride down 85 for a rendezvous can relate; and the cameo from Fat Sax is one of his best ever.

#16

"IMAGINE THAT" - LL COOL J

This steamy Rockwilder-produced single could be considered an unofficial sequel to the classic "Doin' It." The track reunites LL with LeShaun, and their chemistry from that earlier duet is just as strong here.

#15

"SHAWTY FREAK A LIL SUMTHIN" - LIL JON & THE EASTSIDE BOYZ FEAT. JAZZE PHA

An early gem in Toomp’s discography, “Shawty Freak a Lil Sumthin’” is both an Atlanta and southern classic. Toomp co-produced the track with Jon, which was featured on Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz’s 1997 offering, GET CRUNK, WHO U WIT: DA ALBUM.

#14

"SEX FACES" - SCARFACE, TOO $HORT, TELA, AND DEVIN THE DUDE

Another one of his most popular tracks, Scarface takes the ordinary boy-meets-girl tale and spins it into an engaging tale on this very explicit classic. With a noteworthy assist from Devin The Dude, Tela and the $hort Dog himself.

#13

"LATE NITE TIP" - THREE SIX MAFIA

One of the best moments from Gangsta Boo and from Lord Infamous. Over a flip of Lisa Fischer's quiet storm classic "How Can I Ease the Pain," Three Six delivers a song that's somehow both seductive and sinister.

#12

"LOVE IN YA MOUTH" - KILO ALI FEAT. BIG BOI

The forefather of Atlanta rap was never shy about freaky songs, and this ode to oral sex is one of the most classic tracks in his repertoire. Big Boi’s guest spot serves as the perfect accent to the nasty perfection here.

#11

"MIND SEX" - DEAD PREZ

M-1 and stic.man aren’t always just raging against the machine. What set the politically minded duo apart from an act like Public Enemy is that they weren’t averse to showing a more sensual side, as epitomized in this ode to gettin’ it in with someone with whom you actually share a mental and emotional connection.

#10

"BIG OLE FREAK" - MEGAN THEE STALLION

The Texas rap superstar was still on the rise when she dropped this raunchy rap insta-classic. Meg made it clear early on that she could be playful, freaky as all hell and a take-no-shit emcee—all at the same time.

#9

"SLOB ON MY KNOB" - THREE SIX MAFIA

Juicy J wrote this little ditty back when he was still a teen in high school, and it has all the adolescent horn dogism that one might expect from a young dude. It's endured as a foulmouthed classic as only Three Six can deliver.

#8

"LOLLIPOP" - LIL WAYNE FEAT. STATIC MAJOR

It became so ubiquitous that it's hard to remember just how unique it was when it dropped. The ode to oral love became one of the era's biggest smashes and cemented Wayne's omnipresence. The song that seemed to own 2008. 

#7

"PUT IT IN YOUR MOUTH" - AKINYELE

Ah yes, a catchy little ditty from the freakiest rhymer Queens ever produced. Akinyele was never known for subtlety, and this semi-hit from 1996 was his crowning achievement as a single. The song is about — well, y’know — and the hook became a fixture in strip clubs and on dance floors throughout the late 1990s.

#6

"ME SO HORNY" - 2 LIVE CREW

If there is a "The Message" for sex rap, it's gotta be the X-rated classic from 2 Live Crew that got them banned in the U.S.A. Luke and his boys really go there and it shocked the world. It also opened the door for virtually everybody from Akinyele to Lil Kim. 

#5

"MY NECK, MY BACK" - KHIA

We've used the word "inescapable" a lot on this list, but DAMN—where were YOU when you first heard this foul-mouthed little classic from an upstart out of Florida. After years of rap songs with men telling women how to go down, Khia repped for the ladies with this instructional guide. Get it right, sir. Get it RIGHT. 

#4

"W.A.P." - CARDI B. AND MEGAN THEE STALLION

Two of the biggest stars in contemporary music joined forces for a song that paid homage to both Frank Ski and DJ Uncle Al, the video became the talk of pop culture, and the ladies' provocative performance at the 63rd Grammys led to a record number of complaints. Mission accomplished. 

#3

"DOIN' IT" - LL COOL J FEAT. LESHAUN

It's a raunch rap classic; a sexual tour-de-force from a guy who made this sorta thing his raizon d'etre. The seductive imagery in the lyrics gets more and more explicit, as Uncle L goes bar-for-bar-for-bar with LeShaun over an exquisite sample of Grace Jones' "My Jamaican Guy."

#2

"WHAT'S IT GONNA BE? - BUSTA RHYMES FEAT. JANET JACKSON

One of Busta’s biggest singles came when he linked with Janet Jackson for “What’s It Gonna Be!?” The chaotic drums on the track are smoothed out with Janet’s signature vocals on the hook. The sexy, futuristic video, directed by Busta and Hype Williams in his prime, is one of the most expensive ever made, and one of the most memorable of the decade.

#1

"HOW MANY LICKS" - LIL KIM FEAT. SISQO

The Queen Bee is hip-hop's most legendary sex symbol for a reason. On this skittering single, she rattles off all of the lovers she's left in her wake (Tony the Italian, a brother named "King Kong" for very specific reasons, etc.) with the self-proclaimed "Dragon" delivering a soulfully sleazy hook. Nobody does it nastier.

Sent from my iPhone

[demondmayhew016]

#HIP HOP LEGENDS ✨

#MC LYTE 📽️💿🎼🌹💘👑🎤✨

#BIG DADDY KANE 📽️💿🎼🌹💘👑🎤✨

[texasbama]

Highly recommend. All about black women and the impact they made/make on hip hop culture.

They got all the legends on there. Latifah, Roxanne Shanté, Sha-Rock, MC Lyte…the list goes on. Check it out yall.

[omegaplus]

# 4,459

Omega Radio's 50 Years Of Hip-Hop. When the 'Brentwood Era' started, I had the dial on WBLS, one of New York City's hip-hop / rap stations. It not only signified the first-ever genre I'd pay close attention to, but also signified the beginning of personal cassette dubbing.

For a few years, I'd record as much as possible off to the right of the dial, then later on Hot 97 and Kiss FM. I'd capture Kid Capri, Kool DJ Red Alert, Funkmaster Flex, and Ed Lover, Dr. Dre, and T-Money of Yo! MTV Raps. Running concurrently was In Living Color, a rap-centric die-laughing comedy show that introduced us to the Wayans Brothers, Homey The Clown, Fire Marshall Bill, The Homeboy Shopping Network, and more. My formative years listening to hip-hop / rap lasted as long from middle school to graduating senior year. There's no shortage of mostly positive memories in Brentwood, in thanks to all of my cassette dubs from that era.

I returned to hip-hop / rap when I discovered WUSB a few years later and stumbled upon one of their shows, Ghetto Radio, who showed me a more underground side of things. Street FM, Eminent Audio, and The Basement practically changed my life because they introduced me to sampling culture, forever opening up a new world in getting to know more about myself. As soon as I became a Stony Brook student, I inquired about joining the station. Now, I became a dee-jay and gave back to our listeners the same way WUSB gave to me. It wasn't until my second run at the station (Winter 2013) when I started Omega Radio and took my show more seriously.

For 11 years, we've taken every chance we get to play hip-hop / rap. Our shows started when we did a five-hour bonus broadcast to usher in a new year: classic Seventies' vinyl classics on New Year’s Eve, then three hours of the rough stuff on New Year’s. Since then, we paid it forward by delivering all-time legends (The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac), more golden-era cuts (EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love), the Eighties (Kool Moe D, MC Shan, Eric B & Rakim, classic old-school moments (Whodini, Sugar Hill Records, Afrika Bambaata), and even white-label underground releases (Lo-Down Click, Erule, Brother Arthur). Let's not forget the ladies of the game, either (Queen Latifah, Monie Love, MC Lyte, and Yo-Yo to name a few).

Later on, we introduced deluxe editions of our shows consisting of golden-era legends still doing their thing (KRS-One, Onyx, Dres of Black Sheep), backpack artists (Jedi Mind Tricks, R.A. The Rugged Man, the Griselda camp), beat tapes (Fuzzoscope, All These Fingers), and newer artists (clipping., Danny Brown, Obnox, Dabrye). We also made some legend specific tributes for Public Enemy, N.W.A. (edited for FCC quality-control), and The Wu-Tang Clan, which happened to be Omega’s most popular show to date. As long as it isn't Kanye West or TekashiSixNine, we're good.

The good news? There’s no sign of up stopping. We'll continuously re-visit our golden-era finds until they’re depleted, and may even consider re-introducing our white-label bonus shows. And we’ll still play our new, current, and relevant hip-hop, rap, and backpacker finds on our deluxe shows.

Found below is each and every hip-hop / rap broadcast Omega WUSB has broadcast up until this point. We urge you to check them all out. Want to re-visit an era with the most creative freedom? Any artists you missed out on? Trying to find a one-hit wonder you want to make a legend out of? No worries. We have you covered.

Here's to fifty more years of hip-hop - and you can all thank DJ Kool Herc for that.

December 31, 2012-January 1, 2013; #5. (Double bonus.)

February 25, 2013; #10.

June 30, 2014; #55.

July 19, 2014-July 20, 2014; #56.

August 17, 2014; #59.

November 22, 2014; #68.

July 13, 2015; #87.

August 24, 2015; #91.

June 27, 2016; #114.

August 15, 2016; #120.

February 11, 2017; #132.

July 29, 2017; #142. (Partial.)

July 28, 2018; #168.

September 3, 2018; #173.

October 15, 2018; #177.

December 10, 2018; #183. (Wu-Tang Clan)

May 4, 2019; #194.

June 29, 2019; #199.

July 20, 2019; #201. (Public Enemy)

August 19, 2019; #205. (N.W.A.)

August 24, 2019; #206. (Partial.)

March 16, 2020; #223.

August 3, 2020; #236.

August 15, 2020; #237.

October 26, 2020; #245.

January 30, 2021; #254.

April 21, 2021; #260.

May 19, 2021; #264.

June 16, 2021; #268.

July 3, 2021; #271. (Double deluxe.)

August 11, 2021; #278. (Hip-Hop’s 48th)

January 3, 2022; #294.

January 12, 2022; #295.

April 25, 2022; #305.

May 21, 2022; #307.

June 20, 2022; #312.

August 22, 2022; #325. (Delayed.)

August 27, 2022; #326.

October 24, 2022; #333.

[airadam]

Episode 188 : The Craftsman

"My heart is a drum, art is my tongue..."

- Chalk

It's always a treat to have a guest in the studio, and we're starting 2025 by hosting one of the most dedicated artists in our local scene, the MC/producer/DJ Chalk! You may know him as a soloist or as part of some of the crews and collectives he's worked with, but for all but his closest circle you'll hear at least one thing about him and his craft that you didn't know before. We feature several of his tracks from the span of his career alongside some excellent recent releases and some venerable headphone favourites of mine. Enjoy the show!

Catch up with Chalk at his Bandcamp page which features his whole solo catalogue, or on Instagram.

Mastodon : @airadam@mastodon.me.uk

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Soch : Quest

One of those discoveries that I suppose I have to credit Spotify for, as I stumbled on this track completely by accident, the opening cut on his 2024 EP "I Don't Do Drugs, I Am Drugs". As I understand it, this is one of his first releases if not the first, and it has him off to a fine start. Lyrically he's got his own bell-clear style and the production has an airy warmness to it without sacrificing the bounce that makes you nod your head - it's often the first thing to go when the lean is towards the arty/lyrical/(insert adjective here). This New Jersey-born, Miami-based artist is worth paying attention to.

Chalk : The Crime Scene

I made use of the Serato Stems feature to remove the vocals from this while we spoke, but the full version of the track is part of the story on Chalk's latest release, "Death Knocks And He Shall Die", an audio-only murder mystery LP with the only voices coming from samples - while he got his start as an MC, this album is an end-to-end demonstration of his production prowess. Listen to the interview for more detail about how he painstakingly crafted this project!

[DJ Spinna] Old World Disorder : Never Minded (Instrumental)

We got so into the chat that we ran out of beat, so you get a bonus one - a bit of DJ Spinna work from the Beyond Real days, a suitably subdued head-nodder to keep the vibe going. You can get this and a bunch more beats on "The Beyond Real Experience Volume One Instrumentals", nice easy digital purchase.

Chalk : The Poacher

The first vocal track from Chalk this episode is a great piece of storytelling from his debut LP, "One For Being Me" - the story of a people living a quiet village life, until things go wrong...

Superbad Solace : Keynote

The "Sol Controller" series is an excellent trilogy of albums, and this comes from the second one (mistake on the voiceover there), with Mono en Stereo giving us a piano-drenched boom-bap beat which Solace laced with his strong, solid flow and lyrics. Pure, uncompromising Hip-Hop.

Pitch 92 & Essa : Run It Back

With the kind of lyrics that only an older emcee has the experience to deliver believably, Essa speaks on trying to rekindle the fire in a relationship where - as it does - life and responsibility gets in the way. You could easily imagine this Pitch 92 track featuring only the R&B stylings heard on the hook, but we get the treat of some real (in all senses) bars too. The new "Resonance" LP is polished, well-executed, grown Hip-Hop and definitely worth checking - all the other flavours on the album are done just as well as this.

MC Lyte ft. Common and Stevie Wonder : Change Your Ways

Big names all over this one, with the truly legendary Stevie Wonder lending his vocals - and his classic harmonica skills - to this new track by a Hip-Hop veteran who's been away too long. Nine years passed between the release of "Legend" and her latest, "1 Of 1", both of which are accurate descriptions of this Brooklyn-Queens MC's status. She's aiming for spiritual, grown-woman rap on this album and this Koncept-produced track very much embodies that, with Common providing Lyte some solid backup.

Zero 7 : One Arm Break

At the time of writing, this week marks 25 years since the release of Zero 7's debut EP, from which this headphone favourite is taken. Clean, smoothed out, and perfectly-engineered (which makes sense, as both members met as studio engineers), this track was a worthy inclusion on the release that introduced the world to their sound.

Rome Streetz ft. Meyhem Lauren and Daringer : Cadillac Smoke

Griselda mainstay Daringer is an expert at taking the kinds of samples people use for Roc Marc-inspired drumless beats and incorporating drum tracks that fit perfectly. This one is a great fit for this track from Rome Streetz' 9th (!) album, last year's "Hatton Garden Holdup" - named for the famous London diamond district, and a famous heist. Rome opens proceedings on the mic before Meyhem's feature slams in for the second verse, dripping in luxury talk.

Littles : New York, New York

A little awkward to mix with, with it repeating in groups of five bars rather than four, but this noir-esque street mixtape killer from 2003 is worth it. Riding a familiar sample with an almost hat-less drum track (not sure who produced it), Queensbridge's Littles sets out his street credentials - highlighted by the sample of Prodigy mentioning him on Mobb Deep's "The Start Of Your Ending". "The Feeding" is a mixed bag but does have a few gems I play to this day, with this being the pick of them all.

Le$ : Custom Made

Le$ is in that Curren$y lane right now, which is to say that every time I turn around he has something new out - not that I'm complaining! "Gourmet" came out at the tail end of 2024 and if you like Le$' style, you won't be disappointed hearing speak, as he often does, about the grind needed to get to this point. This was a digital-only release, and as such, not easy to get credits for, but a bit of clicking around on Spotify leads me to believe that this smooth, refined production comes from frequent collaborator Tavares Jordan, which makes sense. 

Chalk : His Own

There's not much I can say to do this deeply personal track from "One For Being Me" justice - the story is all there, and Chalk speaks about it in the episode. Not many could lay out their story like this, so to hear it on a debut album is really something.

[Buckwild] O.C. : Jewelz (Instrumental)

Nothing too pounding or aggressive after the last track, just a reflective piece of production from the DITC crew, with Buckwild crafting this guitar-led beat for the title track of O.C.'s second album. Funny to think now, but I remember this LP being badly-received in some quarters, as it was felt not to be close enough to "Word...Life". In my opinion, it stands in its own right as one of the great releases in O.C.'s catalogue.

The Natural Curriculum : Cultural Equity

The final Chalk selection is from the The Natural Curriculum catalogue, specifically their most recent album, "The Best Fertiliser Is The Gardener's Shadow" - which as Chalk says, was originally an Aver project, with his production style on full display on this cut. TNC are always a group ready to go deep with the lyrics and concepts, and while Chalk may only be on a handful of the tracks, he makes his presence felt every time, including here. 

Pitch 92 + Sparkz : Genius

Mr Pitch again! Killer cut from a couple of artists who've done Manchester proud in their own fields, coming together for the new "Full Circle" album. The drums are snapping as they drive the track along and provide that bed for Sparkz to give you some rapid but still controlled flows. The arrangement of the beat and the rhyme pattern changes play off each other for a track that I wouldn't have minded getting an extra verse of!

Busta Rhymes & Q-Tip : The Abstract & The Dragon

The title track from the 2014 collaboration between two legends is a nice treat if you've somehow never heard it before, bumping along with plenty of body courtesy of Q-Tip (I've always been unsure whether he, Dilla, or both produced this), while Busta growls his bars over the top. "The Abstract & The Dragon" is one to have in the collection, made up of a handful of brand new (at the time) tracks alongside some remakes and rarities. 

Black Milk ft. Melanie Rutherford : Bond For Life

One of my favourite tracks from the "Tronic" LP, with one of Detroit's finest on both the mic and the boards - the rapped verses are shorter than you might expect, but that just leaves space for fellow Michigan native Melanie Rutherford to complete things with her vocals. I'm not sure whether the "mistake" towards the end was written in for effect or a real recording flub that they worked around, but either way I think it adds a little extra live, human touch!

[Opio] Souls Of Mischief : Medication (Instrumental)

Easily one of my favourite Souls beats, this instrumental was on the "Medication" 12" I picked up on release at Fat City Records back in 2000. It's a lush track but absolutely not at the expense of hitting the way it needs to. The vocal is of course on the single but also on the album "Trilogy : Conflict, Climax, Resolution".

Nicolay ft. Kay and Sy Smith : My Story

We finish with an old favourite of mine which felt like it either needed to open or close a show, so here it is, closing proceedings as it does on the original version of the "Here" LP! Nicolay's production is relatively simple and beautiful, replaying a classic jazz bassline and augmenting it with Dilla-like drums and gentle keyboards. Sy Smith glides over the hook, while Kay of The Foundation takes centre stage, telling the story of his upbringing in Houston. As good as the whole album is, this is by far my favourite track, played here right to the very end of the extended outro fade.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[lboogie1906]

Lana Michele Moorer (October 11, 1970) known by her stage name MC Lyte, is a Grammy-nominated rapper, DJ, actress, and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, she 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 released a total of 8 solo studio albums (Legend of 2015 is the latest to date) and an EP with Almost September.

With songs like Cha Cha Cha, Paper Thin, 10% Dis, Ruffneck (with which she got the first gold certification by a female solo rap artist), and Poor Georgie she has influenced the work of later female rap figures such as Lil Kim, Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Eve, among others. She has collaborated with artists like Sinéad O’Connor, Janet Jackson, Brandy, Xscape, P. Diddy, Will Smith, and Beyoncé.

She was recognized for her career with the VH-1 Hip Hop Honors and BET Hip Hop Awards “I Am Hip Hop” Icon Lifetime Achievement. About.com was ranked #26 on their list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time and #6 in the Greatest Rappers Ever survey organized by NME.

In 1996, she began doing voiceovers, working on a short-lived BET show called The Boot, and doing some branding for the Starz network, Tide, AT&T, the National Urban League, and many others. She did the voice of Tia for the Mattel toy line Diva Starz. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #sigmagammarho

[ugdigital]

(New Music Friday) Music Royalty, Multi-Award Winning Singer-Songwriter and Producer, LALAH HATHAWAY Releases Her Anticipated Eighth Studio Album, "VANTABLACK" (TODAY)…

Music royalty and multi-award winning singer-songwriter-producer and activist, LALAH HATHAWAY is gearing up for the release of her anticipated eighth studio album, "VANTABLACK", which is globally available now, via the Hathaway Entertainment/SRG-ILS Group (Virgin Music Group) label imprint. The 16-track masterpiece, features an all-star line-up that includes the likes of; Common, MC Lyte, Rapsody, Michael McDonald, Phonte, Gerald Albright and WILLOW.

Lalah Hathaway comments, "VANTABLACK was always the name of the project. I started reframing how I saw color, in terms of being the blackest I've ever been and even though I'm steeped in who I am, it doesn't exclude the other things that make up the sum of me. Similar to how all the music around me informs the black music that I create. So it's all a melting pot of all of me."

The VANTABLACK Era, was introduced to music lovers abroad with the release of the official single, "SO IN LOVE." The mid-tempo tune is already a certified Billboard R&B Top 20 song as it is currently #18 on the Billboard charts. ‘So In Love’ was written by Philip Beaudreau and I a couple years ago with the intention to pitch it, but we loved it so much and decided to sit with it for a while. I’ve recently added it to my show and it’s one of the most beloved pieces that we perform." ‘So In Love’ has such a vibe and like a lot of the work i do, it explores some of the more non traditional ideas about love, and self love. The video does this on a grand scale!", she adds.

The next early-offerings from "VANTABLACK" included the up-tempo and already fan-favorite song, "I AM". "I Am, I think people will be delighted to hear me with some tempo! I’m always trying to figure out how to apply these lush tones over dance music! How can i be featured on the subwoofer in your G Wagon? This is a 4 on the floor full of positive affirmation…I think i may have cracked the code!," shares Lalah. The third song to be released from the album was the sensual, "MOOD FOR YOU" featuring MC Lyte.

Lalah Hathaway just announced the upcoming VANTABLACK TOUR national tour, coming to a city near you. For additional information and tour dates, visit www.LalahHathaway.com.

Listen/Watch:

(VIDEO LINK) "SO IN LOVE" by LALAH HATHAWAY

ABOUT LALAH HATHAWAY: A sought-after collaborator to some of today’s top hitmakers, undeniable music royalty, and vocal abilities matched by few, five-time Grammy award-winning Lalah Hathaway is an artist, singer/songwriter and producer not to be slept on. A purveyor of many genres whilst sharing Grammy-win records with the likes of Beyoncé (the only two to have ever won in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category three times), Lalah’s eight solo albums are complemented by an illustrious track-record of collaborations with the likes of Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, Common, MC Lyte, Dr. Dre, Anderson. Paak, Robert Glasper, Rapsody, Snoop Dogg, Esperanza Spalding and more.

Her talents have inspired invitations to the stage from music legends, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock to name a few, and her work even made the Oscars 2021 short list for Best Original Song. As daughter to the late, great Donny Hathaway and the product of an incredibly musical family, Chicago-born and raised Lalah Hathaway has the most soulful of music running through her veins. This summer, Lalah releases her eighth studio album, "VANTABLACK" under her Hathaway Entertainment label imprint.

[valkyries-things]

MC LYTE // RAPPER

“She is an an iconic rapper and DJ whose groundbreaking music career spans three decades. She was the first female rapper nominated for a Grammy Award. She's also celebrated for being the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall and the initial female artist to achieve a gold single. She gained significant recognition in the late 1980s, achieving a remarkable feat as the first solo female rapper to drop a complete album, the lauded "Lyte as a Rock," in 1988. Her discography comprises eight solo studio albums, with her latest being 2015's "Legend," alongside an EP with Almost September.”

[mikijamcf]

MC Lyte

Happy Birthday to Hip Hop Legend MC Lyte

[blacktruthdotnet]

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards Presents LL Cool J and MC Lyte with the Icon Awards

By: Jarrod Horton Staff Writer  (Credit: Kea Taylor/Imagine Photography)  LL Cool J and MC Lyte are well known for being legends in Hip Hop. However, the two were honored for something outside of their music at the Phoenix Awards in Washington D.C. They were presented with the Icon awards at the gala.  (Credit: Kea Taylor/Imagine Photography)  MC Lyte had this to say about receiving the…