MC Lyte Credits Macklemore, Kanye West And Jay Z With Pushing The Boundaries Of Hip-Hop
MC Lyte is back on the press trail with her new single "Cravin'" and the announcement that she'll be honored with the I Am Hip-Hop Award at next month's BET Hip-Hop Awards, and she stopped by Houston's Majic 102.1 to talk about current hip-hop and her new scholarship program.
"Concentrate on being yourself," she said when asked to give advice to aspiring rappers. "If you can somehow maintain your integrity but also give the people what it is that they want, that's the fine line, to be able to walk that tightrope. And also to just be original...Hip Hop was founded on truth, and that’s why it’s gone so much astray...People are ready for something new.
"There’s always someone who’s gonna push the bar and take it in a different direction. And I think those people become the monumental points of reference in this genre. You know, Kanye is one of those people. Jay Z is one of those people. Macklemore is now one of these people who are willing to take the boundaries and push them even further in terms of context."
She also spoke on her work with the Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, which is offering a $100,000 scholarship alongside the University of Wisconsin at Madison, as well as the influence of Slick Rick on her career. "[Slick Rick] probably so influenced me with that ‘Children’s Story’ and all of those, with ‘La Di Da Di’ and all those great storytelling features that the wonderful Slick Rick gave us," she said.
Check the full interview above.
Previously: MC Lyte Will Receive The I Am Hip-Hop Award At This Year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards
More From XXL
