Widely recognized as one of hip hop’s greatest female lyricists of all time, MC Lyte will be honoured for her trailblazing contributions to the hip hop genre and community with the iconic “I AM HIP HOP” Award at this year’s “BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013”.
MC Lyte will join the elite club of “I AM HIP HOP” Award recipients, which includes Grandmaster Flash (2006); KRS-One (2007); Russell Simmons (2008); Ice Cube (2009); Salt N’ Pepa (2010); LL Cool J (2011) and Rakim (2012), and she is planning a series of events over the course of the weekend in honour of this great achievement.
Taped at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on Saturday 28 September 2013, the special telecast premieres on BET in Africa on Friday 18 October.
MC Lyte first appeared on the scene in 1988 when she became the first solo female rapper to release a full album, “Lyte As a Rock”. A leader in many areas, Lyte is the first rap artist to ever receive a gold single and in 1993, she became the first female solo rapper ever nominated for a Grammy Award for classic anthem “Ruffneck”. With eight studio and four compilation albums, plus several guest appearances and soundtrack entries, Lyte continues to add to her collection of music offerings and entrepreneurial endeavors with her most recent release, “Cravin’”, a hot new jam with an old school appeal, a fresh hook and Lyte’s signature lyrical style.
A multi-faceted entertainer, MC Lyte is a noted actress, voice-over artist, radio show co-host, DJ, inspirational speaker, author and entrepreneur. Her signature style and recognizable voice can be seen and heard in dozens of films, TV shows, commercials, nationally syndicated radio airwaves and even video games. She’s also appeared in off-Broadway theater and was the first African American female to serve as president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy.
Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Music Programming and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials, will serve as Executive Producers for the BET Hip Hop Awards, along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2013 will also air on Friday 18 October on BET’s international network in the UK and Africa, reaching more than 17 million households in 50+ territories.