“I am insulted by today’s hip-hop,” a petite, yet powerful MC Lyte bellowed from the stage.
Thunderous applause followed.
MC Lyte is authentically old school, with a roster of number one songs that span 25 years, and she didn’t have to name names to get the desired effect: A super dis to the manufactured, autotune-overdose songs that have left the essence of hip-hop far behind.
“They ain’t ready for nothing new kids, so we kick the same sh** as if they are stupid,” she rhymed.
Authenticity and responsibility were the overriding themes of the ageless, timeless, and priceless hip- hop legends that took the stage at the Wood-Star Music Festival in Chicago over the weekend.
The Wood-Star Music Festival benefits the Shannon Brown Foundation.
MC Lyte’s argument is that today’s hip-hop artists have a finger on the pulse of the youth culture, and are duty bound to say something worthy; notably, she’s concerned with the plight of young girls and how music impacts self image.
To wit, MC Lyte launched the Hip Hop Sisters Network; the organization will provide a four-year $100,000 scholarship for women at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in hip-hop studies. For more info, visit MCLyte.com.
