The origin of MC Lyte’s gruff vocal style is examined in a new exclusive clip from The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop, an Audible Originals program released in honor of the 50th anniversary of the culture. In this exclusive clip, journalist Clover Hope, The Motherlode‘s author and main narrator, shares how fellow rap pioneers Salt-N-Pepa indirectly helped in Lyte’s development as an emcee.
“When MC Lyte started rapping at 14 years old, she sounded like a 14-year-old girl. To deepen her tone, she worked with a vocal coach, Lucien George Sr., whose three sons, the George brothers were members of the R&B group Full Force, producers of Roxanne Shante’s hit record ‘Roxanne’s Revenge.’ Every Saturday, George Sr. would go to Lyte’s house in Brooklyn and teach her how to manipulate the deeper parts of her voice, using Salt-N-Pepa songs as reference points,” said Hope.
“‘He would tell me to learn a song I really loved,’” she said MC Lyte told VIBE in 2011. “‘I would literally say it over and over again and George would coach me on how to make my voice sound strong. And how to pronounce the words to where someone else would feel it.’ George taught her how to come from the diaphragm, to sound more imposing.”
The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop highlights the countless women who have influenced and served as pioneers in Hip-Hop culture through their immeasurable contributions. The program is narrated by Hope, Remy Ma, Nia Long, Chlöe Bailey, Lauren London, Janelle James, and Angie Martinez. Told entirely from a woman’s perspective, The Motherlode also includes a fictional installment, archival footage, and music snippets to help tie the chapters together.
MC Lyte previously spoke with VIBE about the impact her female predecessors have had on her growth and development, as well as being a trailblazer for the women currently running the game today. “It feels good,” Lyte said while being honored by the Recording Industry Association of America last year.
“I mean, that’s what it’s all about. It’s a building upon. No one is starting on ground zero. That was done for us a long time ago, and that was Sha-Rock and Pebblee-Poo, and they started from ground zero. And since then, all we’ve been doing is laying bricks, laying bricks, you know. Each of us gets the opportunity to lay some bricks in this wall of prominent women in Hip-Hop.”
Listen to The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop here.
