Lyte as a Rock

Lyte as a Rock
Studio album by
MC Lyte
ReleasedApril 19, 1988
Recorded1987–1988
Studio
GenreGolden age hip hop
Length38:29
Label
Producer
MC Lyte chronology
''Lyte as a Rock''
(1988) 		Eyes on This
(1989)
Singles from "Lyte as a Rock"
  1. ""I Cram to Understand U (Sam)""
    Released: November, 1987
  2. ""10% Dis""
    Released: May, 1988
  3. ""Paper Thin""
    Released: 1988
  4. ""Lyte as a Rock""
    Released: 1988

Lyte as a Rock is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist MC Lyte.[1] It was released on April 19, 1988,[2] via First Priority and Atlantic Records, and was produced by Audio Two, Prince Paul, and King of Chill and his group, Alliance.[3]

Lyte as a Rock debuted at No. 63 on the May 28, 1988, Top Black Albums chart. On July 9, 1988, the album peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard Top Black Albums, spending 16 weeks on the chart.[4]

The album received critical acclaim and has been considered by music publications as one of most important rap albums of all time,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] mainly due to its influence on the subsequent work of other female rappers.[1][12][13][14][15][16] In January 1998, Lyte as a Rock was included on The Source's "The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time" list.[17] The album is broken down track-by-track by MC Lyte in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.[18]

  1. ^ a b "Hip-Hop's Greatest Year: Fifteen Albums That Made Rap Explode". Rolling Stone. February 12, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  2. ^ "Billboard Album Reviews | April 16th, 1988".
  3. ^ "Lyte as a Rock - MC Lyte · Credits". Allmusic.
  4. ^ "MC Lyte Chart History". Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  5. ^ "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. June 7, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  6. ^ "25 Albums That Changed Hip-Hop Forever". NME.com. August 5, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  7. ^ "The Best Rap Albums of the '80s". Complex. August 5, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  8. ^ "Hip-Hop's Greatest Albums By Year (Ego Trip Magazine)". Genius. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  9. ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. September 10, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  10. ^ "The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time". About.com. May 24, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  11. ^ "Drop the mic: 20 hip-hop albums that changed the game". Yardbarker (website). July 22, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  12. ^ Trent Fitzgerald, "Janet Jackson Breaks Boundaries With 'Velvet Rope': October 7 in Hip-Hop History", The Boombox, retrieved June 17, 2021, MC Lyte is a hip-hop icon who has, arguably, influenced every female rapper in the game. Her 1988 debut album, Lyte as a Rock, is one of the greatest rap albums in hip-hop history.
  13. ^ "Ladies First: 31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop". Billboard.com. March 31, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  14. ^ "20 Great Albums From Female Rappers Over the Years". XXL (website). March 18, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  15. ^ "20 great hip-hop albums from female rappers". Yardbarker (website). August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  16. ^ "20 Best Female Rap Albums of All Time". Soul In Stereo. September 21, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  17. ^ "The Source: 100 Best Rap Albums". rocklistmusic.com. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  18. ^ Coleman, Brian. Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies. New York: Villard/Random House, 2007.