Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. On Friday, November 30th, Lyte will celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the legendary album by giving a special one night only performance at the Sony Hall Theater in New York City. II: The New Reality (July 18, 1995). I was 17 when it was released. I am working on this project now with Warren Campbell, and he and I have been friends for a really long time. I guess it just goes to show that when you’re speaking truth, or when truth resonates with others then I guess it could be considered a classic because it never goes old. As far as how it plays on music, I just think, in general, my life has changed so immensely, and there’s a consciousness that exists far beyond what it is that I could’ve imagined when I even made Lyte as a Rock or Eyes Are the Soul or Act Like You Know. There is an understanding that when you come into hip-hop, it’s free game. Hear her roar. (On “10% Diss” she viciously went after Antoinette for taking the kicks and snares from Audio Two’s “Top Billin’:” “Beat biter, dope style taker Tell you to your face you ain’t nothing but a faker.”). Like, it’s nothing to play with, and you have to be ready to see you, because really, your mate is a reflection of who you are, and you’re extremely lucky if you find someone that you love and trust to show you YOU. The year the album was released, 1988, is seen as hip-hop’s zenith: within a six month period, Strictly Business, Long Live the Kane, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,  Follow the Leader, Straight Outta Compton, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, and Straight out the Jungle all dropped. Lyte, who was very much a lady, wasn’t afraid to express her sexuality without sounding sleazy (well at least early on, some of the stuff she released later on when signed to So-So Def was suspect), and could grab her balls and mix it up with the fellas as well. She wasn’t in it to pander to the male gaze, or to play affirmative action girl. Married life is definitely for grownups. MC Lyte’s debut single “I Cram To Understand U” is a cautionary tale. Product Description [Note: This product is an authorized CD-R and is manufactured on demand] Amazon.com. She’s been praised for being who she is, and that’s off the cuff, and that’s saying whatever she feels. [6], In 1987, at the age of 16,[7] Lyte released her debut single, "I Cram to Understand U (Sam)", about drug addiction and its impact on relationships, being one of the first songs written for the crack era. But on the other hand it makes Lyte sound like a hypocrite since her biggest beef with Antoinette was her stealing a beat.