‘In my mind, I hoped for the best’, “Poor Georgie” MCLyte, Act Like You Know album. Released by Priority Music and distributed by Atlantic Records in 1991.
The Entertainment Business/ Industry can be one of the most prosperous experiences for people of color, but it can also be one of the cruelest relationships because of fame, jealousy, racism, competition, and most of all money. One of the biggest setbacks to being in the industry is the legalities of Intellectual Property. There is a lot of money involved which usually overshadows the joy and love of doing what you love to do.
Intellectual Property basically deals with what an individual has created like a manuscript, a design, and or a name. In other words, ideas, and creative thoughts can be ruled as property just like physical property. Apparently, when some artists sign with record companies and changes are made to their name and or creativity, record companies can claim that they own the rights to that name and or creation from the artists. This means that the artist has no legal rights to their own creation and or name, which means the record company gets paid, has the ability to foster innovation, and claims future income regarding the property. For example, something as simple as a stage name is intellectual property and is subject to the laws surrounding the law of that property.
Many artists have experienced this setback but not many recover or are able to move forward with their dreams of successfully reaching goals and accomplishing greatness. The idea of being noticed and recognized for something you love to do may come with unforeseen circumstances that could affect future outcomes and cause devastation. However, even though some artists may fall prey to intellectual property cases, they still find the courage to thrive, which says a lot for their character as well as their self-worth. W2WT Magazine is celebrating Hip Hop artist MC Lyte for her tenacious career in the entertainment business and how she regained the rights to her stage name, MC Lyte, after waiting 30 years.
Lana Michelle Moore, aka MC Lyte, was born on October 11, 1971, in Brooklyn NY. She recorded her first song in 1986, “I Cram to Understand U (Sam)”, which introduced her to Atlantic Records. Thirty Years later she states, “Not too long ago I received a call from the OG Nat Robinson who shared the copyright the label owned of my name was about to expire and if I wanted to grab it I should do it now”, MC Lyte.
MC Lyte accomplished so much during her reign as one of Hip Hop’s Queens. For example, in 1988, MC Lyte was the first female solo rapper to release a full album, Lyte as a Rock. In 2006, she was the first African American female to be the first female solo rapper to be honored on VH1’s Hip Hop Honors Annual Award show. In 2011, MC Lyte was the first African American female president of the LA Chapter of the Recording Academy, aka the Grammy Organization. In 2013, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Hip Hop Inaugural Ball, as well as the BET “I Am Hip Hop” Icon Lifetime Achievement Award. This Boss Bad Queen of the microphone is an Emcee-songwriter, model, actress, motivational speaker, author, DJ, voiceover talent, narrator, mentor, and supports various collegiate scholarships and has proven to be unstoppable in her field of expertise. And because she loves her fans, MC Lyte has expanded her empire with her own mobile app, which allows her fans to have more access to her career (www.mclyte.biz).
W2WT Magazine understands the commitment it takes to stay motivated and positive during those moments when sometimes life just isn’t fair and relationships that have been formed sometimes turn out to not be what we expected, even if they are “Paper Thin”, MCLyte
Lyte as a Rock album. Released by Priority Music and distributed by Atlantic Records.1988.