In the late 1980s, young Lana Moorer entered the rap game and began setting and breaking records, establishing herself as a driving force on the circuit and one of the best emcees of her era. She also released her debut album in 1988, which was considered one of the best of the decade in hip-hop and beyond. From the 1990s onwards, she also began working in television and made her film debut, proving herself to be a triple threat, collaborating with the hottest pop artists of the moment.
Fifth LP by MC Lyte, the production is handled by Jermaine Dupri and Rashad Smith. There's a rhythm of R. Kelly, the guests are Xscape and Da Brat. Nine tracks, in addition there's the Delite remix of the single, for a total of about forty minutes. It's not an overly bad product ("Everyday" is unlistenable) in its desperate attempt to cling to trends and bringing MC Lyte back into the game as many East Coast hip-hop artists did around the same time, nonetheless, it seems to lack the strength and inspiration needed to lift itself to the top of the circuit.
1996 isn't even as massive as 1995 in hip-hop. Sure, there are still several masterpiece albums, but the scene isn't as crowded as the year before, the average quality is dropping and the gap between truly excellent and generic records is widening. Distinguishing yourself isn't yet obvious, but neither is it impossible like in '95, when even today, almost thirty years later, you may have the opportunity to find classics by digging properly and paying attention to what you find.
The best-selling albums of 1996 are those of 2Pac, one of those has a "Don" in the title, the album by Snoop that refers to "the Godfather" (1972), the album by Nas who is one of the greatest exponent of the mafioso rap, and the LP by Fugees, which despite being alt rap, pays homage in the title to a heist movie starring Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro, both actors of Don Vito Corleone in the first two chapters of the Godfather saga.
With her new LP, Lyte avoids the more cinematic part of the crime scene in hip-hop and changes style compared to the hardcore of the previous album, choosing to focus on a bland and watered-down pop rap that allows her, at the same time, to obtain the best ranking ever and to blend in among the other projects offered during the season.
Released by EastWest America, distributed by Elektra, is promoted by three singles ("Keep on Keepin' on", "Everyday", "Cold Rock a Party") among which the Bad Boy Remix of "Cold Rock a Party" featuring Missy Elliott became the fourth #1 hit on the rap chart in fourth MC Lyte LPs in a row, a global hit, certified gold by RIAA, #1 in New Zealand, #2 among UK rnb songs, #2 among US dance singles, #5 on the US rap chart, third best-selling rap single in US, sixth best-selling rap single in New Zealand.
"Keep on Keepin' on" is another international hit, second on the rap chart, second on the dance chart, #5 among UK rnb singles, gold certified. The disk peaks #11 among rap albums, it achieves MC Lyte's career-best chart performance on the Billboard 200 (#59) and charts in German. Greeted with disdain and skepticism by critics who gave it mixed reviews, the album marks the end of the commercial relevance of one of the most iconic emcees of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Rating: 5/10.
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