Congratulations. How do you feel right now?<\/strong>
There\u2019s so much more to do, but it\u2019s a great milestone, especially to be recognized by a group of your peers or those who exist in other genres. Starting from 16 years old rapping lyrics in a basement to now taking on one of the most esteemed acknowledgements, to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame \u2014\u00a0it feels surreal.<\/p>\n\n\tIt\u2019s humbling and serves as a reminder to keep moving in the direction of positivity and know that I am just the conduit. God is working through me to bring the very best of whatever it is he gives me as a creative vision. I just feel like I keep getting better.<\/p>\n
\n\tYou\u2019ve been eligible for more than a decade, but this was your first nomination. Had you thought about getting in over the years?<\/strong>
I recognize going to the [Cleveland] airport and [seeing] all of the displays, like [inductees] Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. But I never equated myself to the moment. And then I received a call about two years ago from Chuck D and it was like, \u201cHave you ever thought about wanting to be inducted?\u201d And it was the first time it became something to think about. But it almost felt so out there that I never even really considered what it would mean to be inducted. Hip-hop has come so far.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\n\tWhat do you think you, Latifah and Wu-Tang Clan getting in means for hip-hop culture in general?<\/strong>
It\u2019s another box that hip-hop has broken out of \u2026 For the culture, it just puts us that much more ahead and speaks of our significance and what it is that hip-hop means to the world. I love the idea of being able to inspire other artists that are coming up and may feel doubt and ask, \u201cWhat is it all for?\u201d And really, you find out what it\u2019s for through the responses and actions and accolades and acknowledgements from others. And so now I feel like it\u2019s a testament to a career that I\u2019ve worked almost four decades in now.<\/p>\n\n\tSalt-N-Pepa got in last year, and it\u2019s you and Latifah this year. Do you think the Rock Hall is consciously trying to honor more female hip-hop pioneers after years of ignoring the genre as a whole?<\/strong>
Absolutely. That governing body is very important as they make the choice to bring on new people and new energy that really understands what hip-hop means to the culture and to music. It takes a shift in awareness and consciousness of what is really happening today. And so I think Latifah and I being recognized, and Salt-N-Pepa being recognized, is just a testament to the somewhat newer regime coming into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame body of voters. Many organizations that are based in overall culture are supposed to reflect the actual time we\u2019re in and could use the benefit of restructuring. It\u2019s just something that adds the flavor of what\u2019s happening of the day.<\/p>\n\n\tIt must be extra-special knowing you\u2019re getting in with Latifah, someone you\u2019ve known for more than three decades.<\/strong>
We met at our first music convention [in the late 1980s]. And I had heard about her through Posdnous of De La Soul, who played me [Latifah\u2019s song] \u201cPrincess of the Posse.\u201d I was just like, \u201cOh my goodness, this is hot.\u201d And then I was standing in line and someone tapped me on the shoulder like, \u201cAre you MC Lyte? I\u2019m Queen Latifah.\u201d We were literally inseparable that whole seminar. To find someone else that loved hip-hop as much [as me] was not really easy back then. We were just loving hip-hop and wanting to participate. That wasn\u2019t exactly the norm for young girls in high school wanting to rap. It just feels full circle.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\n\tYou also have a long history with Wu-Tang Clan.<\/strong>
Yeah, Milk D and Gizmo, who produced my records, lived in Staten Island, and the studio that I worked at was blocks away from where Wu-Tang all grew up and assembled. They just changed the whole trajectory of hip-hop and what was possible with the lo-fi sound. Ghostface is on my last album. I just did two songs with Method Man. RZA had a vision of bringing these guys together and creating something unstoppable. So to see not just them get their acknowledgement, but to be a part of that moment, is surreal.<\/p>\n\n\tSome of the people that get in are in their seventies and eighties, but you\u2019re only in your mid-fifties. Does it feels more like a notch than a capstone?<\/strong>
I count this as \u201cWow. Keep on moving. Keep on doing what it is that you do.\u201d It\u2019s a high-five. It\u2019s a pat on the back. It\u2019s a \u201cWe see you.\u201d As an artist, I came into this whole thing like, \u201cI just want to go to the studio.\u201d Then, I wanted to make a record. Then after the record, \u201cI want people to hear it, so I want it to be on the radio and I want to do a video.\u201d The wants and desires of what comes along with artistry grow. This particular honor allows me to see the vision of something even bigger; it\u2019s having everything on my to-do list with my artistry knowing that it has not all been in vain. It\u2019s the amount of people that can be touched and inspired by the work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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