MC Lyte was the first female rapper to receive a gold single with her 1993 record “Ruffneck” selling over 500,000 copies. The song was the lead single from her fourth studio album, Ain’t No Other (1993). Ruffneck was released via First Priority Music/Atlantic Records and produced by Wreckx-n-Effect members Aqil Davidson and Markel Riley. The song was MC Lyte’s first top 40 single, peaking at No. 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and reaching No. 1 spot on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
The song was certified gold by the RIAA on November 30, 1993. In addition to the song’s success, Ruffneck was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 36th Grammy Awards in February 1994. MC Lyte is also the first rapper ever to perform at New York’s historic Carnegie Hall.
In 2006, MC Lyte became the first solo female rapper to be honored/inducted on VH1’s HIP-HOP HONORS.
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Read: MC Lyte was the first female rapper to perform at the White House