The rapper who released Lyte as a Rock, often cited as the first solo female rap album, was MC Lyte.
Released on April 19, 1988, Lyte as a Rock was MC Lyte’s debut studio album. It appeared through First Priority and Atlantic Records and featured production associated with Audio Two, Prince Paul, King of Chill, and the production collective Alliance. The album helped establish Lyte as a major voice during hip-hop’s golden-age period.
The album is frequently described as the first full-length rap album by a female solo artist. That wording matters: women had already recorded rap singles and appeared in groups or collaborative projects, but Lyte’s album is widely credited with breaking the solo-album barrier. Its tracks included “Paper Thin,” “10% Dis,” and the title song.
Another common mix-up is confusing Lyte as a Rock with MC Lyte’s second album, Eyes on This, released in 1989. Eyes on This became one of the earliest albums by a solo female rapper to appear on the Billboard 200, while Lyte as a Rock is the landmark debut that made the earlier historical claim possible.