One lucky female who wins a nationwide casting call will get to co-star with MC Lyte in the legendary rapper’s forthcoming half-hour sitcom “Partners in Rhyme.”
Deadline reports that Lyte joined forces with Bentley Kyle Evans, known for being the executive producer on series such as “The Jamie Foxx Show” and “Martin.” The UMC scripted series will serve as the latest original production from AMC Networks’ streaming service.
“Partners in Rhyme” centers on a young female rapper who has one foot in high school and the other in the music industry.
The character is a foster child, described in press materials as difficult, and a social media star who believes she has what it takes to be the next Cardi B.
Lyte will play a label executive who’s tasked with helping the budding young talent make her way through the often harsh music industry.
But the show’s decision makers aren’t interested in casting an established actress or even a known rapper for the part of the high school student. UMC is partnering with the American Black Film Festival for a nationwide casting call that’s titled “Shoot Your Shot.”
Five people will be selected from that audition process, then perform at the American Black Film Festival, where a winner will be crowned as Lyte’s co-star. The next ABFF is set for October 21 to 25 in Miami Beach, Florida. “Partners in Rhyme” is slated to premiere at the next festival in 2021. That’s ahead of its official premiere on UMC.
“It’s an honor to be in business with UMC for ‘Partners in Rhyme,’ ” said Lyte in a statement. “Teaming up with Bentley Evans and Harvest Studios made the creative process an amazing journey.”
“I’m even more excited that my production company, Sunni Gyrl, led by Lynn Richardson, who also serves as Executive Producer, has planted its feet in the production world,” she added. “I’m excited to see all of the casting submissions and find our co-star.”
Lyte certainly has a lot of personal experience to draw from when preparing to play a music executive, as she’s been in the industry since the ’80s.
She dropped her debut album “Lyte as a Rock” in 1988, on First Priority Music/Atlantic Records. The LP spawned classic singles like “I Cram to Understand U (Sam),” “Paper Thin” and the title track.
Lyte then made the transition to acting, appearing on shows like “New York Undercover,” “Moesha” and, in 2017, “Tales” on BET.
On the big screen, she recently made a quick appearance in “Bad Hair,” a horror-comedy film that includes Kelly Rowland and Vanessa Williams as part of the cast.
“The start of something GOOD!,” wrote Lyte on Instagram about “Partners in Rhyme” on Tuesday, May 19. “@bentleyevans ready for the ride!”
