Rap legend and skilled DJ MC Lyte has been accused of “pedophilia” and “grooming” amid the resurfacing of questionable lyrics in one of her songs from 32 years ago.
The Grammy-nominated artist, whose real name is Lana Michelle Moorer, caused quite a commotion online this week after social media users called out an inappropriate bar she dropped in her hit “2 Young 4 What.”
In the song, Moorer raps, “It may sound nasty and it may sound mean, But I’m into little boys that are about seventeen, I don’t know why, but they put up a fight, And hot d–n that excites the MC Lyte.”
The song was released in 1991 when the rap star was around 21 years old. Though it may only be a four-year age gap between Moore and the “boys” she voiced taking a liking to, many online users found her verse alarming.
One person on X even dug up a 2021 tweet that read, “Can’t believe MC Lyte is a pedophile unprovoked,” and added Moorer’s lyrics, seemingly to support the initial message.
In response to the post, another handler suggested that only half of Moorer’s verse sounded “bad.” That person shared, “I checked. MC Lyte was born in October 1970. This album was recorded in ‘90 and ‘91 before she was 21. It sounds awful talking about 17-year-old boys but not monstrous.”
The comment continued, “The bad part is how the boys are ‘putting up a fight’ because they don’t sound willing at all. That’s assault.”
Another X user shared Moorer’s lyrics over the top of a two-day-old post that read, “Female pedophilia is an epidemic in the Black community, too, quiet as its kept.”
While many are holding Moorer accountable for her lyrics, some supporters blamed cancel culture for the flak she’s presently receiving. One individual wrote, “Tryna cancel Mc Lyte for a song from over 30 years ago is insane & I believe she was only 16 when she made it.”
It is unclear what age Moorer was when she officially wrote the tune; however, the song was released when she was of legal age.
An additional Moorer defender penned, “So yall tweaking wit MC Lyte now?! Go tf to h–l!!! She was about 19/20 when the song dropped. Which means she was probably 18/19 when it was recorded. A 1 to 2 yrs gap ain’t that big of a deal. Y’all tweaking!!”
Moorer has yet to address the comments being made, and maybe that’s because she’s busy co-producing the upcoming Broadway-bound production of “The Wiz.” This retelling of the 1978 musical with Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor is set to start in March 2024.
In addition to Moorer, EGO winner Common is also a part of the play’s production. A few other individuals who joined the upcoming project include singer Avery Wilson as Scarecrow, eight-time Juno Award nominee Deborah Cox as Glinda, and Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy.
Tickets to the show are currently on sale.
