Before iconic rapper MC Lyte‘s music career took off in the early ’90s, she was chasing a different goal of attending college to study communications with hopes of discovering ways to utilize her voice.
Thanks to the rapid success she gained from rap, she didn’t finished her program at Norfolk State University in Virginia, but now she’s able to live out her dreams as a successful voice-over artist.
Lyte told ABC Audio she grew up listening to beloved New York DJ Carol Ford — who’s also known for helping foster the up-and-coming career of Wendy Williams — and would say to herself, “Wow, I want to use my voice in that way.”
Years later, she figured out a way to do that.
“I asked a good friend, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, to share his agent’s information,” she said. “He had just completed voicing a book, and I just thought that was fascinating.”
That led to an almost 20-year work relationship and a countless number of major voice-over gigs, including the Grammys and BET Awards, and national campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola and McDonalds.
When it comes to career favorites, Lyte said voice-over is “probably the easiest job that I’ve had in terms of aesthetics.“
While being in front of the camera requires a lot of preparation, she said with voice-over, “I just am ready and I just show up.”
Voice-over work is “full circle” for the “Ruffneck” rapper, who told ABC Audio she’s using her voice “the way that I dreamt of when I was much younger.”
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