When DJ Kool Herc first experimented with twin turn-tables and breakbeats in the Bronx in 1973, he didn’t just initiate a new musical genre, he ignited an entire cultural movement built by—and for—people of color. The birth of hip-hop cracked open a world of opportunity for young DJs, rappers, musicians, poets, dancers, and designers who were eager to make their mark. Early on, it was a world that didn’t always make space for women. But they were always there, behind the scenes and on the mic, creating the framework for what hip-hop would sound, look, and feel like for generations to come.
In 1988, at the age of 17, Lana Michele Moorer, better known as MC Lyte, became the first solo female rapper to release a full-length album, with her…
