Act Like You Know

Personnel: M.C. Lyte, Wolf & Epic, 45 King, Dee Jay Doc and The Audio Two.
Personnel: MC Lyte (vocals); Dana Eaves (vocals); Richard Wolf (guitar, keyboards); Nick Kirgo (guitar); Jeff Baxter (acoustic guitar); Bob Shepard, Bob Shephard (saxophone); Bret "Epic" Mazur (drums, programming); Myron Glasper, Vanessa Townsell, Billy Trudell, Torrence Woods (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Dee Jay Doc; DJ Master Tee; Carmen Rizzo.
Recording information: Firehouse Studios, Brooklyn, NY; First Priority Labs, Staten Island, NY; Power Play Studios, Long Island City, NY; Red Chamber Studios, Sherman Oaks, CA; Skip Saylor Recording, Los Angeles, CA; Studio With A View, New York, NY.
Unknown Contributor Role: Dana Eaves.
Though highly respected in rap's hardcore, MC Lyte was never a platinum seller. Atlantic Records no doubt encouraged her to be more commercial on her third album, Act Like You Know -- a generally softer, more melodic, and often R&B-ish effort than either of her first two LPs. But even so, the album is far from a sellout -- Lyte's music still has plenty of bite, substance, and integrity. Like before, she's at her best when telling some type of story instead of simply boasting about her rapping skills. Especially riveting are "Eyes Are the Soul" (a poignant reflection on the destruction caused by crack cocaine), "Lola at the Copa" (a warning about how a one-night-stand can lead to AIDS); and "Poor Georgie," which describes a young man's life and death in the fast lane. Lyte's change of direction proved to be short-lived -- with her next album, Ain't No Other, she returned to hardcore rap in a big way. ~ Alex Henderson