Long before anyone imagined hip-hop growing old enough to have a Hall of Fame generation, MC Lyte came roaring out of Brooklyn with a voice that seemed too enormous to belong to a teenager.

It was deep, commanding, and instantly identifiable, and nothing about the young woman wielding it was tentative. By the time much of America figured out that women were not going to be supporting characters in hip-hop’s story, Lyte was already writing chapters of her own, turning “Paper Thin” and “Cha Cha Cha” into classics, becoming the first female rapper to release a full-length solo album and beginning a career that would carry her from Brooklyn to Carnegie Hall, television and movie screens, the White House and, finally, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

This fall, she is taking the long way there.

MC Lyte will spend the weeks before her November 14 induction traveling the country on her “Road to the Hall of Fame Tour,” a 12-market celebration that begins Oct. 11 in Brooklyn and is designed to put the music, memories, and stories of her nearly four-decade career in the same room with the people who helped keep them alive.

“It’s a testament to a career that I’ve worked almost four decades in now,” Lyte said after learning she had been selected for the Rock Hall’s 2026 class.

Those decades began when Lana Michele Moorer was a Brooklyn kid writing rhymes at 12, years before rap could offer anything resembling a dependable career and years before a teenage girl could look at the top of the hip-hop charts and see women staring back at her.

Lyte recorded “I Cram to Understand U (Sam)” when she was 17, telling the story of a relationship poisoned by drug addiction with a maturity that belied her age. In 1988, Lyte as a Rock made her the first female rapper to release a full-length solo album and introduced listeners beyond New York to an MC who didn’t sound interested in waiting for the men in the room to decide whether she was good enough.

“Paper Thin” erased whatever question remained.

Over a spare beat built to give the rhymes room to breathe, Lyte delivered one of hip-hop’s great dismissals of a cheating man with the composure of somebody reading him his last rites. She didn’t have to shout, exaggerate, or decorate the insult. The voice did the work.

“When you say you love me, it doesn’t matter,” she rapped. “It goes into my head as just chit-chat.”

It was funny, cold, and devastating, and Lyte was only getting started.

Eyes on This followed in 1989, bringing “Cha Cha Cha,” a record that placed her lyrical ability squarely against anyone who wanted the competition. “Poor Georgie” showed another side of her, with Lyte spinning a tragic story about a charming, reckless man over a track that borrowed from the Supremes. By 1993, “Ruffneck” had gone gold, making Lyte the first female solo rapper to earn a gold single, and the song helped make her the first solo female rapper nominated for a Grammy.

The list of firsts kept growing because women in hip-hop still had so many places they’d never been allowed to go.

Lyte became the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall. In 2006, she became the first solo female rapper honored by VH1’s Hip Hop Honors. She later became the first woman to perform hip-hop at the White House, taking the music into the home of the president of the United States during Barack Obama’s administration.

By then, an industry that once treated female rappers as though there were room for only one or two at a time had been forced to reckon with generations of them.

Queen Latifah had become an entertainment powerhouse. Lauryn Hill made an album that remains part of the American musical canon. Missy Elliott built a visual and musical universe nobody else could duplicate. Lil’ Kim changed the vocabulary of female sexuality in rap. Eve carried Philadelphia onto the national stage. Nicki Minaj became one of the biggest rappers in the world, followed by another explosion of women who no longer had to explain why they were there before they could begin competing.

Lyte’s place near the beginning of that lineage is why her Rock Hall recognition carries considerably more than ceremonial value.

She didn’t invent women in hip-hop. Sha-Rock, Roxanne Shanté, the Sequence, Salt-N-Pepa, and other women were essential to the culture’s earliest years, and any history that pretends women arrived after hip-hop was established is simply wrong. Lyte helped establish how much territory a solo female MC could claim while remaining unmistakably herself.

She could make a battle record and a love record without sounding like a costume, either. She could be hard without manufacturing hardness and vulnerable without surrendering control of the song. She could share a record with men without sounding as though somebody had graciously given her 16 bars. Her voice alone made anonymity impossible.

And when rap changed, Lyte changed with it without spending the next 30 years trying to impersonate her younger self.

Audiences heard that voice far beyond rap records. It became the sound introducing some of entertainment’s biggest nights, including the BET Awards, Grammys, Emmys, and NAACP Image Awards, as well as the NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show. Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Nike, and other major companies used it in national campaigns.

Hollywood found her as well.

Lyte accumulated acting credits in S.W.A.T., Power, and Queen of the South, along with films including Girls Trip, the Sundance-winning Patti Cake$, and Justin Simien’s Bad Hair. She eventually moved behind the camera, creating, directing, writing, executive producing, and starring in Partners in Rhyme and serving as an executive producer on Netflix’s Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop.

She made her directorial debut with the short film Break Up in Love, directed music videos and television, and built Sunni Gyrl Inc. into a management and production company whose roster has included Scarface, Lil Mama, DJs, comedians, and other entertainers.

Her work outside entertainment has traveled just as far. Through the Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, Lyte has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships, according to her organization. She serves on the Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Culture Council and co-produces its annual I AM WOMAN celebration honoring women in hip-hop.

All of it comes back together on the road this fall.

The tour has been conceived not simply as a run through the hits but as performance, storytelling, and conversation, giving Lyte room to revisit the records and the history surrounding them. For audiences who grew up with her, a song can transport them back to the first cassette, first party, or first time they heard that unmistakable contralto coming through a speaker. For listeners born after Lyte had already broken many of hip-hop’s gender barriers, the shows offer the rare opportunity to hear that history from the woman who lived it.

The itinerary itself reads like a map of an extraordinary American journey.

Brooklyn gets the opening night Oct. 11, bringing Lyte home to the borough where a 12-year-old Lana Moorer began filling pages with rhymes. Pittsburgh follows on Oct. 12 and Philadelphia on Oct. 13, with stops in New York’s Hudson Valley, Boston, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Nashville among the dates leading toward the Hall of Fame ceremony.

The tour reaches Nashville on Nov. 11. Three days later, Lyte is scheduled to be in Los Angeles for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where she will receive the Musical Influence Award as part of a class that also recognizes Queen Latifah, Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti and Gram Parsons in special categories.

Hip-hop’s presence inside the Rock Hall would have been difficult to imagine when Lyte was making Lyte as a Rock. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five did not become the Hall’s first hip-hop inductees until 2007, almost two decades after Lyte’s debut album. Since then, the institution has welcomed Run-DMC, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Eminem, Missy Elliott, A Tribe Called Quest, and others.

Lyte belongs to the generation that had to imagine permanence before hip-hop possessed much evidence that permanence was possible. Rap records were still dismissed as disposable when she was making them. Female rappers faced the additional insult of being treated as though their success could only be temporary, with one woman’s arrival routinely framed as another woman’s departure.

Nearly 40 years after Lyte as a Rock, MC Lyte is still here.

The teenager who once had to prove that a woman could command hip-hop’s microphone never left it long enough for anybody to take it away.

“I’m thrilled,” she said, acknowledging that even that is an understatement.

Pastor Dr. Darius Brooks celebrated the release of his debut book, SAY, “SELF,” Volume I, on August 30, 2026, at Grace Central Church in Westchester, Illinois.

Presented by Brooks Legacy Publishing, the event brought together church members, relatives, friends and supporters for an afternoon of conversation, music and fellowship, marking a new chapter in Brooks’ ministry.

Legendary Chicago broadcast journalist Art Norman joined Brooks for a discussion about the experiences that inspired the book and the lessons Brooks has gained throughout his life and ministry. Brooks said he hopes the book will encourage readers to strengthen their faith, reconsider how they approach life’s challenges and pursue purposeful growth.

For years, people encountering Brooks at churches, restaurants, stores, airports and other places have asked him to repeat something he said so they could write it down. Those memorable observations and words of encouragement became the foundation for SAY, “SELF,” Volume I.

The self-published book contains 52 original inspirational statements known as #ADBQ, meaning “A Darius Brooks Quote.” Each quotation is accompanied by a personal reflection and space for readers to consider how its message applies to their lives. Structured as a 52-week journey, the book encourages readers to move forward through one quotation, reflection and intentional decision at a time.

The launch celebration concluded with an official release countdown and a book-signing session with Brooks. His wife, Deborah “Wonderful” Brooks, who designed the book, and their daughter, Dasha Brooks, also participated in the celebration.

“This book is the result of years of sermons, songs, conversations and life experiences,” Deborah Brooks said. “I have watched people stop Darius everywhere we go and ask him to repeat something so they could write it down. Now, it has already been written down for them. I could not be prouder of my husband and this incredible accomplishment.”

The family thanked the Grace Central Church congregation for its support and hospitality. It also expressed appreciation to Norman, Brooks’ relatives and friends, the event-planning team, volunteers and those who attended the celebration or purchased the book.

Brooks is an award-winning songwriter, composer, arranger, producer, musician and recording artist whose career in contemporary gospel music spans more than four decades.

For nearly 40 years, he served as music director for the late Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, traveling across the United States and internationally in support of the movement for civil rights, justice and equality.

He also spent more than 30 years in musical leadership with the late Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers, known worldwide as “The Tommies.”

Brooks is the creative force behind several gospel standards, including “Safe in His Arms,” “My Mind’s Made Up,” “For the Good of Them,” “If I Be Lifted,” “I Tried Him and I Know Him,” “God’s Got It” and “Your Will.”

Throughout his career, he has worked with artists including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Ramsey Lewis, Shirley Caesar, Vickie Winans and Ricky Dillard. His work has received Grammy, Stellar and Dove Award recognition and reached audiences in Great Britain, Sweden, Italy, South Africa, Germany and other countries.

In 2009, Brooks became senior pastor of Grace Central Church. He also leads Darius Brooks & The Tommies Reunion and founded the SDM Foundation for Education and the Arts, through which he mentors and develops aspiring musicians and performing artists.

Whether preaching, writing music, mentoring artists or encouraging others through everyday conversations, Brooks has built his ministry around strengthening faith and helping people pursue their God-given purpose.

SAY, “SELF,” Volume I is the first installment in a planned series, with Volume II currently in development.

The book may be purchased at Grace Central Church’s website: New Book Release | Say, “Self” Volume I by Dr. Darius Brooks

Based on reporting by Gary Crusader.

What does it take for a campus choir to get noticed by the biggest names in gospel music? For Southern University’s Gospel Choir (SUGC), it took countless late rehearsals, unwavering faith, and a powerful sound.

Here on the bluff, SUGC captures audiences with strong praises and an uplifting spirit. Witnessing their performance is an unforgettable experience. The DIGEST had the honor of interviewing Mr. Ernest Bowman Jr., the Director of SUGC, regarding the choir’s recent Stellar Award nomination for HBCU Choir of the Year.

“To be nominated in the first year of this category was historical,” Bowman stated. “Although we did not bring home the award, SUGC will always be recognized as one of the first choirs nominated in a category of its kind. Nearly every artist I met already knew about us and had great things to say, confirming that SUGC is one of the premier collegiate gospel choirs in the country. Our legacy reaches well beyond campus.”

The experience was also monumental for student director D’Arius Roland, who represented the Jaguar Nation on a national platform. Bowman notes that while the recognition serves as a powerful recruiting tool, budget limitations unfortunately prevented the entire choir from traveling.

“I pray this historic honor helps our administration realize what a jewel SUGC truly is and begin supporting us accordingly,” Bowman said. “Moving forward, we want to expand travel, record original music, strengthen our digital presence, and secure additional student scholarships. This nomination was not the finish line.”

Kyra Long, a Junior Nursing major, Dance minor, and SUGC President, shared how surreal the moment felt. “To see our choir receive recognition on that level is a reminder that our work goes far beyond singing. We use our gifts to minister, represent our university, and glorify God,” Long said. “SUGC has truly changed my life. It gave me a family, strengthened my faith, and challenged me to grow as a leader.”

Curtis Williams Jr., a second-year member majoring in Rehabilitation Services and Counseling, echoed that excitement. “The nomination was shocking and exciting; we found out during Spring 2026 graduation and were so grateful,” Williams said. “SUGC has helped me grow not only as a singer, but also as a person.”

Well jaguar nation, there you have it! History in the making and there’s a lot more to go and achieve. The Southern University Gospel Choir has achieved so much and changed the lives of many.

As we all shall remember: When the music in your spirit matches the joy in your heart, heaven listens and a Stellar Award nomination follows.

Based on reporting by Southern University – SouthernDIGEST.

Before some of us knew Dolly Parton as the Queen of Country Music, we knew her as the woman behind Whitney Houston’s song. We knew the blonde hair, the rhinestones, and that unmistakable Tennessee voice. But somewhere along the way, Black America came to understand something deeper about Dolly; when she said she loved people, she had the receipts to prove it.

The community is now left to mourn the icon who passed away at the age of 80, on Aug. 25, after dealing with an unknown medical condition. Known for her chart-topping country music hits, Dolly never felt as though she belonged only to one genre, or one kind of person. She showed up with humor, humility and a generosity that did not ask who you voted for before offering a helping hand. She made room for people, and in return, people from every corner of the culture made room for her.

The Song That Brought Dolly and Whitney Together

For Black audiences, the bridge to Dolly will always run through Whitney Houston. Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” as she prepared to leave Porter Wagoner’s television show and released it in 1974. The original was tender and restrained, a country goodbye delivered with grace. Then Whitney got hold of it.

Houston’s 1992 rendition for “The Bodyguard” did not merely update the record. She took it to church, then carried it around the world. That opening a cappella moment, the controlled stillness and the key change that made everybody reach for a note they had no business trying to hit turned Parton’s country ballad into a global anthem. The single spent 14 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, became the best-selling physical single by a woman and earned two Grammy Awards.

And instead of trying to deny contribution or rush to remind everyone who wrote the song, she celebrated the way Houston’s voice transformed it. In an industry with a long history of taking from Black artists while denying them proper credit, Dolly understood that acknowledging Whitney’s greatness did not diminish her own. One woman wrote an extraordinary song. Another woman revealed everything else that song could become.

“This is the house that Whitney built.”

— Dolly Parton

Parton later shared that she used some of the royalties from Houston’s recording to purchase commercial property in a predominantly Black Nashville neighborhood. She called it “the house that Whitney built.” There was something beautiful about that acknowledgment. Whitney’s voice had generated wealth, and Dolly wanted part of that wealth rooted among people she described as Whitney’s people, and her people, too.

Dolly’s relationship with Black America was not built on pretending she did not see color. She saw us. In a 2020 Billboard interview, she made her position plain: “Of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”

It was blunt, funny, and completely on brand. But Dolly also understood that allyship could not stop with a quote. After learning why the word “Dixie” was offensive and painful to many people, she removed it from the name of her Civil War-themed dinner attraction. She called her previous understanding “innocent ignorance.” More important, she fixed it.

That willingness to listen mattered. Dolly did not perform perfection or become defensive when someone pointed out harm. She showed that loving people means caring enough to learn, change and do better. In a time when public figures often double down just to avoid admitting they were wrong, Dolly simply chose not to be cruel.

Dolly’s love also arrived in the mail. Inspired by her father, who could not read or write, she launched the Imagination Library in 1995. The program began in Sevier County, Tennessee, sending one free, age-appropriate book each month to enrolled children from birth to age 5. What started in the rural community that raised her grew into an international literacy movement. By the end of 2025, the program had distributed more than 300 million books and was mailing about 3.4 million books each month.

Those books found their way into homes in big cities as well as small towns. In New York City, the Imagination Library has been promoted through public schools and community organizations in the Bronx. For urban families navigating tight budgets, limited bookstore access or neighborhoods where children’s books are not always easy to find, a brand-new book addressed directly to a child can mean more than one package. It tells that child, “This belongs to you. Your imagination matters.”

That was Dolly’s kind of giving: personal, useful and rooted in dignity. She also funded scholarships, supported hospitals, invested in medical research and helped families recover from disasters. Her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center supported research connected to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. She turned the money she made entertaining people into opportunities to help them live, learn and rebuild.

A preschooler opening one of Dolly’s books in the Bronx did not need to know “Jolene.” A parent reading that book at bedtime did not need to be a country music fan. Her generosity crossed racial and economic lines because it met families in real life, at the mailbox, in a hospital room or after the unthinkable happened.

A Legacy That Felt Like Love

Dolly Parton leaves behind thousands of songs, beloved films, major businesses and enough rhinestones to keep heaven sparkling for a while. But her greatest legacy may be the way she made strength feel soft without ever making it weak. She knew exactly who she was, yet she never needed anyone else to become smaller so she could shine.

For Black listeners, her bond will always be part of that story. “I Will Always Love You” was never about choosing between the white woman who wrote it and the Black woman who took it somewhere new. Dolly gave the world the words. Whitney gave those words wings. Together, they created a piece of American music that refuses to stay inside one genre or belong to only one community.

That is why this loss feels personal, even to people who never met her. Dolly reminded us that tenderness can be powerful. She showed us that changing your mind can be a sign of character, that celebrating another woman’s brilliance does not steal your light and that love means very little if it never becomes action.

Country music will forever call Dolly Parton one of its queens. But Black culture recognized something in her, too: a woman who respected our greatness, spoke up for our humanity and invested in our children. She did not simply leave this world loved. In the ways that mattered most, Dolly loved us back.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – During Gospel Music Heritage Month, the Spruce Street Baptist Church Music Department will present “Songspiration,” a worship service honoring one of the most influential and respected vocalists in the history of gospel music, Sir J. Robert Bradley. The special service will be held on Sunday, Sept. 13th at 11 a.m., honoring the late Bradley, recognizing his tremendous musical accomplishments, and officially naming the Sir J. Robert Bradley Choir Room. Area church leaders and the entire community are invited to attend.

Among service highlights will be video presentations featuring Bradley, special music, and a reception. The guest minister will be the Reverend Dr. Harmon E. Stockdale, Sr., former senior pastor of Spruce Street from 1975 to 1980.

“There have been so many incredible musicians and singers who have been a part of Spruce Street’s musical history and legacy, and Sir J. Robert Bradley is tops among them,” said Dr. Christopher A. Duke, SSBC Director of Music. “Bradley’s legacy in gospel music is undeniable, and during this month as we acknowledge the foundational roots and cultural significance of gospel music, there is no more fitting time than now to celebrate Bradley’s work and influence across the world.”

Born in Memphis in 1920, Bradley was known for his rich baritone voice and revered for combining a classical repertoire with African American spirituals. Gospel music legend Mahalia Jackson once said he was the greatest voice she had ever heard, “Nobody need mess with ‘Amazing Grace’ after Bradley gets through with it.”

Bradley toured across Europe and the Americas for nearly 70 years as a soloist and served as director of music for the National Baptist Convention USA. He became known as a favorite singer of civil rights leaders, including the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout his career, Bradley recorded dozens of songs, starting with his first gospel single in 1950 on Apollo Records. Known as “Mr. Baptist,” he earned the title due to his high-demand performances at convention meetings, national touring with the Good Will Singers Quartet, and other gospel concerts and events. His impressive career further included opportunities to sing at Carnegie Hall, for the king and queen of England in 1955 and, in 1975, was knighted by President William Tolbert in Liberia.

He used his singing as a means of breaking down racial barriers. While whites would not listen to African American preachers, Bradley said, “[but] they would listen to me sing.” Consequently, he was able to break down some racial impediments across the South.

A dedicated member of Spruce Street Baptist Church, Sir J. Robert Bradley died on May 3, 2007.

Based on reporting by Tennessee Tribune.

Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace remains one of the most extraordinary live recordings in American music history. Released in 1972, the album captured Franklin returning to her gospel roots and performing inside the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. The project brought together her extraordinary vocal talent, the spiritual foundation of her childhood, and the energy of a live congregation.

For Franklin, gospel music was never simply another musical style. It was deeply connected to her upbringing and family. Her father, Reverend C. L. Franklin, was a renowned Baptist minister, and the Franklin household was surrounded by some of the most important voices in gospel music. As a young girl, Aretha absorbed the emotional intensity, improvisation, call-and-response, and spiritual conviction that would eventually become hallmarks of her own legendary sound.

By the time Amazing Grace was recorded, Franklin was already an international superstar. She had transformed popular music with landmark recordings such as “Respect,” “Chain of Fools,” and “Think.” Yet rather than using the album to demonstrate her pop dominance, she chose to return to the church and create something deeply personal. The decision revealed another side of an artist who had spent much of her career moving between gospel, soul, R&B, pop, and other musical traditions.

The recording sessions took place over two nights in January 1972, with Franklin accompanied by the Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir. Cleveland, one of gospel music’s most influential figures, was an important presence in Franklin’s musical development. His collaboration with her helped create an atmosphere in which the performances felt less like a conventional recording session and more like an actual worship service.

The centerpiece of the album is Franklin’s interpretation of “Amazing Grace.” The hymn had been performed countless times before, but Franklin approached it with a combination of technical control and emotional vulnerability that made the performance unmistakably her own. Her voice rises and falls with the congregation, transforming the familiar words into a deeply personal testimony.

One of the most powerful elements of Amazing Grace is the relationship between Franklin and the choir. Gospel music thrives on interaction, and the album captures that dynamic beautifully. Franklin does not simply sing while the choir provides background vocals. The performers respond to one another, building intensity and creating the feeling of a shared spiritual experience. The congregation becomes part of the recording as well, applauding, responding, and participating in the music.

The album also demonstrates why Franklin was considered one of the greatest vocalists of her generation. Her voice could be commanding and thunderous one moment and intimate and fragile the next. She could stretch a phrase, alter a melody, improvise around a lyric, and turn a simple musical passage into an emotional climax. On Amazing Grace, those abilities are placed within a setting that allows her to explore them without the restrictions of a traditional studio recording.

Among the memorable performances is Franklin’s rendition of “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” a song deeply associated with gospel tradition and African-American worship. Franklin approaches it with a reverence that makes the performance feel almost conversational. Her delivery illustrates how gospel music can communicate grief, hope, faith, and perseverance simultaneously, allowing a song to function as both music and testimony.

Another important dimension of Amazing Grace is its historical significance. The album arrived during a period of enormous social and cultural change in America. Black music was influencing the mainstream in unprecedented ways, while gospel traditions continued to provide spiritual and cultural grounding for African-American communities. Franklin’s decision to make such a prominent gospel album demonstrated that her connection to the church remained central even after she had become one of popular music’s biggest stars.

The album became a major commercial success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and becoming one of the best-selling gospel albums of all time. Its success demonstrated that audiences were willing to embrace Franklin not only as the Queen of Soul but also as a deeply rooted gospel artist. The recording helped reinforce the connection between gospel, soul, R&B, and popular music and showed how much contemporary music owed to the church.

The legacy of Amazing Grace has continued long after its original release. In 2018, the documentary Amazing Grace finally brought the long-awaited concert film to audiences after decades of production challenges. The footage offered viewers an intimate visual record of Franklin at work, surrounded by musicians, singers, family, and worshippers. It provided another opportunity for new generations to understand the extraordinary power of the performances captured on the album.

More than five decades later, Amazing Grace still stands as an essential document of Aretha Franklin’s artistry. It captures a superstar stepping away from the expectations of fame and returning to the musical language that helped form her identity. The album is simultaneously a gospel recording, a portrait of a remarkable singer, and a celebration of faith and community. Above all, it reminds listeners that before Aretha Franklin became the Queen of Soul, she was a daughter of the church—and on Amazing Grace, she allowed the world to hear just how powerful that foundation truly was.

Based on reporting by The Positive Community.