Taking the time to reflect upon her journey through Hip Hop that began with her catchy “Lip Gloss” record, emcee Lil Mama [click to read] recently spoke with The New York Times to discuss how she grinded to reach her success, the impact of her late mother upon the music, and why the 18-year-old rapper is needed for the game.
Following the trends of many young entertainers like Chris Brown and Ciara, the Harlem-born, Brooklyn-raised performer has kept busy through various collaborations and being a guest judge on Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew. Acknowledging her impact upon her fans and onlookers, Lil Mama explained her importance to the younger audience.
“Growing up in a neighborhood like mine, I always had to be a positive influence on the youth. I’m the outlet of the things that we want the world to know about us,” she said.
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Being the eldest of eight siblings and having lost her mother last December due to breast cancer, Lil Mama expressed the struggles of constantly changing residences and how her mother became her teacher.
“We grew up kind of poor, on welfare and stuff like that. It was a crazy lifestyle, moving around, from apartment to apartment, shelter to apartment. It was kind of hard,” she confessed. My mother taught me ev-er-y-thing there is to know. As I get older, I learn how to put it into place better. It’s like product placement. Lesson placement,” she explained.
Shifting from her personal life to the entertainment business, Lil Mama concluded by emphasizing the need for a new female rapper to break ground, even comparing herself to the late Notorious B.I.G.
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“When was the last time a new female emcee on the scene—from Harlem, from Brooklyn—put out an album that people actually care about? Lil Kim? Foxy Brown? It’s been years. Lil Mama’s a big deal,” she said. “Big Poppa, Lil Mama. It’s not a coincidence, is it?” she added.
Earlier this week, Lil Mama debuted at #25 on the Billboard Top 200 [click to read], selling just over 18,600 copies of her Voice of the Young People.
Reported by Cyrus Langhorne.
