By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — GloRilla burst onto the hip-hop scene, lighting up the rap world a couple years ago with breakout tracks like ” Tomorrow ” and ” F.N.F. (Let’s Go) ” — even snagging a Grammy nomination. But as her name skyrocketed, so did the pressure.
With critics predicting GloRilla’s career would fizzle, she found herself overthinking every move. The noise shook her confidence, leading her to pause and reassess before getting back in the game.
“They started downing me. It was kind of getting to me,” said the Memphis-born rapper, who recently released her debut studio album, “Glorious,” which features several popular performers including Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, Sexyy Red, Kirk Franklin, T-Pain, Kierra Sheard and BossMan Dlow. On her album, she wanted to showcase her versatility blending romance, gospel and crunk-infused melodies.
But before GloRilla could bring her new project to life, she had to rediscover her rhythm as an artist.
“Anytime I would put out a song, they weren’t really feeling it,” said the 25-year-old rapper, whose Hitkidd-produced song “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” was nominated for best rap performance at the 2023 Grammys. “I lost a little confidence. But I knew I could get it back. That’s why I didn’t give up. … I took it as motivation.”
GloRilla, a choir girl turned husky-voiced rap queen, held onto her faith. She hit the studio more, made affirmations, cleared her mind, adopted a consistent workout routine and and let the creativity flow. That combination led to the release of her mixtape “Ehhthang Ehhthang” with tracks like ” Wanna Be ” featuring Megan Thee Stallion and the breakout hit ” Yeah Glo!,” which had fans buzzing while catching the attention of LeBron James and even President Joe Biden.
“I was shocked,” she said. “I knew it was a good song. Every time I played it for people, they loved it. I didn’t know it would go as crazy as it did.”
GloRilla might’ve been surprised by the track, but Yo Gotti saw her potential as a hitmaker all along. He was captivated by her genuine character and rap flow, powered by her unmistakable Southern drawl.
“It’s the authenticity,” said the rapper-music executive who signed GloRilla to his Collective Music Group label in 2022. He’s known for rap anthems such as “Down in the DM,” “Rake It Up” with Nicki Minaj and “Act Right” featuring Jeezy and Y.G.
“Even when she talks about the struggles throughout this journey, it’s refreshing,” said Yo Gotti, a fellow Memphis native. “I don’t think many artists do that. Everybody wants to play perfect. I think that’s why so many people gravitate to her. She relates to real people.”
Through Yo Gotti’s mentorship, GloRilla found someone she can trust.
“Anytime I have problem, he’s always giving me great advice,” she said. “He’s already been through the mistakes, so he tries to steer me away from that. He’s always telling me the right thing to do.”
Last year, GloRilla was met with devastation after a deadly stampede toward the end of her concert in upstate New York killed three women. She said the deaths left her “heartbroken” and investigators found no criminal wrongdoing.
GloRilla’s public reputation seemed untarnished following the tragedy, and her profile has grown in recent months to make her one of rap’s most promising new voices.
“She’s a star,” Yo Gotti said. “Not just the creation of music. She understands how to work, the honesty and dedication to the art. Sometimes you want to be a star, but don’t understand what it takes. You got to have it all, and she does.”
So far this year, GloRilla has served as a guest performer on the domestic leg of Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer Tour, where she gained more confidence performing in sold-out arenas.
GloRilla recently performed at entrepreneur Michael Rubin’s star-studded party where she hit the stage in front of popular figures such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Drake, Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian and Travis Scott. A few months ago, Rihanna posted a video of her dancing to GloRilla’s “TGIF,” a single from her new album, which debuted No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In March, GloRilla attended a women’s history month event at the White House. She met with Biden and eventual Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, tweaking her song “Yeah Glo!” to “Yeah Joe!” during the visit.
Last month, Beyoncé called GloRilla one of her favorite young artists. She was also presented with the key to the city of Memphis by the mayor for her achievements as an entertainer and visited the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, where she met head coach Mike Tomlin and players from her favorite team.
In all, GloRilla is living a dream.
“Sometimes I think I’m going to wake up and this is not going to happen no more,” she said. “It hasn’t hit me all the way. I’m living it and going through the motions, but it still doesn’t feel real sometimes.”