NEW YORK (AP) – Growing up, Flo Milli at all times felt different from her peers, believing she was destined for greatness. For her, the writing was at all times on the partitions – and within the stalls.

“In high school, I had a lot of girls who hated me. And as a child, I didn’t really know how to deal with it. So I would talk to my godfather about it. He… spoke life to me,” he said “Never Lose Me” artist. “Before school began, I’d walk across the stalls early within the morning and just write down every little thing I desired to be, like, ‘I’m that girl,’ or whatever I felt about myself. And then I just repeated it in my head as I walked the halls… the more I said it, the more I liked it.

Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, most of the rap world believes in him as well. Flo Milli’s album was released earlier this month “Okay, Ho, stay.” her third – and arguably best – studio album. The rising rap star continually enters conversations with hip-hop’s top female artists, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

“The power of language, period; “I was always taught that it has great power,” said the 24-year-old, who spoke quietly in the course of the interview, juxtaposing her flamboyant musical personality. “I spoke things into existence, at the same time as a little bit child. Everything I actually have now, I’d simply say. Repeating it time and again and writing it down makes it more real because your mind just has to undergo it.

It is currently manifesting in a 14-track project that boasts production from hip-hop super producers comparable to Juicy J, Bangladesh and ATL Jacob. The title “Fine Ho, Stay” was chosen based on a comment on social media following the discharge of the titles of her two previous albums: “Ho, why are you here?” and “You Still Here, Ho?” have gone viral. She thought the poster’s suggestion was funny.

But what’s not a laughing matter is her music. Although previously released songs “Fruit Loop“I funky “BGC” didn’t appear on the album, she didn’t leave her fans with a musical deficit. She kicks off the EP with daring trap tracks “Understand”, “New Me” featuring Anycia and “Neva” featuring Monaleo, reminiscent of early 2000s Southern rap with an updated sound showcasing her boastful attitude and animated vocal delivery.

But when he isn’t threatening to “hit that bitch with a two-piece,” he stretches musically and thematically, showcasing his vocal skills. The album’s biggest single, the melodic “Never Lose Me,” is currently No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. Milla recently recorded a remix with superstars SZA and Cardi Band previously released remixes with Lil Yachty and a separate one with R&B singer Bryson Tiller, each released in December.

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While her aggressive, energetic recordings get the job done, it’s her vulnerability that gives the album a lift, showing a rare, softer side on songs like “Toast,” the sensual “Edible” with Gunna, and “Can’t Stay Mad, expresses emotion: “When you’re keen on me like this/The best I’ve ever had/You’re taking away my attitude/I can’t stay mad at you (Mad at you).”

“It’s hard for me to talk about love and all that, but you know, it’s probably a little tribute to someone; Sometimes I can be nice,” she shyly joked in regards to the song. “I wanted to indicate more of that on this album, just versatility… I got here on the scene as a rapper, but I’ve at all times sung in church since I used to be a child. So it’s really nothing new to me, but (it’s) to other people.

Inspired by artists like Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne, Flo Milli, born Tamia Monique Carter, burst onto the scene in 2019 while still a student at Clark Atlanta University with “Beef (FloMix),” which went viral on TikTok. Her forward-thinking self-marketing strategy – paying social media influencers to post snippets of her songs – helped her quickly gain notoriety and land a cope with RCA. Since then, she has created huge records comparable to “Conceited” and “In the Party”, which have amassed over 34 million views on YouTube and was featured on the remix of Lah Pat’s “Rodeo”, which peaked at No. 9 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip- Hop Airplay Chart.

While Flo’s priority lately is music, she doesn’t limit herself to the recording studios. She hopes to return to modeling and begin acting. For a young woman who once felt like an outsider, she has turn into “that girl” she at all times dreamed of and whom many need to emulate.

“I just feel like I can do anything in the world,” Flo said. “Sometimes I’m shocked. I say to myself, “Wait, I want to own this moment and never try to maneuver on and say, ‘Okay, I would like this, I would like that.’ You have to simply accept and appreciate what you have already got and realize that, you understand, you prayed for it.