LOS ANGELES (AP) – GloRilla has stumbled upon hip-hop stage, lighting up the rap world a couple of years ago with groundbreaking songs like “Tomorrow“And”FNF (Let’s go)” – even earning a Grammy nomination. But as her name grew, so did the pressure.

As critics predicted that GloRilla’s profession would fail, she began to overthink every move. The noise shook her confidence, causing her to stop and reassess the situation before returning to the sport.

“They started humiliating me. It hit home for me,” said the Memphis-born rapper, who recently released her debut studio album, “Glorious,” which features several popular artists, including Megan Thee Stallionsummer, sexy red, kirk franklin, T-PainKierra Sheard and BossMan Dlow. On her album, she wanted to show her versatility, combining romance, gospel and crunk-infused melodies.

But before GloRilla could bring her latest project to life, she had to rediscover her groove as an artist.

“Every time I put out a song, they weren’t really feeling it,” said the 25-year-old rapper, whose Hitkidd-produced song “FNF (Let’s Go)” was nominated for a 2023 Grammy Award for best rap performance. “I lost some confidence. But I knew I could get it back. That’s why I didn’t give up. … I took that as motivation.”

GloRilla, the raspy-voiced backup singer-turned-rap queen, clung to her faith. She visited the studio more often, made affirmations, cleared her mind, adopted a consistent exercise program, and allowed her creativity to flow. This combination resulted in the discharge of her mixtape “Ehhthang Ehhthang” with songs reminiscent of “I need to be” featuring Megan Thee Stallion and the breakout hit “Yes, Glo!”, which had fans buzzing while also attracting attention LeBron James and even the President Joe Biden.

“I was shocked,” she said. “I knew it was a superb song. Every time I played it for people, they loved it. I didn’t realize it could be as crazy because it got. “

GloRilla could have been surprised by this song, but Yo Gotti saw her potential as a hitmaker all along. He was captivated by her authentic character and rap style, fueled by her unique Southern accent.

“It’s about authenticity,” said the rapper, who signed GloRilla to his Collective Music Group label in 2022. He is understood for rap anthems reminiscent of “Down in the DM”, “Rake It Up” with Nicki Minaj, and “Act Right” featuring Jeezy and YG

“Even when he talks about the struggles of this journey, it’s refreshing,” said Yo Gotti, a Memphis resident. “I don’t think many artists do that. Everyone wants to play perfectly. I think that’s why so many people are drawn to her. He connects with real people.”

Thanks to Yo Gotti’s mentorship, GloRilla has found someone she will trust.

“Whenever I have a problem, he always gives me good advice,” she said. “He’s already made a lot of mistakes, so he’s trying to distract me from it. He always tells me what needs to be done.”

GloRilla faced devastation last yr deadly panic at the top of her concert in upstate New York, she killed three women. She said the deaths “broke her heart” and investigators found no crime.

After the tragedy, GloRilla’s public popularity seemed intact, and her profile has risen in recent months, making her one of rap’s most promising latest voices.

“She’s a star,” Yo Gotti said. “Not just making music. He understands how to work, honesty and dedication to art. Sometimes you wish to be a star but you do not understand what it takes. You have to have all of it and he or she does it.

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So far this yr, GloRilla has made guest appearances on the national leg of Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Tour this summer, where she has gained more confidence performing on sold-out stages.

GloRilla recently performed at entrepreneur Michael Rubin’s star-studded party, where she performed in front of such popular celebrities as Leonardo DiCaprio, Drake, Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian and Travis Scott. A couple of months ago Rihanna posted a video of herself dancing to “TGIF” by GloRilla, a single from her latest album that debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.

In March, GloRilla attended a Women’s History Month event on the White House. She met with Biden and eventual Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, revising her song “Yeah Glo!” to “Yes, Joe!” in the course of the visit.

Last month Beyonce she called GloRilla one of her favorite young artists. She also received a key to the town of Memphis from the mayor for her achievements as an artist and visited the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, where she met with head coach Mike Tomlin and players of her favorite team.

All in all, GloRilla resides the dream.

“Sometimes I think I’ll wake up and it won’t happen again,” she said. “It didn’t fully sink in for me. I live it and do all of the activities, but sometimes it still doesn’t feel real.

After releasing his last album, “The Thief Next to Jesus,” in August, New York rapper Ka has died at the age of 52.

According to a post to him Instagram profile On Monday, October 14, on Saturday, the legend of underground hip-hop died unexpectedly.

“It is with broken hearts that we announce the death of Kaseem Ryan,” the post began. “Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Ka lived a life of service to his city, his community and his music.”

Ka’s profession, which took off in the early 2000s, showed few signs of stopping until his latest release. During his life, i.e. from 1972 to 2024, he released 11 albums, while maintaining his independent underground status.

While many knew Ka for his respect for New York’s underground rap scene, many also knew him as a veteran of the New York City Fire Department. For over 20 years, Ka, who was the first to offer aid on September 11, 2001, rose through the ranks not only in music, but to the rank of captain of the New York Police Department.

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“He leaves an extraordinary legacy as a recording artist, including eleven extraordinary self-released solo albums,” it continues. “Ka left behind a wife, mother and sister. We kindly ask that you respect the privacy of Ka’s family and their loved ones as they mourn this incalculable loss.”

Ka first joined the industry as a founding member of the group Natural Elements in 1993, before forming the duo Nightbreed with the late rapper Kev, The billboard was announced. Ka eventually struck out on his own with acclaimed independent releases including “Grief Pedigree” and “The Night’s Gambit”.

Stylistically, he was known for songs resembling epic poems and albums with multi-layered and sophisticated themes, he says. Vulture.

Ka’s wife, Mimi Valdés, artist, film producer and longtime collaborator of Pharrell Williams, paid tribute to her late husband social mediacalling him her “king”, “hero”, and “best friend”.

“You will at all times be my every little thing because a love like ours lasts ceaselessly. Rest well, my beautiful husband, see you on the other side,” she wrote in the caption of a post containing a portrait of the late rapper.

No explanation for death was given.

NEW YORK (AP) — Muni Longa is perfectly aware of the preciousness of time and its unpredictability. In some ways, the burden of this idea is intertwined with her music with songs like “30s,” “Time Machine” and her mega-hit “Hrs & Hrs.” Life can move at an unforgiving pace, which is why the Grammy winner works as if her profession is on credit.

“Many years ago I had the opportunity to work with Kendrick (Lamar) and I worked with another artist. So I kept pushing it away, asking, “Can we move this session?” This was before he had ‘Pools’… and then he blew up.” recalls the Grammy Award winner. “I understand what it feels like to feel like you’ve missed out or that you won’t get this chance again… I’ll never forget it, ever.”

Carpe diem is all the time on the forefront of Long’s mind, and he recently released an album her latest project “Revenge” the follow-up to her 2022 debut album Public Displays of Affection: The Album, which won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance for “Hrs & Hrs.” Her latest creation survived the sophomore slump. “Made for Me” the viral tender ballad, ambiguously inspired by her son, peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed at primary on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for seven weeks. (Long revealed this week that it was a massive hit is not eligible for the Grammy Awards resulting from release date).

As R&B has experienced a mainstream resurgence, Long is credited as considered one of the genre’s standard-bearers driving its comeback.

“I can definitely gauge the impact I have on the culture… and not just with a certain demographic. They’re children. They are older women. They’re Christian groups — sometimes they don’t listen to secular music like that, (but) they listen to mine,” Long said. “Sometimes they even sing in the pulpit: ‘I could praise You for hours.’ It’s amazing – even Made for Me too.”

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Intersecting the present era of vibes, party R&B, and the prevailing vibe of melodic rap with a more back-to-basics, feel-on-the-sleeve sound, many fans and critics alike consider that the 14-track project, which features writing from industry titans like The Dream, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Tricky Stewart, and reporting by rap star GloRilla, is considered one of the best R&B releases of the yr. Long believes it too.

“We really put a lot of effort into this music. We cared about instruments and lyrics. This is one of the first times I went back and fixed the lyrics,” said Long, whose “Make Me Forget” topped Billboard’s Adult R&B chart and whose “Ruined Me” entered the highest 10 on the chart this week. “People turn towards light and love… I believe in fairy tales.”

But not all fairy tales end happily. During the album’s release, Long revealed that her nearly ten-year marriage to husband and business partner Raysean Hairston had been tumultuous. Her marital problems, and proving to industry critics that her viral hits and talent were no fluke, set the tone for the project – selecting happiness over bitterness – making it much more personal than her first album.

“Some songs I just can’t sing, and they’re even very difficult to listen to. The first time I cried in the studio while I was making something was on this album and I didn’t like that feeling, so I didn’t do it again,” said the 36-year-old, recalling her debut. “Through therapy and counseling and prayer and meditation and all of that, I’ve developed tools to help me feel my feelings and deal with and process issues that I may have – trauma and drama, as I like to call it. And this album is a way for me to process.”

Long recently wrapped select dates on Chris Brown’s 11:11 tour and is struggling with marital issues. Her goal is peace, she said, adding that a lupus diagnosis doesn’t promote stress. Long emphasizes that she didn’t use the term “divorce,” but “when you talk about ending something, people do it in a lot of different ways.” The talented singer-songwriter spent over 15 years behind the scenes as Priscilla Renea, writing hits for powerhouses reminiscent of Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Kelly Clarkson, before changing her name to Muni Long in 2020. But increasingly frustrated with industry politics and unsure of what could be her solo success, Long almost went all the way in which.

“At the end of the day, it’s about not giving up. It’s about not giving up. In the end, time will show you that you get these things because you were prepared,” Long said. “At first I had the right. I thought that because I was talented, people should give me things. And now, on the other hand, I work for everything.”