8 Facts About GloRilla, The Memphis Rapper Who Captivated The Rap Scene With Her Summer Anthem

Since her hit collaboration with Hitkidd, “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” went viral, the internet has been in a chokehold over GloRilla — but who exactly is this new rap superstar?

Here are eight facts you should know about the 22-year-old rapper, GloRilla.

She reps Memphis

First and foremost, we have to note that GloRilla is coming straight out of Memphis, Tennessee.

“I’m from Frayser, Tennessee. Frayser’s [a neighborhood] in Memphis. Yeah, I’m from Memphis,” GloRilla proudly proclaimed during her sit-down with Breakbeat Media back in May.

During an interview with Refinery29, GloRilla also commented on her status as one of the post-Young Dolph Memphis rappers who are working to represent the city, saying, “It’s real cool. I’m excited actually to be a part of it because it’s a new wave. I’m glad to be actually one of the ones leading the new wave.”

However, we have to add that GloRilla acknowledged on REVOLT’s Big Facts podcast that she “don’t be in Memphis no more” because there’s “too much” stuff going down, seemingly referencing violence against the city’s rappers.

She started rapping as a back-up plan

Another fun fact is that GloRilla didn’t always have her sights set on joining the rap game, though she did know that she wanted to use her voice in some way.

“I used to want to be a singer, and I lost my voice because I started smoking in high school, so I couldn’t sing no more. So, I started rapping,” GloRilla told Breakbeat Media.

So, while smoking derailed her singing plans, it ultimately worked out in the end, as she started churning out tracks in 2019.

Her love of music came from gospel

Speaking of her love for singing and music in general, GloRilla also told Refinery29 that this passion “most definitely” came from church.

“I got a lot of solos in the church choir and growing up the only music my mama let us listen to was gospel. We used to have to sneak and listen to the other music,” she explained to the outlet.

The rapper also added that her mom’s still holding out hope that she’ll “become a gospel rapper one day.”

“I will definitely make a gospel song in the future,” GloRilla revealed.

She's received support from major rap stars

While GloRilla may not have (yet) dedicated her career to gospel music as her mother had hoped, her decision to venture into the rap game paid off, as she’s garnered support from significant stars in the industry.

From Cardi B referring to “F.N.F.” as the “song of the summer” to Travis Scott and DeJ Loaf proving themselves to be fans, GloRilla is definitely catching the attention of other rappers.

It’s also worth noting that Yo Gotti signed GloRilla to his CMG record label.

She empathizes with Chrisean Rock

Speaking of well-known names, we also have to point out that GloRilla feels a sort of kindred connection with Chrisean Rock, Blueface’s ride-or-die girlfriend.

“I actually know somebody who’s worse than her; that would be me,” the rapper said during an interview with Bootleg Kev, as they were discussing the controversy that surrounds Chrisean Rock. “I feel like she kinda normal, besides the tattoo.”

In turn, the host proceeds to bring up that Chrisean Rock stole Blueface’s G-Wagon and left him a note in blood earlier this year, as Blavity previously reported, and GloRilla responds by laughingly accusing him of making it up before saying that it “sounds quite normal to me,” adding that she’s shot at an ex before.

In other words, GloRilla’s straight-up letting it be known that, when she loves, she loves hard like Chrisean Rock does.

She's no TikTok rapper

Despite her breakout hit inspiring the #FNFChallenge on the platform, fans should know that GloRilla isn’t really striving to “make TikTok music.”

“I really got bars. You know, I don’t really make TikTok music. But sometimes, it be so hard that it just goes viral on there because of how good it is,” GloRilla revealed, Refinery29 reports.

“Even with ‘Tomorrow,’ I would have never thought that it would be a song on TikTok that people are going crazy about. I think they like my music all the way around,” the rapper continued, referencing a single she released back in July.

Her cousin came up with her stage name

Upon learning that GloRilla’s legal first name is Gloria, one can see how her government and stage names play off of each other; however, the rapper actually initially went by “Big Glo,” though one of her cousins had another idea in mind.

“My cousin was like, ‘Nah, you need to think of something else. My cousin, he always been around when I was wild [and] crazy growing up, so he was like ‘GloRilla.’ At first, I laughed when he said it, [but] then I’m like, ‘That’s actually kinda hard,'” she said during her sit-down with “On The Radar.”

She added that she actually had “Big Glo” tattooed on her, but she covered it up “because it was ugly.”

She says her voice is a barrier-breaking asset

Addressing conversation around the tone of her voice, as well as age-old gender barriers within rap, GloRilla says that her unique sound is a major game-changer.

“I really see it as a good thing. With my voice being the way that it is, I attract all genders and all crowds. I know a lot of dudes that say they don’t listen to female rap, and I know some females that say they don’t listen to female rap. But I can rap about girl stuff, but my voice ain’t squeaky or nothing. And I rap about real life stuff too, so dudes can relate to me with my voice being the way it is and what I be talking about,” she told Refinery29.

“For the longest I was trying to find my sound because at first my voice used to be squeaky. I ended up finding my sound and everybody liked it,” GloRilla continued.

Shoutout to GloRilla, and we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what else she accomplishes in the future!

Blavity-Original Blavity-U Blavity-U-Entertainment Female-Rappers GloRilla