As hip-hop continues to celebrate 50 years of greatness, it’s worth noting that the genre wouldn’t be what it is without its musicians. While every generation is different, reflecting its respective time and cultural influences, one commonality threads them together. With each era of hip-hop comes a cluster of tastemakers armed with unparalleled talent and genre-defying skills to define it while solidifying its foundation for generations to come. This generation’s front-runner is none other than Lola Brooke, the Brooklyn-born emcee who’s quietly taken the reigns, ushering in her latest era of world domination in the process.
Brooke’s rise to stardom has been meteoric, to say the least. On the heels of successful singles such as Don’t Play with It and its remix featuring Latto and Yung Miami, Brooke’s latest release pays homage to her Brooklyn roots. The rapper recently collaborated with Bryson Tiller for her latest single, You, reminiscent of fellow Brooklyn native Foxy Brown’s Get Me Home. The song, a sample of Eugene Wilde’s Gotta Get You Home Tonight, is something Brooke’s had in her vault for almost a year.
“Many people always send me Foxy Brown-inspired sounds, and I don’t usually jump on them because that’s for me to choose when and how I do it because she’s a legend where I’m from. When they played the instrumental, it felt like good timing. I love Foxy, so I was hard on myself about this record, and when I do samples, I don’t like to not meet the requirements of a classic. I recorded this song last November, so it’s been in the works. Bryson gave me a dope hook, and he was also an outstanding sport about the song and the video.”
As the year dwindles, this latest single isn’t the only accolade Brooke is celebrating. While working on her debut project, The rapper was nominated for Best Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist at this year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards. When it comes to the root of the superstar’s ironclad work ethic, the 2023 XXL Freshman readily cites her mother as an inspiration.
“My drive came from my mother. When I was growing up, she was a single parent, and I watched that woman work two jobs and figure it out. She did her best and never took no for an answer; I’ve watched it and had front-row seats. My mom molded me into who I am as a person, and my team helped mold me into an artist. My journey has been a dope process. Everyone’s journey takes however long it should, and I don’t regret how long mine took. I’m excited about it, and the grind just doesn’t stop, and it never will. I feel like I’ll never be satisfied because I have family, and I’m not just caring for myself.”
Brooke’s artistry has already made an indelible impression on hip-hop with chart-topping songs and the lyricism to match, but it’s more expansive than that. Earlier this year, the burgeoning superstar enlisted the aid of industry veteran Teyana Taylor as her creative director, a move indicative of her dedication to the art of performing. Brooke makes it clear that her primary goal when performing is to ensure the audience has just as good a time as she does while on stage.
“I love music, but I really love being an entertainer. I love being on stage more than being in the studio. I love being in the studio, but I love how I feel on stage. I always want to give people a show, and when people ask me what I love the most about performing, I will always say the audience because they matter so much. I need to ensure that when they go home, they tell everyone that Lola Brooke gave them a good time. I like to make people happy and make sure everyone is smiling. I’m not only on stage to satisfy myself but them as well.”
As the commemorations continue for Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, it’d be remiss not to acknowledge Brooklyn’s impact on the genre. Brooke considers her Brooklyn roots part of her legacy as she continues to stand on the shoulders of the borough’s legends like Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, and others.
“I just want the people to know that no matter how long the journey is, never give up. My city watched me work for a very long time, and they still have my back to this day. When you show love back to your city and just yourself, you can’t go wrong. I just want them to look at me as one of the new faces of New York City.”
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