We list some of the most interesting things about GloRilla. She’s shaping the sound of Memphis in her own image, one track at a time. With a few records under her belt, the young artist isn’t afraid to put in the work through fun storytelling, bouncy crunk beats, and catchy lyricism. But, who is GloRilla?
1. Her real name is Gloria Woods
GloRilla’s real name is Gloria Woods and she was born on July 28, 1999. She was home schooled until 5th grade, but started rapping when she was 16. Growing up she was a part of her church’s choir so Woods initially wanted to be a singer, but after losing her voice, she decided to switch to rap. The young rapper released her first song in 2019 and received generally little attention.
2. She’s from Memphis, Tennessee
GloRilla was born in in the Frayser neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis is home to early ’90s breakouts like Gangsta Pat and pioneers 8Ball and MJG. It’s also home to Three 6 Mafia, founded by DJ Paul and Juicy J. Their impact stretches beyond the city limits and has put Memphis on the global map when it comes to rap music. Memphis is also known for its more club-appropriate crunk sound. Recently, a new wave of young Memphis artists have emerged. This includes artists like Key Glock, Jucee Froot, NLE Choppa, GloRilla herself, and among many others who’ve become certified hitmakers. Nonetheless, Memphis has lots of talent to offer.
3. GloRilla became famous for her song “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)”
“F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” was a massive hit since its release in early 2020, peaking at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “F.N.F (Let’s Go)” – which stands for “F*ck N*gga Free” – is all about celebrating friendship and enjoying being single. The viral song sparked the #FNFChallenge on TikTok and the music video generated over 50 million views on YouTube catapulting GloRilla to national and global stages including Rolling Loud Miami, Wireless Festival in the UK, and Made in America 2022 in Philadelphia. However, the rising rap star GloRilla says she’s yet to make any money from her breakout hit despite its success. The Memphis native made the claim while airing out her grievances with collaborator Hitkidd, who produced the song. “Ni**a done made so much money from ‘F.N.F.’ and I haven’t made not one red cent (other than shows),” the budding newcomer wrote on Facebook. The song would later be included on GloRilla’s debut EP Anyways, Life’s Great… released in November, 2022.
4. “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the Grammy Awards
GloRilla celebrated her first Grammy nomination for the Hitkidd-assisted “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” which is up for Best Rap Performance at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. “I’m in disbelief. I don’t think this is happening for real. This crazy,” she told Billboard. “My team let me know, [but] I had to go look it up for myself because I had thought maybe they was playing.” She was nominated alongside “God Did” by DJ Khaled, “Vegas” by Doja Cat, Gunna, Future and Young Thug for “Pushin P”, and “The Heart Part 5” by Kendrick Lamar.
5. She’s collaborated with rapper Cardi B on “Tomorrow 2”
After her hit made waves on the hip-hop scene, GloRilla went on to release “Blessed” featuring her mentor, Yo Gotti. She followed up with “Tomorrow,” which was remixed as “Tomorrow 2” with Cardi B. The remix added another achievement to GloRilla’s belt, logging in at No. 3 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 9 on the Hot 100 back in early October; “Tomorrow 2” also landed GloRilla a performance slot at the 2022 American Music Awards, where Cardi B made a surprise appearance. In front of a fiery red city skyline, the Memphis MC revved up her motorcycle on stage and launched straight into the performance of “Tomorrow 2”, with her backup dancers gassing her up and their reflective, flashy outfits illuminating the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
6. Her “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” remix featured Latto and JT of City Girls
Most people hadn’t heard of Memphis rapper Glorilla (and many still haven’t) until her song “F.N.F” suddenly went viral in the summer of 2022. “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” spawned a remix featuring Latto and JT of the City Girls, minting GloRilla more success and becoming a new fan favorite. Originally, Saweetie was supposed to be featured on said remix. However Hitkidd confirmed Saweetie was replaced on the remix due to paperwork issues.
7. GlorRilla donated $25000 to her former high school
GloRilla is more than just a pretty face, but an artist with a heart. The Memphis rapper returned to her old stomping grounds of MLK College Prep, to surprise the student during a pre-homecoming event. After speaking to the students and faculty, she revealed that she would be donating $25,000 to the school. “I want them to be able to know that anything they put they mind to is possible. Long as they got a dream, then you gotta reach for the stars,” she said. “It feels real good to be able to have a platform and be able to come in and help students that come from where I came from.” She soaked in the moment and reminisced about her time at the school and how “heartwarming” it was to see her former teachers. The funds are aimed towards the senior class as well as the music and arts program.
8. She’s signed to Yo Gotti’s record label Collective Music Group
GloRilla’s hard work finally paid off in July, 2022 when she became the first female rapper to sign to Yo Gotti’s CMG imprint — a move that caused a wave on social media when GloRilla and her friends pulled up to Gotti’s jet to sign the contract. The rapid ascension of “F.N.F.” caught the attention of Yo Gotti: “It’s one of the quickest rises that I’ve seen in my career, because she only dropped in late April and now she has the hottest cultural records in music,” he told Billboard following the news of her signing. “She has a different sound and approach that’s needed in hip-hop right now.” The imprint has signed several famous musicians and is home to the likes of rappers like Moneybagg Yo, 42 Dugg, Blac Youngsta and EST GEE. Recently, CMG inked a deal with Interscope Records
“I’ve put in years of hard work to get this point and I’m blessed to sign with the hottest label in music with CMG,” GloRilla said. “I manifested this moment and trusted my talent even when others didn’t. I’m grateful for Gotti for believing in me and I’m not gonna let up. Trust that I have more new heat on the way.”
GloRilla also released “Blessed” featuring Yo Gotti, August 31, 2022. Built on a sparse but hard-hitting beat produced by Macaroni Toni, the new track sees Glo reiterating her realness, asserting that she’d “rather give the people hope” because “it’s pointless to giving f*cks.” She also says she maintains her “ratchet tendencies” despite moving to the suburbs and is more focused on taking care of her people than showing off for clout. Yo Gotti comes in on the second verse to back her up — although it’s clear she doesn’t really need it — and details the levels to his success.
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