Few have been true to the roots of Brooklyn, New York while having the charisma and talent to transcend its identity. However, Lola Brooke, at full tilt, is making a stand-out case as one of Brooklyn’s heavyweights for the city that might just boast the best legacy in all of Hip-Hop. She may only clock in at 4’ 9”, but her lyrical presence casts a skyscraper-sized shadow over the game. She delivers words through unpredictable cadences laced with quotable lyrics and flush with attitude. She embodies the unbridled energy of drill yet kicks street knowledge with confidence and leans into the future with genre-busting fire. She has no shortage of charisma, and it defines her sound just as much as her delivery does. As such, she asserts herself as New York’s next hometown hero, backed up by a growing body of work. It’s all why she’s tallied streams in the millions and is keenly tipped for a major break
Few have been true to the roots of Brooklyn, New York while having the charisma and talent to transcend its identity. However, Lola Brooke, at full tilt, is making a stand-out case as one of Brooklyn’s heavyweights for the city that might just boast the best legacy in all of Hip-Hop. She may only clock in at 4’ 9”, but her lyrical presence casts a skyscraper-sized shadow over the game. She delivers words through unpredictable cadences laced with quotable lyrics and flush with attitude. She embodies the unbridled energy of drill yet kicks street knowledge with confidence and leans into the future with genre-busting fire. She has no shortage of charisma, and it defines her sound just as much as her delivery does. As such, she asserts herself as New York’s next hometown hero, backed up by a growing body of work. It’s all why she’s tallied streams in the millions and is keenly tipped for a major breakthrough this year.
However, her story all starts in Brooklyn.
Since her mom raised her as a single parent, Lola spent a lot of time alone in their apartment. With her mother at work, she found comfort in music, especially hip-hop. A 50 Cent video served as her gateway into the genre as she went on to study the likes of Meek Mill “for the hunger” and Lil Wayne “for the punchlines.” At the same time, she journaled daily in a diary throughout elementary school. Her poetry eventually turned into raps recorded on her cousin’s computer. She quietly wrote and cut tracks of her own, battling loneliness and isolation. However, rap gave her confidence and projected her voice. “I felt small, but I was raised to feel bigger,” she notes. “It’s why I’m so loud and demanding now, because I want to be heard.”
The culture heard her loud and clear too. In 2016, she buzzed out of Brooklyn by spitting with relentless street energy on a series of D.I.Y. freestyles. Speaking directly to her hometown and channeling its spirit, "Brooklyn Freestyle" exploded, and it caught the city's attention. Balancing a life working full-time at a community shelter with a growing interest in pursuing music, Lola caught the attention of fellow Brooklyn rapper, now Team 80 label mate, Bleezy. Finding a natural connection to Team Eighty Productions Eugene Sims, Founder of Team Eighty Productions, later signed her after she expressed a commitment to pursue music full-time.
With Team Eighty Productions in her corner, she projected her voice far beyond the Borough having already earned the respect of heavy-hitters such as Meek Mill, Foxy Brown, Jadakiss, and Snoop Dogg in addition to tastemakers a la Pitchfork, Complex, Lyrical Lemonade, Flaunt, Revolt, XXL and Rolling Stone who named her one of “11 Rappers Set to Make it Big in 2023.”
Among many highlights, “Don’t Play With It” [feat. Billy B] rides a Midwest beat towards an authoritative hook. She tears through the production with a gruff cadence right from the gut punctuated as she warns, “Bitch, I just begun.” Lola dips into another vibe altogether on 2022’s “On My Mind.” The airy production underscores her emotionally charged intonation. Then, there’s “Gator Season.” She bares her ]teeth yet again with razor-sharp precision, pummeling force, and a seismic snap.
Now, Lola continues Brooklyn’s legacy on her own terms, sealing her spot among the Borough’s finest.
“I’m going to talk about real shit,” she leaves off. “I’m going to talk about things we all fantasize about having. I’m going to talk about vulnerable moments. I’m going to talk about it all. I’m speaking to you.”
