by mariah estran
photo by eric cui
Lil Q’s tracks and electrifying freestyles ignite a distinct ferocity. She’s not scared to speak her mind. Her high-powered bars hit over a hype-inducing thunder of bass and beat.
“Who Dat (Make it Clap)” — her debut 2023 single — is that perfect example. She’s a rising talent who’s constantly evolving. By the end of last year, she unveiled “Memories,” a touching tribute to those we have lost, specifically her late brother, Lil Steve.
For the rapper, music has been a way to find her voice. She combated bullying in school by putting her thoughts into her lyrics. It gave her the freedom to be herself while giving her strength during hard times.
Lil Q is continuously elevating her craft. Now, she’s preparing to release more music with plans to evolve her sound — adding more pop moments to her discography.
The rapper tells us more about her released singles, getting into music, inspirations, and what she plans to do next.
You’ve been recording music since you were thirteen — inspired by your late brother. But what about music and your relationship with your brother influenced you to create something of your own?
Lil Q: “When I was younger, before my brother introduced me to music, I came up in the church.
Then, I started school, and you meet other kids. I started getting bullied. That was the biggest motivation for me — the insecurities, people bullying me, and all that type of stuff.
After that, my brother told me — he used to try to rap and play around with it — he was like, you need to rap and sing. I used to always be like, I just want to sing, you know, in the church.
So, that's how I started, like me getting bullied, and then my brother.”
How do you feel starting to create music and rapping helped you not be so insecure?
Lil Q: “It gave me a voice, somewhere to put it, instead of just talking to people, going to counselors, or going through it on my own. It gave me something to find myself, so I wouldn't have to keep calling on everybody.
I could put it in my music and see what they think.”
You’ve recently released “Who Dat (Make It Clap),” and it's got this energy that shows your listeners who you are — it's such a good introduction. When creating this track, what was the process like? How did you find what feels right?
Lil Q: “We were in the studio. It was me, my mom, and Dre. BLWYRMND had made the beat, and when he was making the beat, Dre was slapping the bottles together. I was like, ‘Yeah, this is what I like.’”
You just mentioned your mom, and she is such a big supporter of you. How does she feel about your music?
Lil Q: “I feel like she got more comfortable with it! At first, she didn't like me cursing. She didn't like me doing all the little raunchiness or whatever.”
Shortly after your debut single, you also released “Memories,” which is a touching and vulnerable track. It not only shows versatility, but it shows your ability to be open and connect with your listeners about these personal topics.
Lil Q: “Yeah, you could say that. The crazy thing about it is people would think that I made this song right after my brother passed — I made this song before he passed. And that's what is so scary, right? I made this song before he passed.
It’s like me, for real. It made sense to connect with the world because I feel like that's what you're supposed to do. But I didn't even know it was going to connect with me in that type of way. It made it so much deeper.”
How has music given you comfort during these kinds of hard times?
Lil Q: “It's like a good comfort because it's an outlet for me. People don't have no one to talk to. I'm lucky because I’ve got a mom that supports me.
Working with people, telling me, like, ‘You were lucky. My mom does not support me.’ But I'm lucky because I have a mom who’s supported me since day one.”
As for your music, you're inspired by artists such as Meek Mill, Kendrick Lamar, and many others. How does their work inspire you when developing your own sound and flow?
Lil Q: “I just like the way Meek Mill raps, period.
J. Cole, I love his lyrics. You listen to J. Cole's songs — his lyrics are top-notch, and I feel like he's the best rapper right now.”
If you could have a dream collaboration, who would it be with and why?
Lil Q: “I say, Young Jeezy. I like the way he talks.”
I know it's just the beginning, but how would you describe the music you have coming up this year?
Lil Q: “Memphis people know me by, like, you know, hood and hip-hop. But I'm going to bring in a hip-hop, rap/pop type of thing. I wanna make a whole different vibe.”
Are you adding more singing to your work, a mixture of both? What can we expect?
Lil Q: “It’s gonna be both, for sure. I feel like I make my best songs when it's together. I will come out with some more singing and rapping songs. But I don't think I'm gonna go, like, fully singing yet.”
What are you looking forward to in 2024?
Lil Q: “I want to get on the charts and get my streams better this year. And do more stuff like traveling and connecting with myself.”