Lola Brooke has stayed ready for her big break. Her first foray into rapping was for self-expression, using her rhymes as a means of catharsis. The Brooklyn-born MC never envisioned a career in rap. In fact, self-doubt gnawed away at her confidence, robbing Lola of her ambition. Her success in the freestyle circuit reignited the flame that lay dormant inside, though, marking a significant turning point in her story. 

“I always had a strong support system and I didn’t even know it,” Lola recalls. “I figured that out when I actually started doing something that made me feel good, like rapping.” Trying her hand at rap made Lola realize who her biggest supporters were; her mom and team. 

The process of becoming Lola Brooke involved taking a leap of faith. She abandoned the cycle of comfort that comes from working a nine-to-five job in order to take a stab at something new. After leaving her career as a residential aide – a position that brought much balance to her life – Lola started to come into her own as an artist. 

Lola’s voice, which was once considered nonexistent in her eyes, is an instrument. The result of a “well-rounded” artist whose sonics intertwine gritty storytelling with natural talent is what she represents. Her music is a rebellion against the idea of playing it safe, disconnecting from any assumptions that just don’t fit into her archetype. 

With a new project in the works, the concept of being prepared drives Lola Brooke. She’s ready to take deep dives into her artistry, peeling back the onion on her other side.

What was the catalyst for your career as we see it today? 

My fans, family and team, those three things have kept me sane. 

Did you have fans before you became a rapper? 

I used to just do it as a hobby and people would come up to me like, ‘Hey, you can rap. Why don’t you just take it seriously?’ I used to doubt myself because rapping wasn’t something I saw a future in. It was just a way for me to express my feelings. When I started putting out freestyles, people kept bothering me about it to the point where I was bullied (laughs). I started being around other artists that were inviting me to the studio, I met Team80, and now they saying, ‘Hey, you wanna do this. I think you can do it,’ and I said you know what, I’ma give it a try. 

If you can recall, who was the first artist to invite you to a recording session? 

At first, I was making music with my cousin; we were just at the house in our own lil’ studio, but he don’t rap no more, he’d probably be embarrassed (laughs).

It sounds like music was an escape for you.

It was a way for me to write down my reality, go back and read it, and then understand what I was going through and not be embarrassed about it, or figure out what I can do differently the next day. I had journals and diaries where I’d write down my daily routine, how I was doing, how I felt, what I thought was going to happen today, what I think is going to happen tomorrow; it was just me putting down my reality. And I felt alone, so I just wanted to express myself somewhere where I didn’t have to yell it but I could feel it.

Have you always had a strong support system? 

I always had a strong support system and I didn’t even know it. I figured that out when I actually started doing something that made me feel good, like rapping. My mom is my biggest support system. Before I started taking on this rap career, she was the one telling me, “Hey, I know you got this nine-to-five but if it’s in the way of you chasing your dream, you might as well let it go. If you feel like you need some help, I’m here for you, I got you. I believe that this is something that’ll blossom for you so go for it.’ And I just went for it; I left my job and everything. 

Talk to me about your transition from working a nine-to-five job to trying your hand at rap full-time. 

I was a residential aide at a shelter in Queens, a men’s shelter. I loved it there, it put a balance in my life to be grateful for the things that I have. Seeing people lose everything that they own; not just because they might have a mental disorder or from being on drugs – it’s some people out here that’s losing everything they have because they’ve been married and all they had was their marriage and now their marriage is gone; or they used to take care of their parents and now their parents are gone and they never left no money behind because they didn’t have any. It brought a balance to my life and now that I’ve finally left it, I miss it so much, but I’m so grateful that I got the chance to have that experience. And then, leaving my job for a rap career when I had a nine-to-five that was guaranteed pay every week; it was scary, but my mom and my team made me feel comfortable about it and I just took a leap of faith.  

As an artist, what’s the biggest lesson you learned so far? 

Well, I have my team, so I couldn’t imagine not having them; that would probably break my heart. As an up-and-coming artist, we tend to doubt ourselves, and if you have a good team around you, a good support system, they lift you up. It’s an extra push. You’re supposed to push yourself, too, but when you got that push in you, sometimes you need someone to push it out of you and it teaches you how to push yourself. And it’s okay to ask for help. I used to be scared to ask for help in school and I got older, started doing the music business, and now I’m not afraid to ask for help. 

Can you speak about your experience as a young Black woman operating in the music business, which is often considered a male-dominated industry. 

Assumption. People feel like they know who you are before they even get the chance to speak to you. People watching you and coming up with these ideas for you that don’t fit because they don’t know who you are, but they’re so used to seeing things on social media or whatever and their idea of a Black woman is already set in their head. 

Do you feel like there’s a case of mistaken identity that has pigeonholed Black women in the music space? 

Yes, right. That’s the biggest thing. I’m going through it now. 

How do you power (on) through that, though? 

Being comfortable in your own skin and not caring about what people say. But at the same time, you still have to understand that some things people say to you might be right. That’s just something within your body, you gotta have it in your gut to know, alright, this person might have this opinion about me, and it might not be all the way right, but I can tweak it a little bit and make it fit. 

It’s all about perspective. 

Yeah, right. 

How have you managed to forge your own path and create a name for yourself?  

They gave me a hard time, I’ma just let you know that right now (laughs). They gave me a hard time tryna make sure I’m a well-rounded artist. I just stood my ground and I remember my mother always telling me, ‘If someone tells you something, you don’t just go and believe in it, you gotta research it first.’ That’s just how I live throughout my days; you can’t tell me anything, you gotta prove it.

I feel like your voice is an instrument. That plays a part in your success, too.  

I used to feel that I didn’t have a voice growing up, so now that I have the confidence to speak, I’m always sounding demanding.

Have you been able to accomplish anything sooner than you envisioned? I feel like you’ve made a lot of progress in such a short period of time.   

This is funny because before I started taking rap seriously I used to write rhymes, and every time I’m done with a rhyme I’m like, ‘It can’t get no better than this.’ That’s what really made me not want to go with rap at first because I kept thinking to myself, ‘If I write one rhyme, do I gotta write another one?,’ and I kept doing it and doing it and then I became a rapper forreal (laughs). 

What was your defining moment as an artist?

When I started growing a fanbase. When people would stop me outside, or when I read my fans’ DMs and they tell me that they’re inspired and motivated by what I’m doing. It’s like wow, they really look up to me, I’m really doing something great. I really love my fans forreal, forreal. 

If you didn’t have fans, would you still create music? 

Yes because I’ve been that artist before; I’ve been that artist where people were sleeping on me. I’ve been that artist that’s been doubted. I’ve been that artist where I doubted myself, and I overcame it, so I know that nothing can stop me. 

Personally, what does the concept of Women’s History Month mean to you? 

I feel like Women’s Month is a full twelve months, the whole year. March is like our birthday party. 

How is Lola Brooke creating her own history? 

I have female friends, relatives, I speak to them and tell them it has to be in them. For example, my lil sister wanted to be more nonchalant, in a good way, and I can’t teach her that, it has to be in her. For you to not care about things in a certain way, it has to be in you. If they constantly seeing me putting out this music, and if they constantly seeing me doing whatever I wanna do in the entertainment business, one day they  gon’ wake up and say, ‘You know what, I’ma do what Lola doing,’ It’s gon take some time, though, but that just has to be in them. 

What’s your stance on Mayor Eric Adams’ attempt to restrict airplay of drill music in New York? Last month, he held a summit with a group of artists that included Maino, Fivio Foreign, B-Lovee and others, with zero female representation.

I think at least one female artist should’ve been there to represent the female voice as well. I feel like men tend to give a man upper leadership, like women are doing it (making music) because men are doing it. They don’t understand that women wake up living in the same environment and sharing the same thoughts as these guys. It’s some girls that’re in the streets, too, they not at home. It’s happening; there’s girls that’ve been to jail, girls that are in gangs. 

With a string of singles in pocket and your success in the freestyle circuit, why haven’t you released a full-length project?

I want my fans to know the full Lola Brooke. I just released a song called “On My Mind” and it’s totally different. I released a record on a drill beat but I’ve done other records that’s uptempo that you can play in the club, too. Now, my next thing is melodies, so I need my fans to know that this is all Lola Brooke; whatever you hear on this next project, don’t be surprised, because I’m coming with everything. 

You have more music in the works? 

Yup, Lil Big Momma! Getting it ready now.

“On My Mind” feels like a push in a different direction for your sonics.

It’s always been there. I’m just finally putting it out. I was nervous (at first) but now I’m showing them the other side of me. 

Musically, what kind of expectations do you have for yourself – do you care to be understood?

I don’t care for them to like (my music) but I care for them to understand it. You can agree to disagree; it might not be for you but it’s for somebody else, and that’s okay. 

What’s the overall message with Lil Big Momma? 

Stay ready so you don’t gotta get ready. Right now, when we get off this phone conversation, I got my whole shit on just in case somebody wanna go outside to drink.