From the studio to the stage, from the U.S. to the U.K., Lola Brooke bewitches the masses with her magnetic charm, authentic New York attitude and silky, sonic delivery reminiscent of ’90s rap. Weaving witty bars into hard-hitting beats, the East Coast emcee introduced the music industry to her raw talent with her buzzy breakout single, “Don’t Play With It” and seduced them to stay for the release of her first full-length project, Dennis Daughter.
“If you ask people who I grew up with or how I was growing up, they’ll tell you that I was full of energy and personality – even before the music,” she shares. “Of course, my presence is felt in music much more, but all that energy and personality is embedded. I couldn’t change my ways, even if I tried [laughs.]“
Recently released in November, Dennis Daughter built upon the buzz of the Brooklyn-born artist’s smash single, featuring 12 tracks and fiery features from her peers, including Coi Leray and the City Girls’ Yung Miami. While the New York native took to the booth to spit the familiar spicy rhymes that shot her to success, she also added in personal and poignant lyrics surrounding her late father, for whom the full-length project is named after. Serving as a cathartic form of storytelling, her studio-sessions-turned-radio releases showcase that the rising rapper is more than a viral moment but an adept songwriter who’s here to stay.
Continuing to solidify her spot in the industry, Brooke is now delivering the deluxe edition to her debut EP, accompanied with her Back to Business Tour, kicking off in Toronto. Spreading her quintessential Brooklyn sound from city to city this summer, Brooke’s classic cadence appears throughout the project, heard across lead singles “Bend It Ova” and “Becky” as well as the previously previewed song “Go Get Ya Motha.” The former single features A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and Big Freedia. For the summer tour, the rapper returns to the stage – where her electrifying energy shines through to put on an unforgettable performance for her fans.
“The best part is performing my music on a stage,” she shares. “It’s a feeling like no other, when you can feel your impact as an artist the most. The energy, the connection with the audience, that’s lit [laugh]. It’s what makes this all worth it.”
To celebrate the deluxe edition of Dennis Daughter, we caught up with Lola Brooke to chat about her rollercoaster ride in the rap game, the creative process behind her hits and her social media success.
Continue scrolling for the full interview.
This past November, you released your debut project Dennis Daughter, featuring the hit single “Don’t Play With It.” How does it feel to have your first full-length project out?
The feeling changes every so often and I’m embracing that. At first, when I dropped it, I felt relieved because it was my first project to be released and that build-up was not overnight. I also feel great knowing that my fans have the chance to know me on a deeper level. For my first project, I turned in a body of work that touched on multiple sides of me and that went for the different sounds you heard and my story. On the flip side, I’m also eager to complete this chapter, so that relief is slowly dwindling. I just dropped the deluxe version, so now I’m focused on bringing Dennis Daughter the project on the road. I miss performing and being on a stage is one of my favorite aspects of being an artist.
Dennis Daughter dives into memories of your childhood and heartfelt moments with your late father. What was it like for you to incorporate these personal pieces into your music-making process?
It felt like second nature because when I create music, I’m always drawing from life in general. Releasing music is vulnerable because you’re sharing your art with the world, which opens up conversation for your art to reflect who you are as a person. That could be a challenge for some people to embrace, but not for me because I love making music and connecting closer with my fans. There’s a reason I do what I do. From the beginning, I came out with a song that spoke about some of my experiences growing up and when I released that song, “2017 Flow,” I knew there would come a time to share a little more about those experiences. You can say that me sharing Dennis Daughter the project took a while but I always made it my mission to share the more personal side of me when it felt right. Of course, some moments felt emotional, especially when making songs like “Dear Dennis” and “Vacant Heart.” Still, letting out those feelings and my story on wax felt great.
With “Don’t Play With It,” you achieved viral success as the song was seen and heard everywhere. What are some of the pros and cons to social media in the music industry?
You touched on one of the pros by saying that songs have the chance to be heard everywhere. “Don’t Play With It” is being played in places I’ve never imagined my music could reach and places I haven’t even visited. That’s a dream for people who make music. Whether it’s “Don’t Play With It,” “You,” or any other song I release, social media has helped get that song all over the world and that’s something to be celebrated. Every day, I get tagged in videos where I see people supporting me and that’s dope. I don’t focus on the cons of social media because, like any tool used to connect people, the user is the one who calls the shots and is the person who determines how much they choose to engage.
The deluxe version of Dennis Daughter is now out to the world. What should fans expect from the deluxe edition of your debut project?
Fans should expect more of Lola. I released “Becky” and “Bend It Ova” already, so check that out if you haven’t. “Go Get Ya Motha” is a track I previewed last year when I was in Paris and since I shared a snippet, people have been asking for that one. “Neighborhood Hero” feels like a victory lap for the project, speaking about everything I discussed on the project, including who Dennis’ Daughter is. As for future projects, I’m already working on new music and planning a tour to bring my music to more fans.
Since your breakout single, “Don’t Play With It,” you’ve skyrocketed to success, receiving Best New Hip-Hop Artist nominations from the iHeartRadio Music Awards and getting features with Yung Miami, Latto and Bryson Tiller. How has the music industry lived up to or defied your expectations?
Thank you. Yes, it’s been a rollercoaster of accolades so far that I feel blessed about. I like to focus on moments like you mentioned rather than getting caught up in the music industry overall. I love making music to share with others and collaborating with my peers. That’s the treasure.
Aside from the aforementioned features, you’ve also recently collaborated with A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and Big Freedia on “Bend It Ova.” Talk to me about what that experience was like and how you’re able to maintain your individuality in collaborations.
Boogie is like a brother to me. He was the first artist to bring me out on a tour. Working with him in every capacity is natural and is not forced. Freedia is also a gem. “Bend It Ova” has a New Orleans feel to it, so it was only right that I called on Freedia to bless the track. No matter what beat it is, I’m always gonna be that Brooklyn girl.
You are a quintessential New York artist, from your voice – which is reminiscent of that nostalgic ’90s’ New York sound – to your style. Are there any other sounds you haven’t dipped into yet, you would like to experiment with?
People tell me that they hear ’90s rap in my sound. That’s dope. I do have a New York sound and I embrace that. When you think of New York, though, it’s not limited in sound. Especially today. New York is a melting pot of cultures and the music reflects that. I can walk outside and catch a pocket that’s rap or get inspiration on something in the Dancehall, Afrobeat, Drill space. You might hear me on a rock beat in the future.
Speaking of New York, how do you feel about the city’s sound these days?
It’s limitless.
You’ve previously named rappers Meek Mill, Foxy Brown and Eve as your musical inspirations. Tell me about some of your sources of inspiration for your upcoming projects.
I’m inspired by life in general. That might sound cliche, so don’t come for me. I am inspired by fans the most, and I feel like once I get a chance to touch them all again, that’s [going to] ignite another level of inspiration that’ll influence what you hear from me next.
On that note, is there a difference between Lola Brooke the artist and Lola Brooke the person? How do you manage the two?
Lola Brooke is my stage name, but everything I stand for as an artist, I stand for day-to-day. It’s easier that way for me; at least, that’s how I feel.
Aside from music, are there any other avenues you hope to explore?
There are so many. Music is my main focus, of course. That’ll never change, but I do want to venture back into acting. Oh yeah and, of course, I would love to do more shoots with Hypebae! Muahhhhh.
The deluxe version of Dennis Daughter is now available on all streaming platforms.
