You stand in line outside of the Cosmopolitan Premier Lounge on Glenwood Road in Decatur, Georgia on the East side of Atlanta as you get an automatic text from the local promotional team.
“Tonight we’re bringing GloRilla to Atlanta!” The text read. “The most ratchet party of the year!”
As you walk through the doors of the venue, the evening’s hosts are on stage as a DJ runs through hip-hop’s biggest hits in the past 15 years. T.I.’s son King is also on stage, and Boosie watches from a nearby section. A hoard of cameras surrounds GloRilla’s section behind the stage.
The 23-year-old Memphis MC is by far the most popular rapper to break through in 2022. Her anthem “F.N.F.” produced by fellow Memphis musician Hitkidd, shot into the stratosphere in May and her career’s been on the rise ever since. She ultimately signed with Yo Gotti’s All-Star CMG Label, and immediately released her first single, “Tomorrow.” A few weeks later, as “F.N.F.” still dominated the airwaves, GloRilla released her second single under the label, “Blessed,” which features Yo Gotti himself.
“F.N.F.” became an instant viral hit to begin the summer for hip-hop because the song’s music video was a breath of fresh air. Most of America’s introduction to GloRilla was as a young Black woman from Memphis being unapologetically “ratchet,” not caring to present a polished look to the masses spotlighting the realities young Black women face in Memphis. There’s perhaps no better representation of the Black experience than having the most fun anyone will ever have in the face of multiple infrastructural disadvantages. Through struggle, resilient people find joy, and that is the true beauty of attending a GloRilla concert.
As GloRilla’s debut EP under CMG, Anyways, Life’s Great, is set to premiere on Nov. 11, her days of performing in clubs might be numbered. She already pulled in A-lister Cardi B to jump on the remix of “Tomorrow,” which debuted in the top three of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart. GloRilla is still in the midst of her six-month blowup, and watching the year’s breakout artist live in an intimate environment is a moment that should be cherished for a long time. At least until tomorrow.
