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The new wave of rap stars is making a significant impact, and at the forefront is GloRilla. She gained widespread recognition with her viral smash hit “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” in 2022, showcasing her unique style characterized by bold lyrics, a distinct Southern swagger, and an infectious energy that resonates with audiences. In an interview with Refinery29, she expressed her enthusiasm for being part of this fresh movement, saying, “It’s real cool. I’m excited actually to be a part of it because it’s a new wave,” highlighting her desire to innovate within the music industry.
Since her breakthrough, GloRilla has consistently been ascending the ranks of the music scene. “I’d describe [my background] as staying humble, and I just kept working,” she reflected on her journey. “I never gave up, and I always had a vision. That’s all you got to have; that vision and drive.” Her story is one of resilience and determination, emphasizing the importance of hard work and perseverance in the pursuit of success.
In 2024, GloRilla solidified her presence in the music industry with the release of her single “TGIF”, along with two albums, Yeah Glo! (Alternate Versions) and Ehhthang Ehhthang. Her achievements were further recognized when she was named to the prestigious 2023 XXL Freshman Class and reached a significant milestone by performing at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena in Long Island, New Jersey on September 11. This performance marked a pivotal moment in her career, showcasing her talent to a broader audience.
In 2025, GloRilla launched The Glorious Tour, culminating in a heartfelt performance in her hometown of Memphis. However, her rise to fame was not without challenges; she made headlines again in July 2025 when police conducted a search of her Atlanta home following a reported burglary, which subsequently led to felony drug charges. This incident highlighted the complexities of navigating fame and personal life.
Discover comprehensive insights into the life and career of this dynamic rapper, including her artistic journey and personal experiences, below.
Discover GloRilla’s Unique Name: Gloria Hallelujah
When GloRilla first rose to fame with “F.N.F.,” her fans were aware that her real name is Gloria Woods, and that her stage name “GloRilla” was a creative twist on her first name. However, in October 2022, she revealed that her middle name is “Hallelujah,” which sparked excitement and curiosity on social media platforms, particularly Twitter. “& why y’all acting like Ian been told y’all my middle name hallelujah?” she tweeted. “Dats why I’m so blessed & my p—y so good duhhhhhh !!!! Common damn sense.” This revelation added a layer of personality to her public persona, emphasizing her confidence and unique identity.
Exploring GloRilla’s Roots: Northside Memphis
GloRilla shared her upbringing, stating, “I was raised in church, but we still used to watch 106 & Park and BET,” during an interview with XXL in September 2022. She fondly recalled her admiration for artists like Bow Wow, Soulja Boy, and Lil Wayne, revealing a deep connection to the hip-hop culture. Describing herself as a quiet child within a large family of nine siblings—six boys and three girls—she was homeschooled until the fifth grade when her mother was encouraged by child services to enroll her and her siblings in public school. This unique upbringing shaped her perspective on life and music.
Her first exposure to music came through her church experience, where she regularly earned solos in the church choir. GloRilla noted that the only music her mother allowed them to listen to was gospel, which led her and her siblings to sneak and listen to other genres. This dynamic fostered her love for music and sparked her desire to explore different styles and sounds.
As a teenager, she began to shed her shy demeanor, gaining confidence and secretly experimenting with rapping, initially sharing her music only with one of her brothers and her cousin. It wasn’t until 2018 that she fully committed to pursuing her dreams of becoming a successful rapper, marking the beginning of her journey in the music industry.
The Road to GloRilla’s Breakthrough: Years of Hard Work
In 2016, GloRilla uploaded her first freestyle to Facebook, a pivotal moment in her journey. Two years later, her cousin encouraged her to take her music career seriously and record professionally instead of just using her phone. She took that advice to heart, visiting a local studio and releasing “14 Freestyle” in December 2018. The following year, she launched her independent EP, Most Likely Up Next, followed by P Status in 2020, demonstrating her commitment to her craft.
Her path was fraught with challenges. “I never stopped putting out music. I got discouraged a lot of times, but I ain’t ever stop — I had started going broke,” GloRilla confided to Gillie Da King and Wallo26 on a November 2022 episode of Million Dollarz Worth Of Game (h/t AfroTech). “I was losing everything like my apartments, my cars. I was almost down to nothing. It was like the end of last year and the beginning of this year. I was just all the way starting over and was like, ‘D-mn, I’m finna have to go back to work.’ I was just doing sh-t, surviving last year, and then it got to the gritty part, and I started just getting broke as hell and was living with my friends and sh-t.” This honesty about her struggles resonated with many, showcasing her determination and resilience.
In 2021, during a local rap showcase, she crossed paths with renowned beatmaker Hitkidd. This connection led to the collaborative Set The Tone EP, which featured Glo alongside other talented female MCs such as Gloss Up, K Carbon, Slimeroni, and Aleza. The collaboration with Hitkidd would later prove instrumental in her career when they worked on a track that would catapult her to fame.
The Influence of Megan Thee Stallion on GloRilla’s Career
In 2021, Hitkidd had a beat prepared for Megan Thee Stallion, which presented a potential collaboration with the reigning queen of rap. However, due to slow communication from Megan, Hitkidd reached out to GloRilla, who was en route to get her lashes done at the time, according to Vulture. After returning from the beauty appointment, she lit up a blunt and stepped into the recording booth, effortlessly laying down the hook: “I’m F-R-E-E, f-ck n—-a free / That mean I ain’t gotta worry ’bout no f-ck n—a cheating / And I’m S-I-N-G-L-E again / Outside hanging out the window with my ratchet-ass friends.”
GloRilla uploaded the hook to Triller, and it quickly went viral, capturing the attention of audiences everywhere. A week and a half later, she and Hitkidd reunited in the studio, where she recorded a new first verse. They also filmed a music video featuring all of Glo’s friends, and that collaboration birthed the iconic track “F.N.F. (Let’s Go).”
“Literally, it was so crazy. My car got repo’d, like, less than a week before I dropped this song,” she recounted to Vulture. As of November 2022, the music video had amassed over 49 million views, showcasing the overwhelming response from fans. “A week before!” she added, emphasizing the whirlwind nature of her rise to fame.
“I feel like it’s taken off ’cause we [were] authentic,” she explained to BET. “We ain’t really, like, dressing on up; we was just having fun, being ourself, you know what I’m saying? It ain’t really a lot of people that represent females from the hood and ratchet females. We was just in the video having fun, doing what we normally do, and people like the authenticity – the realness to it.” Her emphasis on authenticity resonated with audiences, further fueling her popularity.
The success of “F.N.F.” attracted attention from multiple record labels. Ultimately, GloRilla signed with Yo Gotti’s CMG Records imprint under Interscope, marking a significant milestone in her career. “She’s someone coming different with a new sound, a new delivery, a new feel, and a new movement,” Yo Gotti told XXL. “Her potential is unlimited. She doesn’t rap like any other artists. Whenever you come with an unheard sound, you have an opportunity to stamp it. And you know what happens after that.”
“When you think about Memphis music, you think about Gotti,” GloRilla stated in her interview with BET. “Three 6 [Mafia] and them were the face of Memphis when you think about rap. They had the city in a chokehold, and you can’t go to the club without hearing a couple of Gotti songs. So he was a big factor growing up,” showcasing her deep-rooted connections to the Memphis music scene.
The Transformative Social Media Cleanse That Preceded Her Success
While appearing on The Angie Martinez Show ahead of the release of her November 2022 EP, Anyways, Life’s Great…, GloRilla discussed the transformative social media cleanse and mental detox she and her friends undertook for 60 days. This cleanse represented a pivotal moment for her personal growth and mental health.
“We was going through something like we can’t go into 2022 the same way we was last year, you know it was just had a lot going on…we had to get our life together, we was like ‘we can’t keep living like this.’ We were like, ‘okay, we’re going to go on a cleanse. We ain’t going to talk to no dudes cause I felt like that was a distraction. No partying, going out, you know, saving money and exercising,” she explained, reflecting on the importance of self-care and mindfulness in her journey (h/t Urban Islandz).
“I had just really got out of a breakup, and I already said this in the preview of my song, I had just had an abortion, and so I’m like, ‘you know I gotta cleanse’ cause I didn’t feel the same after that. I had mental changes, so I’m like, ‘no more dudes, we’re going to just cleanse. I was really really going through something,” she reflected on the profound impact of her experiences on her personal and artistic growth.
Breathing her success into life, her cleanse lasted from March to May. By June, “F.N.F.” was on its way to becoming the anthem of the summer, marking a significant turning point in her career.
GloRilla’s Significant Recognition: Grammy Nominations and Cardi B Collaborations
In July 2022, GloRilla released the track “Tomorrow,” which garnered significant attention. Two months later, she dropped “Tomorrow 2,” the remix featuring Cardi B. “[Cardi] had hit me up already when I was blowing up. Soon as I had landed in New York and I was going through the airport, she had sent me a little voice message, you know, giving me advice and motivating [me], like that. And so … she had liked my stuff, know what I’m saying?” GloRilla shared during an interview with Revolt.
“I was in the studio one day, and I was listening to all my songs, and I’m like, ‘Who can I put on this song?’ So I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m finna text Cardi.’ I text her, and I was like, ‘I got a song I want you on.’ She was like, ‘Girl, I already did my verse on Tomorrow.’ I was like, ‘What?!’ [Yo Gotti] and them were trying to surprise me, but I ended up finding out because I was trying to get her on another song,” GloRilla recounted, emphasizing the excitement of that moment. “When I first heard it, I was so shocked. I wasn’t shocked because she hard anyway, but like how she just did that song? Like … I wanted to cry.”
This collaboration was just the beginning of GloRilla’s recognition in the industry. In 2022, she won the award for Best New Hip Hop Artist at the BET Awards and earned her first Grammy nomination when “F.N.F.” was nominated for Best Rap Performance. The Glo phenomenon has started, and it shows no signs of fading anytime soon.
Clara Hastings
Cameron Steel
