Who Is Lil Poppa?
Jacksonville, FL became a hotbed for talent in recent years, though Lil Poppa could be the most promising export. However, the grim realities of the city became a central force of his artistry. The pain-riddled melodies are coupled with vivid accounts of growing up in Jacksonville, Florida. Above all, he considers his music a survival guide to make it out of such harsh environments.
The budding star began making music at the age of 12 following a stint writing for his church just two years prior. However, his maturity and life experiences in the following years developed his songwriting skills further. 2018’s “Purple Hearts” was a turning point that provided a form of escape during a trying time in his life. The record grapples with survivor’s guilt following the deaths of his two best friends. The auto-tune in his voice induces pain and anxiety but he crafted bars that felt wise beyond his years. At this point, Poppa’s passion ultimately transformed into a therapeutic outlet. As a result, the feelings of grief and solitude cultivated a loyal fanbase. 2021’s Blessed, I Guess was an exemplary body of work revealing his maturity since he began to make waves. The album captured his ability to turn these harrowing emotions into beautiful poetry.
However, it was 2019’s Under Investigation 2 that set him up for success in the years that followed. The 11-song effort found Lil Poppa swapping bars with formidable artists who carried the same M.O. Mozzy, his label mate at CMG, not only appeared on the project but later returned the favor when he invited Poppa onto “Price Tag” with Polo G off of the Sacramento rapper’s critically acclaimed, Beyond Bulletproof in 2020. The unadulterated thoughts seeped through gloomy Southern production that related to a wider audience than ever before.
Given that he watched his brother pursue a career in music, Poppa naturally gained a passion for crafting bars. Then, he mixed with the ethos of Southern mainstays like Boosie Badazz and Webbie. The combination of these influences formed the foundation of his undeniably riveting sound that relies on the brute honesty that he masks through his melodic delivery.
Lil Poppa is emerging as a singular voice representing the South, minted by a deal with Yo Gotti’s CMG. Following the deal, he released the third installment in the Under Investigation series at the top of 2022. But even after turning the projects into a trilogy, he considers his CMG debut as much of a formal introduction as his previous efforts.
“[I’m] getting everybody familiar with me and to this day, I feel like when people go back and listen to my first project, they still do that. Like they still getting a chance to know me,” he says, adding that his mood is the primary indicator of his creative direction on any given song or project. “Whatever mood I’m in is whatever’s gonna come [out in] the music at the time.”
Check out Lil Poppa’s acapella of “Pledge” below, and the latest episode of On The Come Up with Lil Poppa. The Jacksonville, FL rapper discusses a dream collab with Juice WRLD, the reality of the music industry, and more.