Lil Mama is a multifaceted and dynamic American entertainer, how well does it work, better, better, better, better, actress and amazingly good. In addition to her artistic talent, she is also a motivational speaker and entrepreneur. She is most popular for her album VYР (Vоісе Yоung Реорlе) and her role as Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in the biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.
The beautiful woman, known for her passion for spirit, was a judge on talent show America’s Best Dance Crew for seven seasons. Read on to find out more about her personal and family life and net worth.
Lil Mama’s Biography
Niatia Jessica Kirkland, better known by her stage name Lil Mama, was born on October 4, 1989 in Harlem, New York City and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. As the third child and first daughter of eight children, she earned the nickname “Lil Mama.” Due to the financial difficulties in her family and the fact that there were many mouths to feed, she made a lot of trouble from an early age.
But instead of wallowing in self-pity, she resorted to poetry and dance to escape the many challenges of life and family. She kept writing poetry and by the age of ten she began to long for more. As a student at Edward R. Murrow High School, Lil Mama began to establish the rhythm of her poem, and that led to her interest in rap.
With the help and encouragement of her father, who is also interested in music and the owner of a new record label/rap group, Familiar Faces Ent., understood that being a hip hop artist could bring both interests to life. She then started hanging out at her father’s studio, mingling with adults and learning a lot from them.
Her opportunity came when she knocked with her girlfriends on Lenox Avenue. She met a guy who introduced her to Ali Samii, a former road manager for DMX. In 2006, they flew to Atlanta and recorded a handful of songs, including “Lip Gloss,” which debuted on Hot 97. It eventually became a hit, landing Lil Mama a deal with Jive.Already at the age of 17 she signed with Jive Records in 2006 and the following year she was in Dr. Luke’s remix of Avril Lavigne’s song “Girlfriend,” a Grammy-nominated producer. In late April 2008, her first full-length album, “VYP (Young People’s Voice)” was released, which debuted on the Billboard 200 at #25. The album, which sold 19,000 copies in its first week, contained four singles, including the hit “Lip Gloss,” which made Lil Mama a household name.
Still in 2008, the fresh talent continues to work on her music, bringing her extensive dance knowledge to the highly competitive TV series America’s Best Dance Crew, starring for seven seasons of the show with host Mario Lopez and JC Chasez acted as a judge.
After the release of her first album, Lil Mama also distributed five singles. She announced the title of her proposed second album as Voice of the Young: It’s Me, but it hasn’t been released since it was announced in 2009.
Lil Mama starred alongside artist AV in MCLyte’s “Ball” music video, which was released in November 2014. Recently, in May 2015 to be exact, she released a groundbreaking music video for her song “Sausage”. The video features the Sausage movement in Vine, frenetic choreography, youthful cheers and community fun. As soon as it was released, it went viral, racking up over 3 million views in its first week on the Billboard Music + Twitter charts. It remained one of the top 20 videos well into June. Many dance groups released choreographies and routines danced to the Sausage track on social media.
In recognition of her contributions to the music industry, Lil Mama was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Artist by the BET Awards (2008/2009), her hit single “Lip Gloss”, was nominated for 2007 MTV Video Music Awards for Monster Single of the Year and Vibe Awards Ringtone of the Year while “Girlfriend (Remix)” was nominated in 2008 for MTV Asia Awards for Best Connection. In 2007 and 2008, “Lip Gloss” and “Shawty Get Loose” won the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Summer Song and Choice Rap/Hip-Hop Track.
film career
In 2013, Lil Mama made a splash in Hollywood playing the role of “Left Eye” Lopes in the VH1 biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, which aired October 21, 2013. The film was the most-watched VH1 original film when 4.5 million people saw it, and Mama’s performance was universally acclaimed. She felt the role was therapeutic because there was something about the character she portrayed that she saw in herself.
A month after the film aired, it was herKeke Palmer, who played Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, and Drew Sidora, who appeared as Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, continued to participate in live performances associated with its release (including the American Music Awards 2013).
Lil Mama also played the role of Val in the 2017 dance film ” 48 Hours to Live “. On August 28 of the same year, she starred on TV ONE When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story. S He played Falicia Blakely, a 16-year-old mother who is drawn into a world of crime and danger by her boyfriend. With 1.6 million viewers, the film, based on a true life story, became the network’s first original film premiere ever.
Wealth (income and earnings)
The popular artist has accumulated a net worthabout 7.5 million dollars. Much of their money comes from their music. Her debut album “VYP – Voice of the Youth” sold over 19,000 copies in the first week. She reportedly earned $1.75 million for her song “Billionaire”, $1.5 million for “Hustler Girl”, $1 million for “Shawty Get Loose” and $785,000 for “Lip gloss”.
Besides her music, the young star’s acting career and TV show appearances are also sources of income.
American rapper’s family life
Lil Mama was born to Tara Kirkland (mother) and Allen Brunner (father). She has two older brothers and five younger siblings. Her parents are from East New York, Brooklyn and at the time of her birth they all lived together in the Bronx. Her father was a DJ while her mother was an aspiring R&B singer and they had a hard time. The young parents were separated when Lil Mama was very young and at the age of four she and her two older brothers moved with their mother to a homeless shelter in Bushwick.
Her mother later got an apartment in Harlem and every week she drove to East New York with Lil Mama to spend time with her father. Sadly, her mother passed away on December 15, 2007 after a four-year battle with cancer. Her music video for the single “Shawty Get Loose” (featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain) is dedicated to her late mother.
