The Break Presents – Lil Migo

Destiny doesn’t give up on its target. Back when he was 14 years old, Lil Migo‘s uncle took him to the studio, wrote a song for him and told him to try rapping it. Looking up to his relative like many teens do, young Migo got the song done, but still didn’t have a penchant for rapping. Years later at 20 years old, the rising rapper would pick up rapping once again in honor of his late cousin. By 2019, Migo, then 22, decided to commit to a career in hip-hop, and everything began to come together quickly.

In the summer of that year, Lil Migo’s Mud 2 the Plug EP arrived. Then his breakthrough song, “Rockstar” dropped in December of 2019. On the track, his loyalty to Memphis rap of the past, a southern-dipped flow and a frankness that makes his most well-woven verses seem like light work made him stand out from the crowd. Migo kept this going with other releases in 2020, like “Truth,” the Price of Fame EP, the mixtape Voice of the Trap in 2020, and his biggest song yet, last May’s “No Love In My Heart,” which has been viewed 11 million times on YouTube and has more than 1 million Spotify streams. The surge of these last two years earned him a deal with Blac Youngsta‘s Heavy Camp in 2019, and Republic Records’ label 4th & Broadway this year.

There is something divine at play, when it comes to how Lil Migo’s career has played out. After having a conversation with his brother about what he’d do if hometown hero Blac Youngsta reached out to him, it happened the very next day. The initial Instagram DMs between Migo and Youngsta centered on mutual respect and support, and by November of 2019, Migo signed to Heavy Camp. His first mixtape as a signed artist is the early 2021 effort King Of The Trap. The project was Migo’s first experience putting together songs that hadn’t been previously released. His work eventually led to also signing to 4th & Broadway/Republic Records this year. The Down South rhymer continued building on the momentum he’s gained with the release of King Of The Trap 2 in November. The project features from Duke Deuce, Quavo, OJ Da Juiceman and more.

Now with the support of his city, tutelage from Blac Youngsta and a budding career, rap has taken Lil Migo farther than he could’ve imagined back when he was just 14 years old, kicking it in the studio with his uncle. Get to know more about Lil Migo in XXL‘s The Break.

Age: 24

Hometown: Memphis

I grew up listening to: “[Yo] Gotti, Boosie, Gucci, Jeezy, T.I. I ain’t gon’ lie, I used to listen to Eminem. I even listened to old school music, too. I got grandparents, so I grew up off that, too, like The Temptations.”

My style’s been compared to: “Nobody. I got my own sound. They don’t compare me to nobody. That’s a good thing, though!”

I’m going to blow up because: “It’s fast, but it’s slow to me. Maybe because I’m the one going through it. Somebody asked me that question the other day. He was like, ‘So you feel you ain’t made it yet?’ Nah, I ain’t made it yet ’cause I ain’t where I wanna be. I just know, ’cause every time I make a choice, it be a beneficial choice or a choice that’s gonna be beneficial for my future. I always weigh my options. I always got people around me to keep my head on a swivel, too. I got [Blac] Youngsta, I got my uncle. They help me make decisions, too. I ask them, what I think, too, and try to put all our answers together and come up with the best answer out of everything.”

What’s your most slept-on song, and why?: “All the ones that ain’t did a million or two better, all them hard to me. I can’t really say what’s slept-on ’cause I feel like everything I drop would be slept-on if that’s the case. As artists, to us it might be hard, but to other people, it could go over people heads.”

My standout records to date have been: “‘Letter To The Industry’ and ‘No Love In My Heart.’ I just kept it real. I guess it’s relatable, too. It got that Down South sound, I dunno. It just something people ain’t heard in a while. Even with my music, sometimes I bring that old sound back and still mix it with the new sound. I’d rather take the long route and grow myself up than tryna be like somebody else.”

My standout moments to date have been: “Getting signed, really. For somebody to even want to put their effort into me, growing me. Signing to [Blac] Youngsta, it was just crazy. I was talking about him the day before, and it just so happened. God be working.”

Most people don’t know: “I’m multitalented. I know how to ride bikes, play games, all type of shit. I even know how to record myself. I’m just into whatever I do hands-on. I like learning better myself, and tryna do it myself.”

I’m going to be the next: “Master P.”

Follow Lil Migo on SoundCloud and Instagram.

Standouts:

“Rockstar”

“No Love In My Heart”

“Big Dog”

King Of The Trap 2