5 electrifying facts about GloRilla, the dynamic rapper behind “Tomorrow 2,” who’s set to light up the stage at the 2024 VMAs

The next generation of rap superstars has arrived, and at the forefront is GloRilla. “It’s real cool. I’m excited to be a part of it because it’s a new wave,” she told Refinery29. “I’m glad to be one of the ones leading the new wave.” That wave will crash onto the UBS Arena stage in Long Island, New Jersey, on September 11, when GloRilla, fresh off her 2023 XXL Freshman Class selection, performs at the 2024 VMAs. With her hit single “TGIF” and two new albums, Yeah Glo! (Alternate Versions) and Ehhthang Ehhthang,

GloRilla is making 2024 her year.

GloRilla has been steadily rising in the ranks of hip-hop. “I’d describe [my background] as staying humble and just working hard,” she shared with Refinery29. “I never gave up, and I always had a vision. That’s all you need: a vision and the drive.” Even if she leaves the VMAs empty-handed, she’ll be back soon to claim what’s hers.

Her climb was further validated when Audiomack, the artist-first music streaming platform, named her its latest #UpNow artist, highlighting her as one of the next big stars. “They’ve played an important role in helping me connect with fans in a new way,” GloRilla said about Audiomack, which will feature her on the cover of their #UpNow playlist and boost her presence across the platform. “I appreciate the Audiomack team for always showing love and look forward to building with them more in the future,” she added.

As GloRilla gears up for her next move, here’s what you need to know about her.

GloRilla’s Real Name Is Gloria Hallelujah
When GloRilla shot to fame with “F.N.F.,” fans quickly learned that her real name is Gloria Woods, and “GloRilla” is a play on her first name. However, in October 2022, she revealed her middle name is “Hallelujah,” sparking buzz on X (formerly known as 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.”

She’s From Northside Memphis
“I was raised in church, but we still used to watch 106 & Park and BET,” Glo shared with XXL in September 2022. “I used to love Bow Wow, Soulja Boy, and Lil Wayne.” Raised as a quiet kid with nine siblings — six brothers and four sisters — she was homeschooled until fifth grade when child services required her mother to enroll her and her siblings in public school.

Church gave Glo her first taste of music. “I got a lot of solos in the church choir, and growing up, the only music my mama let us listen to was gospel. We had to sneak to listen to other music.”

By her teens, Glo shed her shy persona, gained confidence, and started rapping in secret, only playing her music for one of her brothers and a cousin. In 2018, she decided to take her dreams seriously.

Her ‘Overnight’ Success Was Years in the Making
GloRilla posted her first freestyle on Facebook in 2016. Two years later, her cousin urged her to focus on music and record with proper equipment. She hit a local studio and released “14 Freestyle” in December 2018. In 2019, she dropped her independent EP, Most Likely Up Next, followed by P Status in 2020.

Her journey was far from smooth. “I never stopped putting out music. I got discouraged a lot of times, but I didn’t stop — I had started going broke,” GloRilla shared on Million Dollaz Worth of Game. “I was losing everything — my apartments, my cars. I was almost down to nothing… I was just doing sh-t, surviving, and then it got to the gritty part, and I started getting broke as hell and was living with my friends.”

In 2021, at a local rap showcase, she met producer Hitkidd. They collaborated on the Set The Tone EP, featuring Glo, Gloss Up, K Carbon, Slimeroni, and Aleza — five fierce female MCs. Later, Glo and Hitkidd teamed up again on a track that would change her life.

Megan Thee Stallion Nearly Redefined Her Career

In 2021, Hitkidd had a beat lined up for Megan Thee Stallion, but when Megan didn’t respond quickly, he sent it to Glo. She was on her way to get her lashes done, as recounted by Vulture. After her appointment, she smoked a blunt, stepped into the booth, and dropped a hook that would become iconic: “I’m F-R-E-E, f-ck n—a free / That means 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.”

The hook went viral on Triller. A week later, she and Hitkidd reunited to record a full version and shot a music video featuring Glo and her friends, leading to the birth of “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 told Vulture. As of November 2022, the video had over 49 million views. “A week before!”

“I feel like it’s taken off ’cause we [were] authentic,” she told BET. “We were just having fun, being ourselves… It ain’t really a lot of people that represent females from the hood and ratchet females. People liked the authenticity — the realness.”

The track’s success caught the attention of several labels. Glo eventually signed with Yo Gotti’s CMG Records under Interscope. “She’s coming different with a new sound, a new delivery, and a new movement,” Yo Gotti told XXL. “Whenever you come with an unheard sound, you have an opportunity to stamp it.”

GloRilla’s Rise Came After a Deep Personal Reset

Ahead of the release of her November 2022 EP, Anyways, Life’s Great…, Glo revealed on The Angie Martinez Show that she and her friends did a 60-day cleanse.

“We couldn’t go into 2022 the same way… we had to get our life together, so we went on a cleanse: no dudes, no partying, saving money, and exercising,” she shared.

“I had just gotten out of a breakup… I had just had an abortion, and I didn’t feel the same after that… I needed to cleanse. I was really going through something,” she added.

The cleanse lasted from March to May, and by June, “F.N.F.” was on its way to becoming the summer anthem.

She’s Got Major Backing – From the Grammys to Cardi B.

In July 2022, Glo dropped “Tomorrow.” Two months later, she released “Tomorrow 2,” a remix featuring Cardi B. “[Cardi] had hit me up already when I was blowing up… giving me advice and motivating [me],” Glo told Revolt.

When Glo texted Cardi about collaborating, Cardi revealed she had already recorded a verse for “Tomorrow.” “When I first heard it, I was so shocked… I wanted to cry,” Glo shared.

This was just the start. In 2022, she won Best New Hip Hop Artist at the BET Awards and earned her first Grammy nomination for “F.N.F.” for Best Rap Performance. GloRilla’s rise is only beginning, and she’s here to stay.