Who Is Lady London?
East coast-born rapper Lady London didn’t intentionally fall into the world of music – her initial ten-year plan involved pursuing a medical education – but in March of 2018, she tried her hand at rapping and subsequently went viral after uploading her first video online. “You just can’t run from destiny, I think,” Lady London shared of her life being turned upside after blowing up.
Throughout her quick come-up, the 27-year-old has learned a lot, particularly about giving herself more grace as she navigates her new life in the spotlight. “I think the scariest place in the world is an artist's mind because we're often just tracked, and we can't even see around at how many people we impact,” she vented in our On The Come Up interview. “I try to meditate on my successes as much as I analyze my failures.”
As someone who was born in the Bronx and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Lady London has no shortage of musical inspiration and influence. Some key players she named include JAY-Z, Big L, Jadakiss, The Lox, Slick Rick, and Prince “because he’s such a multifaceted instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer.”
For her own future, the “Never” hitmaker has an abundance of big plans, including “[leaving] an indelible mark on the hearts of everybody [she touches],” whether that’s through her radiant persona or her bold music.
In the latest episode of On The Come Up, Lady London details her dream collaboration with the likes of Drake, Jazmine Sullivan, and the late Whitney Houston. She also speaks on co-signs from Nas and Busta Rhymes, and more.
Check out her interview and a performance of "Lisa's Story" below.
HNHH: How’d you get into music?
Lady London: By mistake. That was my biggest, I guess you could say, thing that I stumbled on haphazardly in my career. I was going to school—I had a ten-year plan for medicine, foolproof. And I started rapping in March 2018. My first video went viral. [It was] 8.7 million views of me rapping in a car, and it’s been up since. So, you just can’t run from destiny, I think.
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
Some of my musical inspirations would have to be, obviously, Jay-Z. As [J. Cole] said, ‘I copied your cadence, I mirrored your style.’ Very inspired by him, especially in his early days. Big L, Jadakiss, The Lox, Slick Rick, and the storytelling… and I love Prince. I love Prince because he’s such a multifaceted instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer… and just a brilliant businessman. So, I think that would be my top people.
What was the turning point for you that helped you realize you were on your way to becoming successful?
I think social media was kinda the first thing to make me think this is real. I was accumulating over 20,000 followers a month at one point with Lady Londays. Consistently, for about 9-10 months at a time. I think I grew my followers from 9500 to where it is now, at 900,000, almost a million, on my own. So, I think having the co-signs from those that I used to admire growing up. Having Nas say, “I think she’s one of the greatest.” Having Busta Rhymes and you know—having some of the most pioneers of Hip Hop stand at the forefront of your career was just further validation for myself.
I think the scariest place in the world is an artist's mind because we're often just tracked in it and we can't even see around at how many people we impact.
If a music fan were to discover you today, what song would you tell them to go listen to? It could be a song, freestyle…
If a fan were to discover me today or a person discover me today, I will want them to start at the beginning for me and I think my song “Never” probably outlines my entire journey throughout the game and how much I’ve endured throughout my time in Hip-Hop. So I would say to start there and then branch out because you have to understand the core of me before even exploring my other music—my other artistry. So, definitely “Never.” For sure.
Where can we find it?
Apple Music, all streaming platforms—I have a beautiful video I creative directed myself as well. YouTube.
Tell us about a valuable lesson you’ve learned during your come-up.
I learned to give myself more grace. I think oftentimes we, as artists—I think the scariest place in the world is an artist's mind because we're often just tracked in it and we can't even see around at how many people we impact. So, I think just giving ourselves a little bit of grace as we move forward in our careers—whatever that career may be. I try to meditate in my successes as much as I analyze my failures. I guess that'll be the key point I would take away from it.
Summarize your debut project, single, freestyle, and what inspired it.
My current single that's out currently is called “What Is It Giving.” Super dope, so dope. I recorded it in April of 2021. So it was originally supposed to come out last summer but a lot of politics went around it. But, I wanted that call and repeat record, you know what I mean?
I'm known for my lyricism. I'm known for my complex bars and things like that but I really wanted something for people to chant and really, like, agree with and then get really disrespectful as I usually do in the bars portion of it. So, I speak about things that, you know, everybody’s doing. Like every-- you know, we just don't wanna-- people don't wanna say, but it's being done. I'm very proud of my single that's out and I hope the girls stream it. It's a girl's record. I'm not going to lie, it's a girl’s record.
I hope to transcend a generation. I hope to leave an indelible mark on the hearts of everybody I touch
Tell me about your hometown and how it influences your music.
Man I feel like… it's the reason I do music, you know? I'm originally from the Bronx, New York and I was raised in East Orange, New Jersey and anybody who's been in or raised around the Tri-State area understands the impact of what growing up on Hot 97 and growing up on 105.1 and growing up with the Biggie and the Jay-Z era of when the New York metropolitan area was on top of Hip Hop as we know it, you know?
At one point, we made a precedent in the game before Southern rappers were able to force their way into things. Not, you know, like-- and I'm so happy that they're here now because it gives us a different trajectory on things but at one point, we were the blueprint for things. So kind of just having that underline bringing it back – bringing back the sound of what I'm familiar with it is so pivotal to my career. You know, they often say, “this is what New York sounds like, this is what Jersey sounds like,” you know whatever. I'm just really happy to be in that space. I love my hometown and I just you know-- we got the best food, too… I said what I said.
Tell me about a time when you were growing up where you remember like, “Damn I remember where I was at when I heard this song and this artist in New York.”
I remember a time when songs would bring you back to that summer. Like, I remember when you would listen to a song and be like, “Oh my god, remember that summer? That summer was crazy.” You know, a particular song, it’s weird that it comes to mind because it's so random, but Remy Ma has “Feels So Good” featuring Ne-Yo – reminds me of summer 07. Like, I can see myself at the skating rink. Or hanging out with my cousins that summer and just listening to that song on repeat. Yeah, I mean, just nostalgia. You know what I mean? Like, childhood nostalgia where something can govern an entire summer or an entire season was so fun.
Where do you hope your music career takes you?
Infinity and beyond. I hope to transcend a generation, I hope to leave an indelible mark on the hearts of everybody I touch, whether that’s music or in personal. I just want to leave an imprint, I want to be a legend in my own right. The highest form. Wherever I can go the highest, that's where I'm going to go. Take off.
If you could create your dream song what would it sound like and who would you feature on it? This is unlimited budget. This is past or present artist.
If I can create my dream song… Well, my favorite artist of all time, of any genre, is Whitney Houston. She's from my hometown, she’s from East Orange. Actually, [she] grew up right behind my grandmother's house so it’s weird how close it is. Just legends bred in that area, I guess. But Whitney Houston, Jazmine Sullivan, and Drake would probably my 3 dream collabs of all time, right. And obviously Jay-Z, duh, but you can't all fit on one song, so yeah. Sonically, it would be, just beautiful harmonies, panned throughout the speakers, and something profound-- subject matter that's profound. That’d be my dream collab. Jay-Z, Jazmine Sullivan, Whitney Houston, vocals, and Drake.
If you could give advice to an aspiring musician on the come-up, what would you say?
I know everybody would expect me to say something super traditional, super regular but I’ma say something that people is not going to think is important. The people you keep around you, at the time you're coming up, is the most crucial thing you can ever have, is people that support you before the world tells them that it's okay to support you. People that are in your corner that believe in you more than you believe in yourself at times because I can't tell you how that shapes your career. And just be mindful of those who you feel the need to be around because they've been around. Some things are like expiration dates, you know what I mean? Sometimes God won't give you a blessing until you get them away from where you're at.
And I'll leave by saying-- and I say this because I know a lot of people have their family around and they think their family is their family. When we hear “blood-is-thicker-than-water,” it's not what we think it is. The full phrase is… “the blood of the Covenant is thicker than the water of the womb” so it's really the blood of whatever bond you make. The bond you make within your friends. The bond you make within God is thicker than the water of the womb in which whatever you came into this world as that. So it's actually the complete opposite of what we know it to be.
It's whoever is around you as your friend that are really there, that's really your family. And that’s really who should stick around you so just be careful and be mindful of who you surround yourself with because the wall and the door of destiny is a very narrow one. And so, I would just say-- I would leave people with that advice, as creatives coming up into the game is to be mindful of your surroundings because they can become you.