NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 09: Lil Mama attends the Kim Shui runway present throughout New York Trend Week: The Exhibits in Gallery II at Spring Studios on February 09, 2020 in New York Metropolis. (Picture by Roy Rochlin/Getty Photographs for NYFW: The Exhibits)
New York native, Niatia Jessica Kirkland, finest referred to as Lil Mama, was poppin’ within the late 200os when she first got here on the hip-hop scene as a seventeen-year-old in 2007. Her ardour and pleasure for her metropolis and the hip-hop tradition noticed her blow up with success, however it might even be this similar excited power that will result in the stall of her profession in 2009, simply two years into her profession. It is a look into how one motion triggered Lil Mama to be shunned by the leisure trade.
Video will return right here when scrolled again into view
Trump’s Tariffs Would possibly Stick Round. What Ought to We Purchase Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Would possibly Stick Round. What Ought to We Purchase Now?
A Younger Go Getter
Lil Mama had been enthusiastic about music from a younger age. At simply 13, she ran into DJ Enuff, the DJ for New York’s radio station HOT 97, in keeping with Reuters. Throughout this assembly, Lil Mama tried to persuade DJ Enuff to play her music on the present, however was advised to return when she was older. She returned at age 16, performed her debut single “Lip Gloss” for Enuff, and have become an on the spot sensation. In 2007, The Guardian known as the music “stupid-fresh,” and in 2025, Rolling Stone Australia known as the music top-of-the-line one-hit wonders of the 2000s.
Debut Album And Mom’s Demise
After her hit debut landed her a contract with Jive Data, Lil Mama began engaged on her debut album. All gave the impression to be going properly for Lil Mama; she had collaborated with Avril Lavigne for the remix of her music “Girlfriend” and had managed to get a function from T-Ache on her debut album.
Nevertheless, issues appeared to decelerate when her debut album did not make it previous 25 on the Billboard charts. Together with this underwhelming debut, Lil Mama was additionally having to take care of the tragic passing of her mom from breast most cancers. In a 2020 interview with Essence, Lil Mama mirrored on how her mom’s loss of life affected her:
“I undoubtedly take care of it on daily basis… It is a blessing to have had her in my life so long as I did. It is actually powerful to turn into a teen with out your mother, not to mention a girl. It is not simple.”
Issues Begin To Decide Again Up
In 2008, Lil Mama slowly regained her footing within the leisure trade by touchdown a job as a choose on MTV’s “America’s Greatest Dance Crew,” alongside JC Chanez and Shane Sparks. This solidified Lil Mama’s presence on TV and elevated her viewers attain. Lil Mama was again on observe to being the newest sensation in hip-hop.
VMA Catastrophe
As beforehand acknowledged, Lil Mama was very enthusiastic about her metropolis, New York, and hip-hop tradition. It could be this ardour that will result in her sudden downfall. Throughout the messy 2009 VMAs—the identical VMAs the place Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech— Lil Mama did some interrupting of her personal.
As Jay-Z and Alicia Keys carried out their hit music, “Empire State of Thoughts,” Lil Mama acquired onto the stage to indicate love for her metropolis by vibing within the background of their efficiency, even after Beyoncé tried to cease her, after which posed with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys on the finish of their set. It could be this second that left a stain on her profession.
The Aftermath
In an interview with British TV host Tim Kash, the subsequent day, Lil Mama did her finest to elucidate why she acquired on the stage:
“I acquired emotional, I really acquired emotional, and I felt like ‘Yeah, New York, Jay’ and I began to really feel like I began to really feel him and I began to really feel myself. And I simply felt the power, and I acquired up and began strolling in direction of the stage, and I acquired up there and I used to be similar to rooting him on as a champion… If [in] any approach Jay-Z or Alicia Keys felt offended, I wanna apologise to each of you. I really would like to have a one-on-one ‘trigger I really felt like I used to be being felt… on stage in that second I felt prefer it was a bond…”
Jay-Z was, unsurprisingly, not joyful about the truth that Lil Mama jumped on stage throughout his and Alicia Keys’ efficiency. Talking with radio host Angie Martinez, Jay-Z acknowledged that he would “by no means have the nerve to do this… to interrupt that second for us, I do not assume it was the fitting factor to do… I used to be just a little offended, to be sincere, however what am I going to do? Struggle Lil Mama?” Alicia Keys did not deal with the stage crash.
Crickets For Lil Mama
https://twitter.com/profitwithant/standing/1701789172044816442
It was that unlucky VMAs second that appeared to get Lil Mama shunned by the leisure trade. Although Lil Mama saved her function as a choose on “America’s Greatest Dance Crew” till 2012, and performed the function of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes within the VH1 film “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story,” individuals wouldn’t cease associating her with that doomed VMAs efficiency.
Lil Mama’s second on the VMAs stage turned a meme and a scorching matter as individuals puzzled what “possessed” her to get on the stage. It did not assist that neither Jay-Z nor Alicia Keys spoke out for Lil Mama.
How The Backlash Affected Lil Mama
On March 13, 2024, Lil Mama spoke out on the “Jay Hill Podcast” about how the backlash from that VMAs efficiency affected her:
“I used to be harm. I used to be depressed. I used to be like ‘What is going on on?’ You bought all people telling you ‘you are doing dangerous.’ And other people level at you want ‘what did you do?’ She then states that her religion in God was capable of assist her get by way of that.
“My mom taught me in regards to the love of God and the path of God and the spirit after I was a really younger lady, most likely like three or 4… My basis in that house and my household, like having a household that is not making an attempt to make me proper or fallacious, is a blessing, ‘trigger they’re discovering the steadiness and reality.”
Lil Mama additionally turned very inconsistent together with her music releases, having misplaced the drive after the ridicule she felt from the leisure trade.
Alicia Keys Speaks Out
Lastly, in 2021, Alicia Keys spoke out in regards to the incident. Keys spoke with Complicated Information and mentioned that she remembers nothing in regards to the second. She went on to elucidate that she and Jay-Z stood at reverse ends of the stage, and he or she was “oblivious to the concept subsequent to him was one other particular person,” in keeping with E! Information.
Nevertheless, Keys determined to take an understanding strategy, saying that “that is what my music does to individuals. What can we are saying?”
Jay-Z Exhibits Grace
Throughout a chat on Twitter Areas with Music Exec, Rob Markman, Jay-Z spoke for the final time about that VMAs night time and publicly forgave Lil Mama for crashing the stage:
“That is our sister. Man, we love her… She’s a New Yorker… She acquired excited. Issues occur. In fact, we love her… sure, she’s forgiven.”
After studying that each Jay-Z and Alicia Keys had forgiven her, Lil Mama responded with a since-deleted Instagram submit thanking each artists for being understanding, in keeping with Complicated.
The place’s Lil Mama Now?
Lil Mama stays energetic on her Instagram, the place she teases new music and continues to flaunt her colourful style style. Although Lil Mama might have been shunned by the leisure trade for a mistake she made when she was 19, she hasn’t let the second dim her mild solely.
Straight From 
Join our free each day e-newsletter.