Lil' Mo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lil' Mo
Loving in 2023
Born	Cynthia Karen Loving (1978-11-19) November 19, 1978 (age 46) Long Island, New York, U.S.
Other names	Godmother Girl Next Door Queen of Shade
Education	E. E. Smith High School
Occupation	Singer songwriter radio personality actress
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Gus Stone ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2007)​ Phillip Bryant ​ ​ (m. 2008; div. 2014)​ Karl Dargan ​ ​ (m. 2014; div. 2021)​
Children	5
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres	R&B
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Penalty Astra HoneyChild Ent Krian Bronx Bridge Global Music Koch Roun'table Cash Money Universal Violator EastWest Elektra

Cynthia Karen Loving (born November 19, 1978), known as Lil' Mo, is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for her music, especially her song "Superwoman Pt. II" from 2001. This song helped start the career of rapper Fabolous.

Lil' Mo also worked with famous artists like Missy Elliott and Ja Rule early in her career. Missy Elliott appeared on Lil' Mo's first song, "5 Minutes", in 1998. This song was part of the soundtrack for the movie Why Do Fools Fall in Love.

Early life and family moves

Lil' Mo was born into a military family. Her parents, Bishop Jacob D. Loving and First-Lady Cynthia Loving Sr., raised her mostly in Long Island, New York. Because her father was in the military, her family moved often. They lived in Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina before settling in Baltimore. As an adult, Lil' Mo moved to Manhattan, New York City, to start her music career.

Music career beginnings (1996–2000)

Lil' Mo started her career singing backup for other artists. She also wrote songs for them. In 1998, she got the attention of Missy Elliott while sending her music to Elektra Records. Missy Elliott helped Lil' Mo get a record deal.

On June 29, 1998, Lil' Mo released her first song, "5 Minutes". It was part of the soundtrack for the movie Why Do Fools Fall in Love. Her first album was planned for 1999, but it was delayed.

During this time, Lil' Mo became more known for her collaborations. She sang on Ol' Dirty Bastard's song "Good Morning Heartache". She also featured on Missy Elliott's popular song "Hot Boyz". This song was number one on the Hot Rap Singles chart for 18 weeks. Lil' Mo also worked with Ja Rule on his song "Put It on Me", which was a big hit. They worked together again on the song "I Cry".

Breakthrough and first album (2001)

On April 10, 2000, Lil' Mo released her first solo song, "Ta Da". After many successful collaborations, she finally had a big hit of her own. Her song "Superwoman Pt. II" was released on March 6, 2001. It reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This song helped rapper Fabolous become well-known.

On June 26, 2001, Lil' Mo's first album, Based on a True Story, was released. Critics generally liked the album. It reached number 14 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold enough copies to be certified gold. This made it her most successful album so far. In August 2001, she released another song called "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)", but it was not as successful.

Second album and career challenges (2002–2005)

Loving in 2005.

After an incident in San Francisco, Lil' Mo started working in radio. She was a part-time anchor for a radio station in Baltimore. Around the same time, she began working on her second album, Meet the Girl Next Door.

The album was released on April 29, 2003. It included the songs "4Ever" and "Ten Commandments". Lil' Mo promoted these songs on TV shows. However, she later said that her record label, Elektra, did not support the album much.

Her contract with Elektra ended when the label joined with Atlantic Records. In July 2004, she signed with Cash Money Records to record her third album. This album was called Syndicated: the Lil' Mo Hour. It was planned for release in 2005, but it was delayed. After a hurricane damaged Cash Money's studio, Lil' Mo left the label, and the album was not released.

Independent music and later albums (2006–2012)

Lil' Mo started releasing music on her own. She used her company, HoneyChild Entertainment, which she started in 2000. On August 28, 2007, she released the album Pain & Paper. Its songs, "Sumtimes I" and "Lucky Her", did not appear on music charts.

In 2008, Lil' Mo signed a deal with Global Music Group. She began working on her fourth album, which was called Tattoos & Roses: The Rebellion Against My Pain. On May 8, 2011, she released a mixtape called P.S. I Love You. On November 1, 2011, her album P.S. I Love Me was released. It included the songs "On the Floor", "I Love Me", and "Take Me Away".

Television career and later years (2013–present)

In 2013, Lil' Mo joined the TV show R&B Divas: Los Angeles. This reality show premiered on TV One on July 10, 2013. The show was very popular. On September 10, 2013, Lil' Mo released the song "I'm a Diva". Another song, "L's Up", was released the next week.

On October 28, 2014, Lil' Mo released her fifth album, The Scarlet Letter. This album included the song "Should've Never Let You Go". The show R&B Divas: Los Angeles ended after its third season on April 29, 2015.

In January 2016, Lil' Mo started hosting a radio show called The Fam in the Morning. She left the show in February 2017. Later that year, Lil' Mo joined the cast of VH1's Love & Hip Hop: New York. She also appeared on other TV shows like Couples Court with the Cutlers and Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars 12 — Hip Hop Edition.

On October 25, 2018, Lil' Mo announced that she was stepping away from the music industry. She wanted to study law instead.

Personal life and family

Lil' Mo has been married three times and has five children.

In 2001, she met Augustus "Gus" Stone and they married on August 29, 2001. They had two children: Heaven Love'on Stone (born 2002) and God'Iss Love Stone (born 2005). They divorced in 2007.

On June 22, 2008, Lil' Mo married Gospel recording artist Phillip Bryant. They had two children: Justin McKenzie Phillip Bryant (born 2009) and Jonah Maddox-Phillip Bryant (born 2012). They separated and divorced in 2014.

On October 1, 2014, Lil' Mo married professional boxer Karl Dargan. They had one child together, Karl Sharif Dargan Jr. (born 2015). They divorced in 2021.

Lil' Mo was raised in a Christian home. Her parents are Holiness preachers. In 2017, she shared on Love & Hip Hop: New York that she had converted to Islam a few years earlier.

Discography

Studio albums

• Based on a True Story (2001)
• Meet the Girl Next Door (2003)
• Pain & Paper (2007)
• P.S. I Love Me (2011)
• The Scarlet Letter (2014)

Tours

• Lilith Fair (with Missy Elliott) (1998)
• Missy Elliott: Live in Hamburg/Germany (1998–1999)
• Sprite Simon Dtour Live (with 3LW) (2003)
• Rock the Mic Tour (with Jay-Z and 50 Cent) (2003)
• Seagram's Gin Live Tour (with Xscape) (2005)

Filmography

Television appearances

Awards and nominations