Lil' O facts for kids

Lil' O, whose real name is Oreoluwa Mitchell Magnus-Lawson, was born on November 22, 1977, in Lagos, Nigeria. He is a Nigerian-American rapper who grew up in Southwest Houston, Texas. He was one of the first members of DJ Screw's group, the Screwed Up Click. People also knew him as O or Da Fat Rat Wit Da Cheeze. His stage name, Lil' O, comes from his height, as he is 5 feet tall.

Early Life and Challenges

Lil' O grew up in a middle-class family. His father was a doctor. He had four brothers and one sister. When Lil' O was 13, his mother passed away from ovarian cancer. After this sad event, his father's strict rules made him want to rebel.

Lil' O started spending time with friends who were involved in difficult situations. He found himself drawn to making quick money. He said, "I got street fame, women, and a lot of money quickly and easily." However, this led to him getting into trouble with the law. After one incident, his father asked him to leave the house. Lil' O continued to face challenges and got into more trouble. At one point, he had a very serious health scare that almost cost him his life. He realized he needed to make big changes.

Turning Point and Education

After his health scare, Lil' O decided to turn his life around. He went to Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans to study business. Being away from the difficult street life of Houston helped him focus. He also started to explore his love for hip hop music. He had been a fan since he was young, especially after hearing LL Cool J's album Radio.

In 1997, while at Xavier, he recorded his first song, "Can't Stop." This song featured the famous group Destiny's Child on vocals. It quickly became a popular hit in his local area. Even though his music career was starting, Lil' O eventually left school and returned to Texas. He found himself facing the same old challenges. In 1999, he signed with Game Face Entertainment, an independent music label in Houston.

Music Career and Success

After some more time dealing with legal issues, Lil' O decided to leave his past behind for good. He focused completely on his music. He also went back to school, enrolling at the University of Houston–Downtown to study business. He used his past experiences as motivation to succeed in his studies and music. He said, "Some days I wouldn't feel like going to class, and then I would look across the street at the county jail and remember how I felt when I was in there. That would be all the motivation I would need to get myself to class."

In 2001, Lil' O released his album Da Fat Rat wit da Cheeze, which sold over 75,000 copies. He worked with Big Hawk on a popular song called "Back Back." This success led him to sign a deal with Atlantic Records in 2003, though he later left the label.

Discography

Albums

• 1999: Blood Money
• 2000: Da Fat Rat wit da Cheeze
• 2003: Food On Tha Table
• 2007: Greatest Hits
• 2011: Grind Hard, Pray Harder
• 2021: The Greatest Of All Players

Mixtapes

• 2004: Neva Lay Down Vol. 1
• 2005: Jealous Got Me Strapped (Neva Lay Down Vol. 2)
• 2006: My Struggle My Hustle
• 2006: South Side Tippin
• 2008: Tha Flood (Neva Lay Down Vol. 3)
• 2010: Tha Flood 1.5
• 2016: The Re-Up

Singles

See also

• Houston hip hop
• Screwed Up Click