Lil' O facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lil' O
|
|
|---|---|
| Birth name | Oreoluwa Mitchell Magnus-Lawson |
| Born | November 22, 1977 Lagos, Nigeria |
| Origin | Houston, Texas |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 1990's - present |
| Labels | Game Face Entertainment |
| Associated acts | |
Lil' O (born Oreoluwa Mitchell Magnus-Lawson; November 22, 1977 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian-American rapper, raised in Southwest Houston, Texas. He is an original member of DJ Screw's Screwed Up Click. He was also known as O or Da Fat Rat Wit Da Cheeze. His name references his height, at 5 feet tall.
Contents
Early life
His father was a doctor and Lil' O and his four brothers and one sister had a middle class upbringing. His mother died from cancer when Lil' O was 13 and suddenly his father's strict Nigerian upbringing began to chase him to rebellion.
He went to Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, where he studied business. Away from the street life of Southwest Houston, Lil' O also began to dabble in one of his first loves – hip hop. "Man, when I was growing up, LL Cool J came out with 'Radio' and that was it, I was hooked", says O. While at Xavier, in 1997, he recorded "Can't Stop" – featuring vocal contributions from the ladies that would go on to earn renown as Destiny's Child. The track soon became Lil' O's debut single and went on to be an instant local hit. Regardless, Lil' O eventually found himself out of school and back in Texas. In 1999, he then signed with the Houston-based indie label Game Face Entertainment. His debut album, Blood Money, sold 20,000 copies.
Lil' O enrolled at the University of Houston–Downtown and majored in business.
In 2001, his album Da Fat Rat wit da Cheeze sold over 75,000. He collaborated with Big Hawk on the hit single "Back Back", that led him back to a nationwide deal with Atlantic Records, which he left in 2003.
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
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Can't Stop" (featuring Destiny's Child) | — | 87 | 22 | Greatest Hits |
| 2001 | "Back Back" (featuring Big Hawk) | — | 62 | — | Da Fat Rat wit da Cheeze |
See also
- Houston hip hop
