Lil' Mo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lil' Mo
Loving performing in 2005
Born	Cynthia Karen Loving (1975-11-19) November 19, 1975 (age 49) Long Island, New York, U.S.
Other names	Godmother Girl Next Door Queen of Shade
Education	E. E. Smith High School
Occupation	Singer songwriter rapper 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	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Genres	R&B hip hop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Penalty Astra HoneyChild Ent Krian Bronx Bridge Global Music Koch Roun'table Cash Money Universal Violator EastWest Elektra
Associated acts	Fabolous Ja Rule Missy Elliott

Cynthia Karen Loving (born November 19, 1975), known professionally as Lil' Mo, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and radio personality. She is best known for her 2001 single "Superwoman Pt. II", featuring then-unknown rapper Fabolous, which has been credited as launching his career. She first gained recognition as Missy Elliott's protégé, of whom featured on Lil Mo's 1998 debut single "5 Minutes" for the Why Do Fools Fall in Love film soundtrack. The following year, Lil' Mo featured alongside Nas, Eve, and Q-Tip on Missy Elliott's 1999 single "Hot Boyz". In 2000, she guest performed on Ja Rule's singles "Put It on Me" and "I Cry", the former of which earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Early life

Mo was born into a military family. Her father, Bishop Jacob D. Loving, and her mother, First-Lady Cynthia Loving Sr., raised her primarily in Long Island, New York, but moved regularly due to her father's military assignments. The family lived in Texas, Georgia and North Carolina before settling in Baltimore, Maryland. As an adult, Mo moved to New York City's Manhattan borough to pursue her music career.

Career

Beginnings (1996–2000)

Mo began her career as a backing vocalist, session musician and songwriter. In early 1998, while submitting demo material to Elektra Records for Nicole Wray's 1998 debut album, Make It Hot, Mo caught the attention of Missy Elliott, who helped land her a contract deal with Elektra. On June 29, 1998, Mo released her debut single "5 Minutes" from the soundtrack for the Frankie Lymon biographical film Why Do Fools Fall in Love. The song was planned to appear on Mo's debut album, however when it underperformed in the US, it was pulled from the final track listing. Mo's debut album was originally set to be released in March 1999, however, it was pushed back multiple times during Elektra's attempts to revamp Mo's image and sound.

Mo gained further exposure during this time for her features on Russell Tyrone Jones's cover of Billie Holiday's "Good Morning Heartache", Missy Elliott's record-breaking single "Hot Boyz", which spent 18 weeks at number one on the Hot Rap Singles from December 4, 1999 to March 25, 2000, and Ja Rule's single "Put It on Me", which was a hit on both urban and pop radio, and reached number eight on the US pop charts. More collaborations by Ja Rule and Lil' Mo followed, including "I Cry", which repurposed The O'Jays' 1978 hit "Cry Together".

Breakthrough, Based on a True Story (2001)

On April 10, 2000, Mo released "Ta Da", her first solo single. After years of successful collaborations and features, Mo would finally release a successful hit of her own, "Superwoman Pt. II", her second single from her upcoming album. The single was released on March 6, 2001 and peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, helping bring then-underground rapper Fabolous to mainstream attention. On June 26, 2001, Mo's debut album, Based on a True Story was released to generally favorable reviews. The album peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and attained a gold certification from the RIAA, making it Mo's successful album to date. In August 2001, Mo released the follow-up single "Gangsta (Love 4 the Streets)", however, it failed to match the success of its predecessor.

Meet the Girl Next Door, career struggles (2002–05)

While recovering from being assaulted with a champagne bottle after a performance in San Francisco, Mo began her radio career, working as a part-time anchor for Baltimore urban radio station WXYV-FM. That same year, Mo began preparations for her second album, Meet the Girl Next Door. The album was released on April 29, 2003, preceded by the singles "4Ever" and "Ten Commandments". While Mo promoted the singles on shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Soul Train, she would later criticise Elektra for their lack of support and minimal promotion for the album, which she attributed to being pregnant at the time.

Mo's contract with Elektra expired as the label was absorbed by Atlantic Records, and in July 2004, she signed Universal's Cash Money Records to record her third album, then titled Syndicated: the Lil' Mo Hour. The album was scheduled for an early 2005 release, before being pushed back to October. Following the destruction of Cash Money's New Orleans studio by Hurricane Katrina, Mo was dropped from the Cash Money roster and Syndicated was shelved.

Independent releases, Pain and Paper, P.S. I Love Me (2006–12)

Mo began releasing singles as an independent artist under her production company HoneyChild Entertainment, which was first founded by Mo in 2000. On August 28, 2007, Mo released the album Pain & Paper, distributed by Koch Entertainment and DrakeWeb Music Group and selling only 6000 copies. Its singles, "Sumtimes I", featuring Jim Jones, and "Lucky Her" failed to chart.

In 2008, Mo signed a two-album deal with Global Music Group and began work her fourth album, tentatively titled Tattoos & Roses: The Rebellion Against My Pain. The album was initially planned to include a second disc featuring Mo's live performances, however this was eventually scrapped. On May 8, 2011, Mo released the mixtape P.S. I Love You. On November 1, 2011, Mo released P.S. I Love Me in conjunction with Bronx Bridge Entertainment and distributed by Fontana Distribution. The album was preceded by the singles "On the Floor", "I Love Me", featuring Tweet, and "Take Me Away", featuring Maino.

Television career, The Scarlet Letter, retirement (2013–present)

In 2013, Mo became a cast member of the reality television series R&B Divas: Los Angeles, which premiered on TV One on July 10, 2013. The season's reunion special garnered a total of 834,000 viewers, tying with the debut of the sitcom The Rickey Smiley Show as the network's No. 1 telecast among adults 25–54 in TV One history. On September 10, 2013, Lil' Mo released the song "I'm a Diva" via iTunes. Another non-album single, "L's Up", was released the following week.

On October 28, 2014, Mo released her fifth album, The Scarlet Letter, under Penalthy Entertainment. The album was preceded by the single "Should've Never Let You Go", as well as her second mixtape, which featured contributions by Da Brat and songwriter Tiyon "TC" Mack. On April 29, 2015, R&B Divas: Los Angeles ended after its third season.

In January 2016, Mo began hosting the WKYS radio show The Fam in the Morning with DJ Quick Silva. She was fired from the show in February 2017. Later that year, Mo joined the cast of VH1's Love & Hip Hop: New York and appeared in an episode of Couples Court with the Cutlers. She would also appear in We TV's Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars 12 — Hip Hop Edition.

On October 25, 2018, Mo announced her retirement from the music industry to pursue a career in law.

Personal life

Marriages and children

In 2001, Mo met her first husband, Augustus "Gus" Stone, at a Washington, D.C. gas station. After dating for five months, they wed on August 29, 2001. On August 19, 2002, Mo gave birth to her first child, Heaven Love'on Stone. On February 24, 2005, Mo gave birth to the couple's second child, God'Iss Love Stone. In December 2005, she filed for divorce. Their divorce was finalized in August 2007. Through the marriage, she became the stepmother to his son, Jerez Coleman, who in June 2014 appeared as "Kidd Cole" on an episode of MTV's television series Catfish: The TV Show.

On June 22, 2008, Mo married Gospel recording artist Phillip Bryant. On January 16, 2009, Mo gave birth to her third child, Justin McKenzie Phillip Bryant. On July 10, 2012, Mo gave birth to her fourth child, Jonah Maddox-Phillip Bryant. The couple separated and officially divorced on September 15, 2014.

On October 1, 2014, Mo married professional boxer Karl Dargan. On August 28, 2015, Mo gave birth to Karl Sharif Dargan Jr., her fifth child and Karl's third. In May 2019, Mo announced that she had left Karl. Their divorce was finalized in April 2021.

Personal struggles

In 2003, Mo revealed to Vibe magazine that she struggled with an eating disorder since 2000.

Religion

Mo was raised in a Christian household, her parents are Holiness preachers. In a 2017 episode of Love & Hip Hop: New York, Mo revealed that she had converted to Islam three years prior as a result of her marriage to Karl, and is seen praying in hijab.

Discography

Studio albums

• Based on a True Story (2001)
• Meet the Girl Next Door (2003)
• Syndicated: The Lil' Mo Hour (shelved)
• 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

Awards and nominations