Lizzo - Coconut Oil (2016) EP

Coming on smart, sassy, and strong, like an indie Missy Elliot, Minneapolis rapper and singer Lizzo came to the Twin Cities with a hard sound and stance thanks to her Texas roots and learning the ropes with crews like Atlanta's Crime Mob. Born Melissa Jefferson in Houston and raised in Detroit, Lizzo earned her moniker when she joined the uniformly named members -- Lexo, Nino, and Zeo -- of the Cornroll Clique. A 2011 move to Minneapolis found her fronting Lizzo & the Larva Ink while joining the neo-TLC-type group the Chalice. Her work began to intertwine with the city's indie scene, including Gayngs, Doomtree, Marijuana Deathsquads, and Har Mar Superstar, then listening to a copy of Doomtree producer Lazerbreak's album Lava Breaks brought her out of a long case of writer's block. Inspired by Lazerbreak's work, she recorded the album Lizzobangers with the producer along with Gayngs member Ryan Olson. The album was released in 2013 on the Totally Gross National Product label. After making guest appearances on tracks by Prince & 3rdEyeGirl ("Boytrouble"), Clean Bandit ("New Eyes"), Bastille ("Torn Apart"), and Sean Anonymous & DJ Name ("Cold Shoulder"), Lizzo released her second full-length album, 2015's Big GRRRL Small World, on her own BGSW label. In October 2016, Lizzo made her major-label debut with the EP Coconut Oil, which was released by Atlantic's Nice Life imprint. ~ David Jeffries