Lizzo

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**Melissa Viviane Jefferson** (born April 27, 1988), known professionally as **Lizzo**, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and flutist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she later moved to Houston, Texas, where she began performing, before moving to Minneapolis, where she began her recording career. Prior to signing with Nice Life and Atlantic Records, Lizzo released two studio albums—*Lizzobangers* (2013) and *Big Grrrl Small World* (2015). Lizzo's first major-label EP, *Coconut Oil*, was released in 2016. Lizzo attained mainstream success with the release of her third studio album, *Cuz I Love You* (2019), which peaked inside the top five of the US *Billboard* 200. The album spawned the singles "Juice" and "Tempo". The deluxe version of the album included Lizzo's 2017 single "Truth Hurts", which became a viral sleeper hit, topping the US *Billboard* Hot 100 two years after its initial release. Around this time, her 2016 single "Good as Hell" also climbed the charts, reaching the top three on the Hot 100 and top ten of the UK Singles Chart.

Aside from singing and rapping, Lizzo has also worked as an actor: she served as a voice performer in the animated film *UglyDolls* (2019) and appeared in the crime comedy-drama film *Hustlers* (2019). In 2019, *Time* named Lizzo as "Entertainer of the Year" for her meteoric rise and contribution to music. In addition to her three Grammy Awards, she has also won a *Billboard* Music Award, a BET Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards.

## Early life

Melissa Viviane Jefferson was born in Detroit, Michigan. When she was ten, her family relocated to Houston, Texas. She was classically trained as a flutist by renowned music teacher Claudia Momen from the age of 10 until she graduated Alief Elsik High School in Alief, Houston, where she also started rapping. At the age of 14, she formed a musical group called Cornrow Clique with her friends. At this time she acquired the nickname "Lizzo", a variant of "Lissa" inspired by Jay-Z's "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)". After graduating from Alief Elsik High School in 2006, she studied classical music focusing on flute at the University of Houston. At the age of 21, after the death of her father, she lived out of her car for a year as she tried to break into the music industry. She moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2011.

## Career

### 2011-2015: Career beginnings and *Lizzobangers*

While living in Minneapolis, Lizzo performed with groups including the electro soul-pop duo, Lizzo & the Larva Ink. During this time she helped form a three-piece all-female rap/R&B group: the Chalice. In 2012, the Chalice released their first album, *We Are the Chalice*, which was locally successful.

Lizzo's hip-hop-focused debut album, *Lizzobangers*, produced by Lazerbeak and Ryan Olson, was released on October 15, 2013. Killian Fox of *The Guardian* gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying: "At times joyfully nonsensical, Lizzo's stream-of-consciousness rhymes can also be lethally pointed." The album topped *Star Tribune*'s "Twin Cities Critics Tally 2013" list. Music videos were created for the songs "Batches & Cookies", "Faded", "Bus Passes and Happy Meals", and "Paris".

Lizzo toured the US and UK in the fall of 2013 opening for Har Mar Superstar, and additionally sang with his band. In October 2013, Lizzo won *City Pages*' "Picked to Click" award for best new Twin Cities artist. The following month *Time* named her one of 14 music artists to watch in 2014. The album was subsequently re-released through Virgin Records. Later that year, Lizzo shared the stage with St. Paul and the Broken Bones, performing "A Change Is Gonna Come" together.

### 2014-2015: *Big Grrrl Small World*

Following the release of her first album, Lizzo immediately began working on new music. In 2014, she participated in StyleLikeU's *What's Underneath* project, where she removed her clothes as she talked about her relationships with her body. Inspired by the experience, she wrote "My Skin", which she described as "the thesis statement" of her forthcoming second album. In an interview with *Vice*, regarding body image, she said:

> You can wake up and change many things about your appearance, but the inevitability of waking up in your skin is what unifies us.
>
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In September 2014, Lizzo was featured alongside her Chalice bandmates Sophia Eris and Claire de Lune on the song "BoyTrouble" on Prince's and 3rdEyeGirl's album *Plectrumelectrum*. On working with Prince, Lizzo says the experience was "surreal... almost like a fairytale" and that it was "something I will never actually get over." On October 7, 2014, Lizzo appeared as the musical guest on the *Late Show with David Letterman*.

Lizzo's second studio album, *Big Grrrl Small World*, was released on December 11, 2015. *Spin* placed the album at number 17 on the "50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015" list. Hilary Saunders of *Paste* praised Lizzo's "ability to rap and sing with equal tenacity." Her collaboration with Your Smith (then Caroline Smith), "Let 'Em Say", was featured in the season three premiere of *Broad City*.

### 2016-2018: *Coconut Oil*

Lizzo was one of the hosts of MTV's short-lived 2016 live music performance series *Wonderland*. After signing with Atlantic Records that same year, Lizzo released her first major-label extended play, *Coconut Oil*, on October 7, 2016. "Good as Hell" was released as the lead single from the *Coconut Oil* on March 8, 2016 as part of the soundtrack for the 2016 film *Barbershop: The Next Cut*. Lizzo co-wrote each song on the album, while enlisting Ricky Reed, Christian Rich, Dubbel Dutch, and Jesse Shatkin for the album's production. The result was a departure from Lizzo's previous alternative hip hop releases. Lyrically, the extended play explores themes of body positivity, self-love, and the journey to those ideals.

*Coconut Oil* received positive reviews from music critics. Syra Aburto, writing for *Nylon*, wrote that "like the product it's named after, [Lizzo's] latest project, *Coconut Oil*, is essential for healthy living." *Rolling Stone* placed it at No. 14 on the list of the "20 Best Pop Albums of 2016". Commercially, *Coconut Oil* peaked at number 44 on US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, making it Lizzo's first release to chart. To promote the extended play, Lizzo embarked on the Good as Hell Tour in 2017. In May she headlined The Infatuation's annual food festival, EEEEEATSCON and also appeared as a guest judge on the tenth season of *RuPaul's Drag Race*. In early 2018, Lizzo toured both with Haim and Florence and the Machine.

## Discography

* *Lizzobangers* (2013)
* *Big Grrrl Small World* (2015)
* *Cuz I Love You* (2019)
* *Special* (2022)