I feel like I typically start out articles about women emcees going on this entire rant about how they’re really innovating the industry and bringing some incredible creativity to the scene, but I think that you’ve all heard enough of that and it’s time to leave gender out of it because musicians like Flo Milli aren’t just great female rappers… They’re great rappers overall. Milli is someone who first came across my radar thanks to her work with $NOT and some of the videos she shot with us here at Lyrical Lemonade, but ever since I tapped in, I knew she wasn’t just another rapper who was trying to be gimmicky or fake in order to attract an audience.
The Alabama spitter really had this intoxicating energy and attitude within her skillset that was compelling from the jump, and while it may have taken some time for others to catch on, I was a fan from the moment I heard her talents. As fans geared up to hear the follow-up to her debut mixtape Ho, why is you here ?, the buzz continued to grow and it got to a point where there was no missing out on any new releases, but what I didn’t expect was for Milli to drop her album as a surprise.
Regardless of my expectations, this is exactly what she did today with the release of You Still Here, Ho ?, a project comprised of 17 songs that reach just about the 41-minute mark, and it is even better than I had ever anticipated. With just a few features including verses from Rico Nasty and Babyface Ray as well as an intro and an outro from Tiffany Pollard, Milli really expands on the narratives she has been creating as well as a handful of new sounds that are beyond enjoyable.
In a press release that I received for the album, she shared her goal and thought process behind her new album:
“My album creative is based on early 2000’s nostalgia. As queen of Gen-Z, this is the new age of the Roaring 20s. As a woman and creative, I feel so empowered, full of energy and full of life. I’ve decided to use social media, technology and my resources to uplift and inspire those who look up to me to use what they have, start where they are, and more importantly start today.”
Clearly, Flo Milli has a goal with her music and wants to be a role model and a trendsetter for all of the young women out there in the world listening. Thankfully, I think she accomplished her mission while doing so in a completely remarkable fashion, so make sure you get in tune with her brand-new album You Still Here, Ho? as soon as you possibly can.