Breaking Down GloRilla's Musical Style and Influence

GloRilla’s hit song “FnF (Let's Go)” marked her entry into the mainstream music industry. The rising hip-hop star went on to bag a Grammy Awards nomination for Best Rap Performance, was featured in the Hot 100 chart courtesy of “Tomorrow 2” (a collaborative project with popular rapper Cardi B), and signed a recording deal with Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group.

Furthermore, the young rapper was also featured on the June 2023 digital cover of Elle, where she talked about her life growing up and how it has shaped her as an artist.

Read on below to find out more about GloRilla’s style of music and her impact on the world of hip-hop.

Growing up, the rapper was a member of her church’s praise and worship team in addition to being in the choir. In an interview with Elle, she stated, “We were a religious, Christian household.” She also mentioned that her family never missed a Sunday service at her church.

Given her religious household, GloRilla grew up listening to gospel music from a variety of artists, including Smokie Norful, Kirk Franklin, and Yolanda Adams. In the interview, she said that her favorite song back then was “Break Every Chain” by Tasha Cobbs.

GloRilla started listening to hip-hop artists like Chef Keef after joining the public school system – having been homeschooled all her life. She said that she was able to relate to his music because she was already doing some of the things he was rapping about – she loved acting crazy at school to avoid being seen as the quite religious type. Once the “FnF (Let's Go)” hitmaker started smoking – in high school – she said that she lost her singing voice, leaving her with a similarly unique and raspy rapping tone. This went really well with her deeper, natural voice.

As the years went by, she found herself developing a rougher sound – that matched her surroundings in Memphis. Her influences also expanded to include other local rappers such as Gangsta Boo, Yo Gotti, and Three Six Mafia. Speaking to Elle, she explained, “Memphis is rough, so that made us rough.”

GloRilla uses her music to influence her followers and the hip-hop world as a whole. The rapper has a simple formula when it comes to her music – she prefers the use of memorable chant-like lines about hanging out with friends, looking great, money, and men. In her book, guys are disposable – but friends are for keeps. You can always spot her group of friends acting as supporting characters in most of her music videos. The popular rapper uses every chance she gets to put more emphasis on the importance of self-love, independence, and having fun.

In the Elle interview, the fast-rising rapper stated that she wanted to give her fans a clear idea of where she is at with her musical journey. She stated that her first EP, “Anyways, Life’s Great,” featured content she had created before entering mainstream music.