As a first generation Ethiopian born and raised in the city of Chicago, Lulu Be. grew up between two worlds: her family’s deeply rooted Ethiopian culture and the life of an American city kid. It is these worlds that garnered her musical inspiration and created her unique sound combining elements of afrobeats, Chicago house/juke, and hip-hop, topped with her lyrical flow. Illustrious Chicago music blog Fake Shore Drive described it as, “A big gumbo pot stirring with ingredients such as afrobeats, Chicago juke, and dancehall.”
Never being the school type, Lulu Be. took a long break before deciding to give school a chance and attend Colombia College Chicago to study music engineering. While at Colombia she worked as a studio manager at the renowned Classick Studios where she met her now producer/engineer Lanre. Together Lulu Be. and Lanre worked on a track titled “Rude Tings” that went viral with 292k streams on Spotify, 154k on Soundcloud, and fan made dance videos shared by celebrities like Lala Anthony and June Ambrose. She was also featured on Pigeons and Planes as an “Artist to Look Out For.” It was then that Lulu Be. decided to turn her long love for music and pursue it full time.
A year later Lulu Be. is excited to release her first project Lululand produced by Lanre October 13th, 2017. The five track EP shows her versatility as a rapper while creating a new lane for her. “Lululand is a vibe. It’s an introduction to my world, my sound, and my culture.”
Listen below.
© 2017, Niyah Nel. All rights reserved.
