Lil’ Mama

Niatia Jessica Kirkland, better known by her stage name Lil Mama, is an American rapper born on October 4, 1989. She introduced herself as the "Birth of Hip-Pop" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2008, she released her debut studio album, VYP (Voice of the Young People), which debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart and produced four singles, including "Lip Gloss." The album received two Teen Choice Awards and a nomination for Monster Single of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards. Kirkland also gained broader pop recognition after collaborating with Avril Lavigne on the remix of the single "Girlfriend."

Following her single "Hustler Girl," Kirkland took a hiatus from releasing music to serve as a judge on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew from 2008 to 2012. Beginning at age 18, she judged for seven seasons alongside producer Randy Jackson, JC Chasez, Shane Sparks, Mario Lopez, and Layla Kayleigh. After leaving her record label Jive, she became an independent artist. In 2014, she was featured alongside AV on MC Lyte's song "Ball." In May 2015, she released the viral video for her track "Sausage," which topped the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks chart, and later included it on her mixtape Take Me Back.

Kirkland made her acting debut as Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in the VH1 biographical television film CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, which premiered in October 2013 and garnered 4.5 million views. Following the film, she joined TLC on tour to perform Lopes's rap verses, concluding with a tribute performance of "Waterfalls" at the 2013 American Music Awards. She returned to television acting in 2017, starring in the TV One film When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story, which premiered to 1.6 million viewers. She later landed a supporting role as hip-hop artist Chynna Q on The CW series All American and starred in the 2019 film All In alongside Traci Braxton.

In 2018, Kirkland competed on MTV's miniseries The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars, where she met Drake Bell and subsequently collaborated on his track "Call Me When You're Lonely." That same year, she released the single "Shoe Game," served as a presenter at the BET special Black Girls Rock!, and joined the cast of Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta as a regular member. Throughout her career, Kirkland has also participated in empowerment initiatives, including serving as a featured speaker at a 2015 event hosted by BET and the Hip Hop Sisters Network.

On a personal level, Kirkland's mother, Tara, passed away in December 2007 following a four-year battle with breast cancer. Kirkland subsequently took over guardianship of her younger siblings with assistance from her family. Her music video for "Shawty Get Loose" was dedicated to her mother's memory, and her mother appeared in the video for "Lip Gloss." Kirkland is also the older sister of dancer and rapper Arnstar.