Lakeyah Danaee Robinson (born February 28, 2001), known mononymously as Lakeyah, is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
, she began rapping at the age of 15. At 18, she moved to Atlanta and was signed to
Quality Control Music. In 2021, she was announced as part of the
''XXL'' magazine freshman class, the first from Milwaukee.
Early life
Lakeyah Danaee Robinson
was born on February 28, 2001, in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
, where she was also raised.
In high school, she began on the slam poetry team before she was convinced by friends at the age of 15 to rap for the #SoGoneChallenge where people submit performances of rap verses to the instrumental of the song "
So Gone
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was one out of several tracks rapper-producer Missy Elliott wrote and produced along with Kenneth Cunningham and Jamahl Rye from production duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth stu ...
" by
Monica.
In 2017, she joined the music duo "BTM" (Beyond the Music) and they achieved over one million
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
views.
In 2019, she went on a birthday trip for her 18th birthday to
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
and visited rapper
T.I.'s Trap Museum and its exhibit on Quality Control Music. Inspired to move to Atlanta, she enrolled at the
Art Institute of Atlanta for college but dropped out after two months.
Career
Lakeyah stayed in Atlanta after dropping out of college and went viral for the #FirstDayOutChallenge, a rap challenge celebrating rapper JT from music group
City Girls being released from prison. After that challenge and going viral from a freestyle over the song "We Paid" by
42 Dugg and
Lil Baby
Dominique Armani Jones (born December 3, 1994), known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to mainstream fame in 2017 following the release of his mixtape ''Perfect Timing''. *Alt URL* * His deb ...
, she was signed to
Quality Control Music.
On October 9, 2020, Lakeyah released her first single, "Big FlexHER", featuring
42 Dugg.
It amassed over 400,000 views in five days
and currently has over three million views.
On December 11, 2020, Lakeyah released her debut album, ''Time's Up''.
It included the single "Female Goat" featuring
City Girls and a Midwest style beat by
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
producer Reuel StopPlaying.
It is Lakeyah's most popular track on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
, with over 16 million views.
In the spring of 2021, Lakeyah was named a brand ambassador for
Rihanna's lingerie line,
Savage X Fenty
Savage X Fenty is a lingerie brand founded by Barbadian singer Rihanna that emphasizes confidence and inclusivity and is designed for all genders, sizes, and backgrounds. Along with lingerie, the line features bras, underwear, sleepwear, and lo ...
.
On April 9, 2021, Lakeyah released her second project, ''In Due Time''. The album included features from
Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
and
Yung Bleu
Jeremy Biddle (born April 5, 1994), known professionally as Yung Bleu and Bleu Vandross, is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2020 single "You're Mines Still", which peaked at number 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after it ...
.
After the album's release, Lakeyah was 4th on ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''s Breakthrough 25 charts, which ranks the fastest rising new artists, behind
Cico P.
On June 16, 2021,
''XXL'' magazine named Lakeyah to the 2021 XXL Freshman Class, a spotlight for up and coming rappers that previously featured
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...
,
Travis Scott,
Chance the Rapper, and
Megan thee Stallion. She was the first Milwaukee rapper named an
XXL freshman
''XXL'' is an American hip hop magazine, published by Townsquare Media, founded in 1997.
History
In August 1997, Harris Publications released the first issue of ''XXL''. It featured rappers Jay-Z and Master P on a double cover. In December 2006 ...
in its 14 year history.
Discography
Mixtapes
EPs
Singles
As lead artist
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Lakeyah
2001 births
Living people
21st-century American rappers
Rappers from Wisconsin
People from Milwaukee
American women rappers
African-American women rappers
LGBT African Americans
LGBT people from Wisconsin
21st-century American women
Lesbian musicians
LGBT rappers
21st-century women rappers