Lil' O (born Ore Magnus Lawson; November 22, 1977 in

Lagos, Nigeria Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

) is a Nigerian-American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

, raised in Southwest Houston, Texas. He is an original member of

DJ Screw Robert Earl Davis Jr. (July 20, 1971 – November 16, 2000), better known by his stage name DJ Screw, was an American hip hop DJ based in Houston, Texas, and best known as the creator of the now-famous chopped and screwed DJ technique. He ...

Screwed Up Click The Screwed Up Click (or S.U.C.) is an American hip hop collective based in Houston, Texas, that was led by DJ Screw. Its most notable members include DJ Screw, Big Hawk, Big Mello, Big Moe, Big Pokey, the Botany Boyz, E.S.G., Fat Pat, Lil ...

. He was also known as O or Da Fat Rat Wit Da Cheeze. His name references his height, at 5 feet tall.

Early life

His father was a

doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

and Lil' O and his four brothers and one sister had a middle class upbringing. His mother died from

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...

when Lil' O was 13 and suddenly his father's strict Nigerian upbringing began to chase him to rebellion. Soon after his mother's death, Lil' O began hanging in the streets with friends who were in the drug game, and he became addicted to the fast money that drug dealing brought in. "I got street fame, women, and a lot of money quickly and easily", he says. Eventually he got collared. After his arrest, his father kicked him out of the house and Lil' O fell deeper into the lure of the drug game. While out on bond, he continued to sell drugs and was caught again. This time he attempted to swallow the evidence before the police could arrest him. He swallowed an ounce-and-a-half of crack cocaine and his lungs collapsed. He was put on life support and his father was told to prepare for his death. "It's really a miracle that I woke up at all", says Lil' O. "I was breathing through tubes on my deathbed and I looked down and saw that my ankles were cuffed to the bed. I realized, if I recovered I was going to jail, and if I didn't I was going to die". He went to

Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana (also known as XULA) is a private, historically black, Catholic university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only Catholic HBCU and, upon the canonization of Katharine Drexel in 2000, became the first Cathol ...

in New Orleans, where he studied business. Away from the drugs and the street life of Southwest Houston, Lil' O also began to dabble in one of his first loves – hip hop. "Man, when I was growing up, LL Cool J came out with 'Radio' and that was it, I was hooked. I never thought about rapping as a career because I was making so much selling drugs, plus the money came faster than it does in the rap game", says O. While at Xavier, in 1997, he recorded "Can't Stop" – featuring vocal contributions from the ladies that would go on to earn renown as Destiny's Child. The track soon became Lil' O's debut single and went on to score an instant local hit. Regardless, Lil' O eventually found himself out of school and back in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, again exposed to the same lifestyle he'd tried to leave behind. In 1999, he then signed with the Houston-based indie label Game Face Entertainment, but also began selling drugs again. His debut album, ''Blood Money'', sold 20,000 copies but he was unable to promote it due to spending time in jail. After being released from prison, Lil' O left the drug game behind for good and focused on his music completely. He also enrolled at the and majored in business. "Some days I wouldn't feel like going to class, and then I would look across the street at the county jail and remember how I felt when I was in there. That would be all the motivation I would need to get myself to class", says Lil' O with a hearty laugh. In 2001, his album ''

Da Fat Rat wit da Cheeze Da Fat Rat wit da Cheeze is the second solo studio album by American rapper Lil' O, from Houston, Texas. It was released on November 21, 2000, via Game Face Entertainment. The album features Screwed Up Click members (Big Hawk, Big Moe, Big Pokey, ...

'' sold over 75,000. He collaborated with

Big Hawk John Edward Hawkins (November 15, 1969 – May 1, 2006), better known by his stage names Big Hawk and H.A.W.K., was an American rapper from Houston, Texas and a founding member of the late DJ Screw's rap group the Screwed Up Click. Life and ...

on the hit single "Back Back", that led him back to a nationwide deal with Atlantic Records, which he left in 2003.

Discography

Albums

*1999: ''Blood Money'' *2001: ''

'' *2003: ''Food On Tha Table'' *2007: ''Greatest Hits'' *2011: ''Grind Hard, Pray Harder'' *2021: ''The Greatest Of All Players''

Mixtapes

*2004: ''Neva Lay Down Vol. 1'' *2005: ''Jealous Got Me Strapped (Neva Lay Down Vol. 2)'' *2006: ''My Struggle My Hustle'' *2006: ''South Side Tippin'' *2008: ''Tha Flood (Neva Lay Down Vol. 3)'' *2010: ''Tha Flood 1.5'' *2016: ''The Re-Up''

Singles

References

External links

Lil' O discography at Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lil O Living people 1977 births Rappers from Houston African-American male rappers Screwed Up Click members Underground rappers Nigerian emigrants to the United States University of Houston–Downtown alumni Atlantic Records artists Songwriters from Texas Southern hip hop musicians Gangsta rappers Rappers from Lagos 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians African-American songwriters 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people American male songwriters