Lil Q Mourns Her Brother in Heartfelt “Memories”
Lil Q has earned praise for her high-energy and melodic Memphis music, but while her music has made waves, she has been processing a tragic loss. Channeling the memory of her brother into an impassioned ballad, Q shares “Memories,” a new video single. The 18-year-old Memphis rapper had a very close relationship with her brother, Freeband Lil Steve, who was the first person to encourage her rap career. Growing up in Memphis, Lil Q had experienced loss before, but when Lil Steve passed away in November, it took a massive toll. Q channels her pain into “Memories,” singing her heart out over plaintive piano chords, speaking on her ability to get it out the mud and promising to honor her brother’s memory with every word of every verse. The Picture Perfect-directed video finds Q reminiscing on the heartbreaking discovery of her brother’s passing, later transitioning into a montage of loving moments shared between them.
“Memories” is the latest step in Q’s effort to become the next big thing out of Memphis. In November, Q shared “Who Dat (Make It Clap),” a fiery missive produced by BLWYRMND (Offset, Tinashe, IDK), that spotlights her ferocious rap talent.
Growing up in Memphis, Lil Q developed a love for music at a young age, inspired by artists like Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, and others. While she started recording as early as 13, her primary focus during her teen years was basketball–Q was a high-level AAU player, and while she excelled, her heart lay not in athletics, but her artistic pursuits. Still, her basketball career helped her build a local profile that aided her rapping ambitions, giving her a social platform to showcase her talent and drawing attention of popping local rappers like Big Boogie, Gloss Up, and Glockianna. Last year, Q earned praise from ABC 24 Memphis after winning the legendary Stax Academy’s Mic Drop Talent Showcase. Q recently strutted her stuff with a live performance of her song “Going In: Reloaded” on On The Radar, and showed her prodigious freestyling ability on Memphis’s own “Famous Animal.”
Next year, Q prepares to launch her nascent career into the stratosphere. Fueled by the memory of her older brother and her bottomless well of talent, Q aims to become an artist you can’t ignore. Stay tuned for much more from the extremely talented 18-year-old in 2024.