Lil Mama broke out as a recording artist with “Lip Gloss” in 2007. Since the launch of her career as a rapper, the native New Yorker moved into the beauty business.
Brown Girl Grinding host Loren LoRosa spoke to Lil Mama about her lip gloss line with Vaniteaset Cosmetics. When asked about the lack of support for her in the cosmetic industry, Mama referenced other celebrities like pop star Taylor Swift and reality television star Kylie Jenner.
“I think that the opportunities that people like the Taylor Swifts or the Jenners would get was an opportunity to actually build out a full cosmetic line that would be a representation of who they are,” Lil Mama stated.
Additionally, she said, “How they see fashion, how they see the world of beauty, and kind of speak to that audience while I was singlehandedly being the face of fashion and beauty for a really large community, which I would have to say is the African-American community.”
Lil Mama’s “Lip Gloss” became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She later served as a judge on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew and played Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in VH1’s CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.