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R&B Singer

She went from gracing hip-hop hooks for mainstream rap artists to being the Girl Next Door on her debut solo album in 2003. Now, four years later Lil' Mo has matured into a shot-calling songstress.

"I'm independent now. I've started my own label. I'm like the female Jay-Z; the artist-turned- entrepreneur-[and]-executive, [because] I do it all," Mo explains. And when she takes off her business suit and her stage wardrobe, she's a mother of two. "I never let the industry become my life. My kids are my life, but you have to take a break," she shares. "Although motherhood comes first, my maternity leave is officially over and now I have to turn back into Lil' Mo."

Her transformation from nurturing mother to R&B diva has rendered a new, more sophisticated Lil' Mo. "I've totally matured. I was focused and I thought outside of the box. I think [my album] is hot to def because people know I can really sing. I have stepped my game totally up," she proclaims.

Now that she has exercised her business savvy and rejuvenated her creative spirit, and her upcoming album, Pain and Paper is about to drop, Mo is ready to show the world her talent is undeniable.

"This CD is like my third child because I had to take care of it, love it and nurture it," she shares. "I really took my time because coming back is like starting all over again. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so I'm making a second impression for the first time." - jamana Jamison

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