“I feel like I’m going to steal somebody’s title” MoBo the Great proclaimed with passion. The 22-year old Chicago emcee is not cocky, rather confident. She has a distinct vision for her future and doesn’t want to leave anything up to ambiguity—she’s gunning for that number one spot and will not let anyone hinder her version. As her name suggests, MoBo the Great knows what she’s capable of and wants to make sure you do too.
We’ve interviewed several Chicago artists so far and one thing is clear: It's rare to make real money in Chicago. There’s no doubt that the Midwest City harbors some of today and yesterday’s brightest stars, but there’s an inevitable ceiling that stunts development and paychecks. That ceiling is limited resources. No label execs call the South Side home, and the most profitable markets reside on America’s two coasts. With that in mind, MoBo is preparing to move to New York and follow in the footsteps of one of her idols, Jay Z (sort of the default idol at this point, no?). Even though her future isn’t in Chicago, it made her who she is today and provided her very unconventional, yet extremely cool start.
When I was 16, I had a few things on my mind: Not crashing my Pontiac G6 as I drove it without a license, losing my virginity and getting a starting spot on the varsity lacrosse team (White Jews and Hip hop—am I right?). MoBo had different plans: She wanted to be a Rap superstar. And just like Malcolm X passionately declared, she was going to do it by any means necessary.
Standing in the United Center audience at Jay Z’s ‘09 Blueprint 3 Tour, bobbing her head back and forth like Eminem in 8 mile before his final rap battle, MoBo had one thing on her mind: Get Hov’s attention. Oh, she got it alright. He noticed her dope hat and offered to sign it on stage—I wish my hat game was nice like that... But little did Jay know that she wasn’t just a fan, she was trying to establish her own fans; her own following; her own name. When MoBo informed him that she wanted to be a rapper he said, “Oh word? Spit some shit then. Don’t take my whole show though.” It’s doubtful that she stole Jay’s show, but she squeezed the life out of that opportunity and demonstrated her worth as an emcee. Plus, fearlessly standing next to one of Hip hop’s icons in front of a 22,000-person audience ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Fast forward four years and Hov is back on tour for Magna Carter Holy Grail. They say lighting doesn’t strike twice. They haven’t met MoBo.
Desperate to rap alongside him again and show her advanced skillset, MoBo sold a pair of Raybans to cop a ticket to the coveted show. She caught his attention this time by hoisting a sign that read, “I was 16 when I rapped on stage with you. Now I’m 19 and ready”. He couldn’t say no. She hopped on stage and proved haters wrong that she couldn’t repeat her first performance. However, MoBo has always had a chip on her shoulder; an edge that can’t be dulled. This notion is deepened on her 2015 rookie tape, Fuck the Public.
This project is a big middle finger to any doubters; any haters; anyone who thinks that Rap and females are mutually exclusive. F.T.P. is MoBo’s way of ripping down barriers and destroying gender expectations. But it’s much more than just a clever play on NWA’s “Fuck the Police”—it is MoBo’s mantra; it’s buried deep in her core and extends to her moral fiber. Her “fuck you” sentiment is brought to life on this 11-track tape with help from producers OG Webbie, The Gift, Martin $ky, CSick and Von Vuai, along with features from Katie Got Bandz and BJ The Chicago Kid. Don’t be a part of the problem and doubt her greatness.
F.T.P. is a great Hip hop project and strong indication of MoBo’s potential. But she wants to be more than just a rapper. She wants to be an icon. Her new album under construction will feature an entirely different sound and vibe that will mirror, in her words, “Coachella music—shit you can dance to…lose your mind to and go crazy.” It will be a mixture of Hip hop elements and experimental sounds reminiscent of Soulection that should make for an intriguing project that will hopefully “give us shit to dance to”.
She’s expecting to hit the ground running with press and shows for this upcoming release as soon as she embarks to New York. MoBo has massive aspirations and is doing everything in her power to realize them. Given her track record of performing twice with Jay Z and putting out the well-received Fuck The Public (currently sitting at +130,000 SoundCloud plays), these dreams don’t seem far-fetched at all; they seem plausible. MoBo has her eye on that number one spot and won’t stop at anything until it’s realized. Get the hell out of her way.
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