June 28, 2007

Lil Mama Proving To Fans, Swizz Beatz She's More Than Just The 'Lip Gloss' Girl

By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Liz Hernandez (MTV.com)

Her appearances on remixes of Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" have been proving to the fans that Lil Mama is more than just the "Lip Gloss" girl -- and she's earning kudos from peers like Eve too.

The teen MC says she's elated for the props but intends to stay focused. "I been waiting a long time for this, because I been writing music for so long," she told MTV News on Tuesday on the red carpet at the BET Music Awards in L.A. "Now it's my chance to get out there."

Mama also said she was excited about the success of "Lip Gloss" because it was true to who she is. "[My success has come] with a song that's catchy and fun, so I'm happy it's not with anything out of my range."

Mama's range is really going to surprise everyone in the next few weeks. A record on her MySpace page called "Make It Hot" showcases Mama's singing talents. On another potential single called "Swim," produced by Cool & Dre, she sings and raps as well.

"You forget she's 17, 18 years old," Dre said. "She's a little mama for real. She comes into the studio and she runs it. I watched her run people in the nicest way ever. She commands the room. She knows exactly what she wants. She's definitely wiser than her age. Wise beyond her years. Working with her was real dope."

Two more records, "Put It Down" and "G-Spot," are also strong contenders for the next official singles from Mama's debut album, Voice of the Young People, due in September. "We have 27 songs recorded so far, and there's another three or four we are finishing up," her manger Ali Samii said about the project's progress.

Producers Dr. Luke, Swizz Beatz and Scott Storch also produced records on Voice.