Friday, November 19, 2010

Nov. 19: R&B singer Lil' Mo, AKA Cynthia Loving, is 32 today.



 
Cynthia Loving is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. She is best known for collaborating with artists such as Ja Rule, Angie Martinez, Sacario, Missy Elliott, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Fabolous, and for her hit single "Superwoman Pt. II."

 
Born into a military family, Cynthia was raised primarily on Long Island, but moved about regularly. When she was young, she lived in Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Fayetteville, North Carolina before settling in Baltimore, Maryland.

Lil' Mo is not even five feet in height, but there's nothing little about her drive, heart, or talent. Her goal of becoming a famous singer began early and she entered talent competitions wherever she lived. Loving entered the music industry as a protégé of then- Elektra Records labelmate Missy Elliott. Her debut single was entitled "5 Minutes" from the Why Do Fools Fall In Love soundtrack, co-written by Kelly Price.

She appeared on tracks for Elliott's Da Real World in 1999. "Hot Boyz" became Loving's breakout record. She was featured in the music video for the song's remix alongside guest rappers Nas and Eve.

Afterwards, she was featured on rapper Jay-Z's song "Parking Lot Pimpin'" from the 2000 The Dynasty: Roc La Familia album. She was also the female voice on the 2001 hit "Wifey" by Next. She has performed with and written songs for many artists including Blackstreet, Next, Bow Wow, Keith Sweat, Canela Cox, 3LW, Nicole Wray, Mocha and ODB.

Loving's next big exposure came in early 2001, when she was featured on Ja Rule's single "Put It On Me" alongside Vita. The single was a hit on both urban and pop radio, and reached number eight on the US pop charts. Additional collaborations by Ja Rule and Lil' Mo followed, including "I Cry," which repurposed The O'Jays' 1978 hit "Cry Together." In the Summer of 2002 Loving collaborated with Angie Martinez & Sacario on If I Could Go.


In 2001, Lil' Mo released her debut album Based On A True Story, on Elektra Records, and had a successful single of her own, "Superwoman (Part II)." The "Part II" remix, featuring hip-hop newcomer Fabulous. It reached #9 on the R&B charts.

During the mid-2003, Mo appeared on two  singles with Fabolous. Their first duet was "Can't Let You Go," the first single from Fabolous' Street Dreams album, was one of 2003's biggest rap and mainstream pop hits. The other duet, "4 Ever", the first official single from Lil' Mo's own second album, Meet The Girl Next Door, was a major urban and R&B hit.

Under her independent label Honeychild Entertainment, Lil Mo released the album Pain & Paper in August 2007. 

Recommended (Links to Amazon): 

Based on a True StoryPain & PaperHearts in My Dream
(Links for viewing You Tube videos:
-- 4 Ever"  (With Fabolous)

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