Lola Brooke: Say hello to Brooklyn Rap's new Torchbearer

One afternoon, Shyniece Thomas, known professionally as rapper Lola Brooke, was in her Brooklyn apartment contemplating the pitfalls of being a rapper. “Sometimes you don't feel safe—in your city—and all because of your profession,” he says. “I just poured my heart out about how I felt and how other people might have felt.”

Brooke, who hails from Bedford-Stuyvesant, was first inspired to rap by 50 Cent's 2002 song “Wanksta.” Being from Brooklyn suits her well. Smooth self-deprecation and tight-fisted maturity — qualities popularized by the Notorious BIG, Jay-Z, and even Pop Smoke — are her calling cards. But she comes across as strikingly vulnerable on “God Bless the Rappers,” the track she recorded that day, reeling off the names of artists who have died before their time: “They say the most dangerous job is for rappers.”

However, when asked if she ever feels overwhelmed by these negative feelings, Brooke says no, almost sounding amused by the question. “Things don't bother me,” he says. “I just know things.”

It might be tempting to compare Brooke to Ice Spice, who has blazed a trail for drill music with a pop perspective. But Brooke is rough, more insular. Is it also an art wonk; Her music is more in line with '90s rappers like Foxy Brown than any style that's popular right now. “I'm always in my own bubble,” he says. “Even if something is modern, I don't see it through tunnels.”

That said, Brooke is well aware of the ways in which music reaches listeners today. Her 2021 single “Don't Play with It” went viral on Twitter before making its way to TikTok and Instagram, garnering millions of plays. “The platform is important, but you shouldn't rely on it,” he says.

Her studio debut in 2023, Dennis Daughter, puts to rest any notions that it's just a viral sensation. The record is complete, opening with a fantastic track titled “Intro (2023 Flow),” where Brooke sounds like a woman with stress and hard memories. The next song, “I AM LOLA”, has a faster BPM, bouncing melodically as its chorus plays out. Throughout the record, Brooke gives you many sides of her personality. On the one hand, she's tough, the daughter of a neighborhood drug dealer who was in and out of jail before tragically dying. But where it's most effective is when the songs get happier. “You,” featuring Bryson Tiller, wouldn't be out of place on a solid Fabolous record from the 2000s. “When I'm in the studio, I go off my vibe,” he says. “It happens, sometimes, the songs are based on when you talk to someone in the studio. And I fantasize a lot!”

Dennis Daughter named after her father, Dennis, who inspired her family nickname 'Lil D'. “My dad was loved by a lot of people,” she says. “He ended up being a hustle addict. He ended up getting high from his own supplies. That was his story.” When he died, she says, it created a hole in her life. These generational demons are something Brooke thinks about every day. He feels that future achievements are now something he can chase without feeling undeserving.

There is a lightness in her voice as she says this. “I don't want to deny myself anything,” says Brooke. “My work is essentially closure for me.”