Behind “Foolish”: Exploring Lilithu’s Musical Journey and Vision – An Interview

Amidst Brooklyn’s dynamic musical landscape, Lilithu emerges as a compelling voice with her debut single “Foolish,” setting the stage for her forthcoming album, The Book of Lilith. Inspired by personal grief and resilience following the tragic suicide of her roommate, Lilithu‘s music delves deep into themes of mental health and introspection. “Foolish” serves as a poignant reflection on self-discovery and the complexities of grief, offering a blend of hip hop, dubstep, and reggae that defies genre boundaries. In our conversation, we explore how collaborations with djburnout420 and Aezon have shaped her creative direction, incorporating intricate musical elements and themes of empowerment. Join us as Lilithu discusses her journey, the significance of her rebrand, and her aspirations to amplify the voices of womxn in rap and beyond.

Read the full interview below.

How does “Foolish” set the stage for your upcoming album, The Book of Lilith? What themes and emotions can listeners expect from the album?

So the whole album was written in the wake of my roommate and friend, Lilly’s suicide. It mirrors the whole grief process that I went through, and shares some of the lessons that I learned through the whole thing. Foolish is about my realisation that I need to take care of my mental health, but there is another song on the album called TRIGGERED. It’s one of my favourites, and it’s about how angry I got after the whole ordeal. It’s something that people don’t really talk about, but the grieving process with suicide is different. There is a lot of anger. At least there was for me.

In “Foolish” you combine hip hop, dubstep, bass and reggae in a distinctive style. How do you choose which elements from each genre to include, and what difficulties do you encounter when blending these styles together seamlessly?

For this track it was easier because I was working with djburnout420 and he has such a distinct sound, so I really relied on his expertise for this track. One thing that I did with a lot of tracks in the album is use the wub sounds from dubstep to accentuate the lyrics in my rap. It’s like there are two rappers, the bass and me!

Working closely with djburnout420 and Aezon on your upcoming album, how do these collaborations influence your creative direction and sound? What do each of these artists bring to the table that enhances your music?

Well they are super talented musicians. Ryan (djburnout420) represented Berklee at the International Writers Camp in the Netherlands. Sam (Aezon) toured with Drum Corps International. So, they are both technically super talented. All of the songs that have interesting stuff musically, like key changes or time signature changes, are all in the collabs with them. They really know their stuff. So I relied on them a lot for honest feedback about different tracks.

Individually though, Sam is SO good at improvising. She can lay down a melody in like 30 seconds, and you can build an entire song around it. Ryan is an amazing sound designer. He’s also a super minimalist producer which is nice. He actually co-produced the entire album with me, and it was so easy to work with him. I don’t like it when people say I need to buy hundreds of plug-ins to be successful, it’s just not true. 

Can you describe your typical creative process when starting a new song or project?

I am very lyrics driven. I think of the album as kind of like a book of poetry. So I will write a little poem or lyric and then I will record myself singing or rapping it. This will give me the BPM, which helps me to pick a genre / vibe for the song. Then we are off to the races. I will lay down the drum pattern and search through samples to find sounds that I think reflect the vibe of the song and the genre. Then I will keep writing and recording lyrics to the beat, until I can’t think of anymore. 

What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect of being a DJ, rapper, and music producer?

Hmmm that’s a good question. Probably DJ-ing. I get stage fright, and I find rapping and producing way more natural. I like pacing around my apartment, thinking of ideas and writing. Performing is less natural for me, but I still enjoy it.

What is the significance behind the title The Book of Lilith for your upcoming album?

I’m releasing this album as part of a musical rebrand. I used to be more of a house DJ under the name bbgoblin. That brand was really cute and fun. It was still dark and I played bass music when I could, but it was very cutesy. 

This whole Lilithu rebrand was definitely inspired by my roommate, Lilly. She was very mission oriented and was always looking for ways to help people through music. I was more about the hustle. So I knew that if I was going to get back into the music, I needed to have some kind of mission. 

I’ve always loved female rap. Cardi B has helped me through so many break ups, Megan Thee Stallion is so empowering and talented, Doja Cat does NOT give a f***. I love Qveen Herby. She has such unique lyrics. Flyanaboss are so funny. They are just all so inspirational. So I wanted to launch this brand as a way to work with more womxn poets and rappers, and who better to do that than the original baddie? Lilith!

How do you see yourself evolving as an artist in the future, and what new directions or experiments do you hope to explore in your music?

Well first, I’m hoping to make more happy and empowering music. One of my favourite tracks right now is Love Life by Doja. I’m want to make more tracks like that, and less about suicide. That’s for sure.

I also want to focus more on remixes. I think it will help develop my technical skills, and there are just not enough female rap remixes at the club. We need more. I’m currently working on a drum and bass remix to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Not Nice”. That is a song I would love to dance to in the club. The lyrics, her flow, her tone all perfectly convey female rage. She is a genius.

My big focus, though, after the album is going to be collaborating with more womxn rappers. So, to all your readers, if you identify as a woman, like to rap, and have something you need to get off your chest,  hit me up on instagram! I’m going to start taking on more collaborations in the Winter!