Uplift Off

Alief-reared, award-winning music producer LaNell “NELL” Grant first made a name for herself serving up beats with Grammy-nominated rapper Tobe Nwigwe. Now, she’s fully stepping into the spotlight with debut solo album, I Ain’t Gone Hold You. “I think I really showed the spectrum of NELL musically and sonically,” says the mom of three. “I think, for the first time, people are going to see how multifaceted I am.”

This isn’t the first time Grant has stepped out from behind her drum machine: She’s rapped on a handful of Nwigwe hits, and has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NPR’s Tiny Desk, the BET Music Awards and even Joe Biden’s inauguration. But it’s her dual experience as an artist-producer that sets the stage for her solo project.

“I just started writing and what came out reflected where I am at in life,” says Grant, who performs at Miller Outdoor’s Summer Mixtape Series on Aug. 18. “Sometimes seasons have you fighting for your life, and then you feel a fresh wind.”

Her album certainly reflects this roller coaster, with her signature sound of hard 808s and a passionate delivery woven into a collection of 17 tracks. The beats and flow switch up unannounced — but in a way that lets you know it’s intentional. The album’s “extreme duality,” Grant says, will take listeners on a journey from high-energy, top-of-your-workoutplaylist rap to soft love ballads, and even praise and worship.

In its first week on direct-toconsumer platform EVEN, I Ain’t Gone Hold You generated a streaming equivalent of 8.6 million streams. The album’s reception has been “surreal” for 34-yearold Grant, who considers herself a late bloomer. She laughs recalling a moment a decade ago when she was a high school English teacher spending all of her free time learning how to make beats. “I remember crying in my husband’s arms, and I was like, ‘My stuff sucks. It sounds like it’s supposed to be on an ice cream truck or video game.’”

Fast-forward a few grind-hard years, and Grant has produced songs featured in some of the world’s most popular video games (Madden, NBA2K) as well as in campaigns for Apple Music, Gatorade and Bose. Two songs she produced received NAACP Image Awards.

“What I’ve learned is that if you are being you, you will attract who you are supposed to attract,” says Grant, who pulls inspiration from her life experiences, relationships and Christian faith. “For me, I just want to use my gifts to uplift and encourage people, especially women, that whatever God has put on your heart to do — you can produce it.” 