By Katie Kelly
Life’s Luckii and I are sitting at a table in Crosstown one afternoon. In the middle of our conversation a man approaches us. “Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt, but are you a rapper?” he asks Luckii. She nods. “Do you go by Life’s Luckii?” he continues. She laughs and nods again. “Wow, this is so cool. I’m also a musician and I got some things I’d love for you to hear when you’re done,” he says. The two make plans to link up later and Luckii and I resume talking. “Don’t worry, that doesn’t happen often,” she says laughing.
Life’s Luckii might be joking but after spending time with her, I don’t believe in the rarity of that occurrence. There’s something about the Memphis artist that is instantly infectious. Her energy is electric. Her spirit is contagious. The phrase “she lights up a room” is corny and overplayed, but for Luckii, it’s true – she makes any space she enters brighter and more exciting.
“I was always that person people came to when they were going through shitty days,” she tells me. “I just really realized there’s nothing good in coming off miserable. I smile even through there are those painful days.” It’s an inspirational mentality forged from overcoming past hardships. “I’ve always had asthma really badly. Then my brother passed when he was 17 from an actual, like, asthma attack. After that, it kind of like forced me to see everything differently. It forced me to not live in those shitty moments so much.”
When you meet Luckii in real life, this positivity is palpable, but when you listen to her music, it becomes transformative. Over any style beat (seriously, any style – there’s not a beat she can’t conquer), Life’s Luckii delivers her motivational message with a fierceness that commands your attention. Her flow is relentless, her delivery is impactful, and her technique is undeniable. She can make some of the most complex bars look effortless.
“I feel like I’m walking in my purpose,” Luckii tells me about her music. Which makes sense considering how important art has been to her throughout her life. During school, Life’s Luckii wrote poetry before she moved into songwriting. “I always read when I was young. I did poetry, like, heavy when I was young. Even when I first started rapping, I went by Life’s Poet,” she recalls. Despite freestyling at the lunch table, it wasn’t until her Dad’s friend recorded her poems over beats that she formally switched gears to rapping and making music.
When Luckii details her background to me, she makes one thing very clear: she raps, but she’s not only a rapper. “I don’t fit into a box,” she tells me adamantly. And I agree. Luckii has the unique ability to seamlessly shift between R&B, hip-hop, pop, soul, or blues. “I don’t really feel like I’m in one category. I’m telling you, I pretty much can catch anything, any beat, any vibe. As long as it’s something I can feel, I can do it.”
The confidence she has in her innate talent isn’t just clear to her listeners, it’s also clear to other artists. This past year, Life’s Luckii teamed up with fellow Memphis musician Glockianna for the explosive single “Star.” “I actually did something with A.R. The Mermaid too. Hopefully that’ll be out this summer,” she adds.
In addition to these collaborations, Luckii’s working on her own material. “I have a LOT of songs that I’ve written that are just waiting in the bank. I don’t know if I’m going to do an album or just an EP yet, but I have enough for a full album. We definitely working, we got some hits,” she tells me, and when she lists off some of the producers she’s working with, I’m sure she does. “I was just in the studio with C Major. I got some songs with Red On The Beat too,” she reveals. Damn. Sounds like some big moves coming in 2024.
Life’s Luckii’s special not only because of what she’s already created, but also because of her unbridled potential. She’s got all the makings for success and you can sense it when you’re around her. “You know, every time I am allowed to step on a stage or the moment I step in a space, people see me. I’m seen and heard. I’m blessed for that. People are always just kind of like, ‘dang, this girl is dope! She’s a real diamond in the rough.’” Life’s Luckii likens herself to a diamond in the rough, but that’s not necessarily what I’d call her. To me, she encapsulates the rarity and promise of finding say…oh I don’t know…a four leaf clover?
