What the Memphis rapper performed

The show may have been “live from New York,” but the sounds were very Memphis as Bluff City rap star GloRilla made her debut on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

GloRilla was the musical guest on the Jan. 18 midseason premiere of SNL with comedian Dave Chappelle, who seemed to forget to mention GloRilla’s performance after his monologue.

Anyway, 45 minutes into the show, GloRilla kicked off her first appearance on the show with a version of her signature hit, “Yeah Glo!” Dressed in an orange and green outfit, she took the stage against the backdrop of what appeared to be her childhood home in Memphis as images of a young GloRilla – born Gloria Hallelujah Woods – flashed behind her.

Backed by a troupe of dancers, she worked the stage and audience: “Let me hear you guys make some noise, SNL!” she urged the crowd, leading them in a call-and-response to the song’s chorus.

GloRilla used her second appearance to double down, playing a medley of “Whatchu Kno About Me” and “Let Her Cook.” Although the lyrics for both numbers were heavily sanitized to meet network television standards, GloRilla still managed to leave an indelible impression by sauntering around the stage in a pink bikini-style ensemble as she and her dancers worked through an animated routine (reportedly choreographed by Sean Bankhead, who also helped put together her VMA routine). “Thank you SNL!” offered an excited GloRilla as his farewell.

But there was more when GloRilla made a guest appearance in the show’s final filmed sketch, where Dave Chappelle revived his “Chappelle’s Show” “Playa Haters” characters alongside comedian Donnell Rawlings in a spoof of the YouTube dating show “Pop the Balloon Or.” Find love.” GloRilla appeared as one of the contestants who gave Chappelle some serious flak when he labeled her a “fresh mouth.” GloRilla was also front and center with Chappelle at the cast’s goodnights, which brought her SNL – debut to a finish.

Earlier this week, GloRilla appeared in a series of promo spots teasing the episode featuring Chappelle and cast member Marcello Hernández. She showed off her comedic timing, bantering with Hernandez and even cracking Chappelle.

The Frayser native has joined the ranks of Memphis artists who have appeared on “Saturday Night Live,” including Al Green and Justin Timberlake.

The SNL spot is another milestone in the 25-year-old’s rapidly growing career. In October, GloRilla released her debut album, “Lovely,” which hit No. 5 on the Billboard album charts and went to No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts.

In 2024, GloRilla saw a total of five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 – including “Wanna Be” featuring Megan Thee Stallion at No. 11, “Whatchu Kno About Me” featuring Sexyy Red at no. 17, “TGIF” on no. 22, “Yes Glo!” on no. 28, and “Hollon” on no. 48.

GloRilla is also nominated for two Grammy Awards at the upcoming 67th annual ceremony. Her nominations include Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for her song “Yeah Glo!” which is certified twice platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Last year, GloRilla made her late-night television debut in November when she appeared on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Last fall, she also wowed television audiences with a featured segment as part of MTV’s annual Video Music Awards ceremony.

This article originally appeared on the Memphis Commercial Appeal: GloRilla Makes Saturday Night Live Debut: Here’s What She Performed