It’s not every day your live show is compared to the likes of Tina Turner and Beyoncé, but Minneapolis-based rapper Lizzo is truly a force to be reckoned with. Since making her debut in 2013 with the debut album LIZZOBANGERS, she’s been earning international acclaim, playing huge festivals like SXSW and Glastonbury, and making a number of high profile talk show appearances on The Real and Late Night with Stephen Colbert.
This year, Lizzo followed her sophomore album, 2015’s Big Grrrl Small World, with her latest EP Coconut Oil, her debut release on Atlantic Records. Between the affirming messages of self-love on “Good As Hell” and care-free club bangers like “Phone,” the rapper creates a space for women of all shapes and sizes to be beautiful, delivering personal-political statements that uplift her fans, whilst keeping the party bumping at every turn.
Ahead of her upcoming Toronto show at the Velvet Underground, we caught up with Lizzo to discuss the new EP, self-love, and her upcoming tour.
Read the Q&A and check out the tour dates after the jump.