LaNell Grant’s first solo hip-hop album, I Ain't Gone Hold You, is an endeavor that’s been a long time coming. The Houston native and Alief-raised music maker has produced more than 10 albums for other artists in fewer than five years while simultaneously building a family. Her award-winning sound, which often uses her own voice in the background as an instrument, has now taken her to new heights to assemble an album with her voice front and center.

“I got to the point that I realized it was time for me to rap,” Grant says. “Throughout the process, it became very clear that [the album] needed to be a representation of where I’m at in life and who I am.”

As a producer and performer, Grant has worked with artists like Paul Wall, Bun B, Black Thought, Big Krit, and Alief-raised and Grammy-nominated rapper for Best New Artist this year, Tobe Nwigwe. Grant made appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NPR's Tiny Desk, BET’s music awards, and President Joe Biden's inauguration. Her work has also received two NAACP Image Awards.

In I Ain't Gone Hold You, which was released on May 24, Grant shows she’s an artist in her own right. With her distinctive production sound and lyrics that encapsulate her personality and life, she creates a dynamic landscape of 11 songs and six interludes that’s meant to elevate and uplift others. This new album has joined the rest of her award-winning music to create a new wave of hip-hop that’s being recognized nationally and contributes to Houston’s reputation as the true hip-hop capital.

Her song “Unequivocal” defines her lyrical style best: “It’s unequivocal / every bar a miracle / absolute, apparent, undeniable, and literal / If there was any doubt, validity of the aforementioned / pose your question / just be unequivocal in your description.”

While the production of the project was important, the content has been a crucial part of the process, and Grant’s life of being a wife, mother, and woman of faith can be heard throughout each song. For newcomers to her music, Grant suggests listening to the album on a commute while wearing a pair of sneakers, or if being immersed in the experience at home is more your style, listening with your favorite headphones.

“The sound experience is extremely important to me. If I could give everyone listening requirements, I would!” Grant says. “The album was meant to be enjoyed and listened to straight through. You’re going to get the most out of your experience that way.”

Producing and rapping isn’t all Grant does. She is also the founder and owner of Women Produce, an organization committed to advocating for women creatives in the music industry. Though Grant has a bigger vision for what Women Produce could look like someday, for now, it aims to foster an environment where women can rely on vetted spaces to do what they need to get done at all hours of the day. As she continues to cultivate her own business, music, and family, Grant thinks it’s all about pacing yourself.

“It feels amazing to navigate the independent artist space, but I’m keeping the expectations at a place where there is ambition, but not so much that I drive myself crazy,” Grant says. “I am okay with how God allows this thing to unfold for me.”