Lil Mosey | |
|---|---|
 Lil Mosey performing in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lathan Moses Stanley Echols |
| Born | January 25, 2002 Mountlake Terrace, Washington, U.S. |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | lilmosey |
Lathan Moses Stanley Echols (born January 25, 2002), known professionally as Lil Mosey, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Mosey's debut studio album, Northsbest (2018) included his first Billboard Hot 100 chart entry with its single, "Noticed". His second studio album, Certified Hitmaker (2019) peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 and contained the hit single "Stuck in a Dream" (featuring Gunna). The album's 2020 re-issue contained Mosey's most successful record to date, "Blueberry Faygo", which peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In April 2021, Mosey was charged with second degree rape in Lewis County, Washington.[5] The trial began in February 2023 and he was acquitted after a month.[6][7][8]
Lathan Moses Stanley Echols was born on January 25, 2002, in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, to a white mother and a black father.[9][10] He was raised by his mother in the north side of Seattle. He began rapping in his early teens and started his music career in the eighth grade. Echols first attended Mountlake Terrace High School, then transferred to Shorecrest High School in the tenth grade. He later dropped out of school following the success of his song "Pull Up", and went on to pursue his career, heading to Los Angeles to record.[9][10]
"Pull Up" was Mosey's first released track and served as his debut commercial single.[11] Its music video reached over 25 million views on YouTube in the first 16 months upon its release.[2] On March 14, 2018, Mosey released his second commercial single "Boof Pack". Its music video was released on the WorldStarHipHop channel, and received over 13 million views on YouTube in just over a year after its release.[12] Around four months later, he released "Noticed" as his third commercial single alongside a music video directed by Cole Bennett. The song peaked at number 80 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while its music video has gone on to become one of the most popular videos on Lyrical Lemonade, amassing almost 290 million views to date.[13] In the video, "Mosey and his friends live the good life as they relax in a luxury apartment, which overlooks a beautiful beach".[14]
On October 19, 2018, Mosey released his debut studio album titled Northsbest, which includes the four previously released singles and seven other tracks.[citation needed]
Certified Hitmaker was released on November 8, 2019, containing the three singles and eleven other tracks.[15]
On January 31, 2020, Mosey was featured on "Safe With Me", a song from Puerto Rican rapper Eladio Carrión's debut studio album Sauce Boyz. On February 7, 2020, Mosey released the single "Blueberry Faygo", after it garnered traction and went viral after being leaked on streaming platform Spotify throughout 2019. The song debuted at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100, tying with "Stuck in a Dream". It later became his highest-peaking song on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 8 and charting well internationally.[16]
On June 26, Mosey released the song "Back at It", featuring fellow American rapper Lil Baby, as the first single of the deluxe edition of Certified Hitmaker.[17] The song charted at number 9 on the US Bubbling Under the Hot 100. The deluxe's second single, "Top Gone", was released on August 5, featuring Puerto Rican rapper Lunay.[18] On August 9, Mosey was included on the remix of Past Life, a single by American singer Trevor Daniel, which also features American singer Selena Gomez. The deluxe edition of Certified Hitmaker, marketed as Certified Hitmaker (AVA Leak), was released on August 14, 2020. It includes the two singles as well as three additional tracks.[19]
On August 30, during an interview with The Hollywood Fix, Mosey teased a new project by playing a snippet of new music. The project was later announced to be a new mixtape titled Universal.[20] The mixtape will act as a transition between Certified Hitmaker, and his upcoming third studio album: The Land of Make Believe.[21]
To start of 2021, Mosey was featured on the remix of "Blueberry Eyes" on January 22, the 2020 hit single by American singer MAX, which also features South Korean rapper Suga from BTS and American singer Olivia O'Brien. On January 25, 2021, his nineteenth birthday, Mosey celebrated by releasing "Holy Water", as the second single for Universal.[22] Four days later, Mosey was featured on "Boom Boom", the fourth track on the EP Lucky 7 by American rapper Rich the Kid. On February 5, Mosey released "We Outside", a song in collaboration with fellow American rapper Smokepurpp. A week later, he released the album's third single, "Enough", which coincided with a Valentine's Day release.[23]
| Certified Hitmakers | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 |
| Founder | Lathan Echlos (Lil Mosey) |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | Interscope |
| Genre | Hip hop, Trap, Pop rap |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Official website | https://www.certifiedhitmaker.com/ |
In 2020, Mosey opened his own record label Certified Hitmakers. His first signee was Jae Lynx, who released his debut single "Bad Girl Vibes" under the label on November 6, 2020.[24] On January 14, 2021, Lynx released his second single "Regrets" with YNW BSlime. As of 2022, Jae Lynx is still the only signee to the Certified Hitmakers.[25]
Lil Mosey is known for his melodic flow and lyrics that are tailored to his life. When asked if the term "mumble rap" applies to him in an interview with Complex, Lil Mosey says "I wouldn't consider myself a mumble rapper, because I don't know what that is. But when I talk, I mumble."[26] Although Lil Mosey does not consider his sound to be similar to Meek Mill's, he does consider the rapper an influence as in an interview with XXL Magazine, he describes how he would always listen to Meek Mill's song "Dreams and Nightmares" when he was younger.[13] When asked in the same interview about what comparisons he has drawn, Mosey responded "Music-wise, they be comparing me to Drake".[13]
On April 2, 2021, Echols was charged with one count of second-degree rape in Lewis County, Washington, for engaging in sexual intercourse with an individual that was incapable of giving consent.[27][28] He pleaded not guilty.[29] The charge stemmed from an alleged incident on the night of January 5, 2020, at a cabin in Randle, Washington, where Echols had hosted a party.[27] Echols was not an adult at the time of the alleged incident, as he turned 18 on January 25, 2020. In accordance with a pre-trial sexual assault protective order, Echols was ordered not to contact or come within 500 feet of the victim, and was prohibited from possessing firearms or using drugs.[30] Echols faced a minimum of 78 to 102 months and a maximum of life in prison if convicted.[27][31]
Echols was tried in a joint trial alongside co-defendants Francisco P. Prater and Joshua D. Darrow. Prater was also accused of also raping the woman and Darrow was accused of restraining the alleged victim as Echols and Prater allegedly raped her.[32]
Upon being contacted by the Morton Police Department on January 6, 2020, the alleged victim told a detective that she attended the party with a friend and blacked out after drinking White Claw alcoholic beverages and champagne provided at the party. The woman stated that she could not clearly remember the events of the rest of the night, and could only remember walking in her underwear to an upstairs bedroom, being told by individuals that she had sex, and being told that there was video recording of the intercourse. However, she had no memory of the rape. She stated that upon waking up the following morning, she and the friend she came with left the cabin.[27]
On January 9, 2020, the Morton Police Department interviewed the woman's friend, who stated that she had consensual sex with Echols in his car, during which she felt a pain in her legs. She stated that she had a "fuzzy" memory of what happened afterwards, but that the next thing she remembered was multiple men forcing themselves onto her, including a man identified as Francisco P. Prater saying "wake up, wake up, suck this dick, bitch." Prater was also charged with one count of second-degree rape, in tandem with Echols' rape charge.[33] She also claimed that she had bruises on her arm, neck, and inner knee that she did not know the origin of. In a later interview with police, the woman alleged that she remembered waking up to Echols raping her in an upstairs bedroom after she had blacked out.[27]
On April 21, 2021, a $50,000 warrant was issued for Echols' arrest after he failed to show up for a required court appearance at a preliminary hearing.[28][31] After a deal was made between Echols and the Lewis County Prosecutor's Office to quash the warrant, Echols appeared in court on April 27.[29] On July 13, Echols appeared at a pre-trial omnibus hearing.[34] Prater was also charged with one count of second-degree rape in tandem with Echols' rape charge.[35][33] Joshua D. Darrow was named as a third defendant in the rape case in July 2021.[34] Darrow was released on unsecured bail and was also issued a pre-trial sexual assault protective order.[34]
Before the trial, Echols was out on $50,000 unsecured bail.[29] The joint trial alongside co-defendants Prater and Darrow was expected to begin on January 24, 2022, which was then delayed to July 18, then again delayed to December 12, and then set for February 16, 2023.[34][32][36][6] Echols reportedly passed a polygraph test. The trial began on February 22, 2023. On March 2, 2023, Echols was found not guilty.[8]
Main Article: Lil Mosey discography
