Musician Lizzo plays James Madison’s crystal flute
Credit: © Shawn Miller, Library of Congress

The Library of Congress let American rap artist, singer, and musician Lizzo play James Madison’s crystal flute at a concert in Washington, D.C., making history this September. The flute was given to America’s fourth president James Madison in 1813 on his second inauguration. The flute has not been played for a long time, if at all! Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden reached out to Lizzo inviting her to see the flute collection at the Library of Congress while in town for her concert. Lizzo accepted the invitation and was especially interested in trying out the precious crystal flute. Lizzo is known for playing the flute, a talent she mixes into her freestyle rapping with ease.

Melissa Jefferson was born on April 27, 1988, in Detroit, Michigan. Her family later moved to Houston, Texas. Her family was deeply religious and frequently listened to gospel music. Lizzo played flute in her high school marching band. She began rapping when she was 14. After high school, Lizzo studied classical flute at the University of Houston. She moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2010, following the death of her father.

Lizzo performed with a few music groups before releasing her first hip-hop album, Lizzobangers (2013). She worked with the American pop musician Prince on his album Plectrumelectrum (2014). Her self-released second album, Big GRRRL Small World (2015), incorporated gospel, hip-hop, and R&B influences. Lizzo signed a recording contract in 2016 and released the EP Coconut Oil that year. An EP, short for extended play, is a recording considered shorter than a full album. Coconut Oil included her hit singles “Good as Hell” and “Worship.”

Lizzo, American rap artist, singer, and musician
Credit: © Aaron J. Thornton, FilmMagic/Getty Images

Lizzo gained international fame for such hits as “Good as Hell” (2016), “Truth Hurts” (2017), and “Juice” (2019). Lizzo achieved widespread popularity with her album Cuz I Love You (2019). The album reached number four on the “Billboard 200″ chart, a list of the top 200 albums compiled by Billboard magazine. The album’s hit song “Juice” reached number five on the Billboard “Hot R&B Songs” list. The success of Cuz I Love You helped to bring new attention to Lizzo’s previous work. The catchy and fun “Truth Hurts” quickly regained attention and peaked at number one on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart, as did “Good as Hell.” Lizzo has collaborated with many artists, including the rapper Missy Elliot. Their song “Tempo” (2019) reached number 21 on the Billboard “U.S. Digital Song Sales” chart. She won Grammy Awards in 2020 for best pop solo performance for “Truth Hurts”; best traditional rhythm and blues (R&B) performance for her song “Jerome” (2019); and best urban contemporary album for Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) (2019).

Lizzo briefly co-hosted the television music program “Wonderland” in 2016. In 2019, she provided her voice for the animated musical film Ugly Dolls. She also acted in the movie Hustlers (2019). Lizzo has also become known for promoting body positivity and self-acceptance.

Musician Doja Cat
Credit: © UPI/Alamy Images

From the Grammy Awards to the Billboard Music Awards, Doja Cat has been winning all year long. Doja Cat is an American rapper, songwriter, and music producer. She rose to fame in 2018 after releasing the single “Mooo!” on the video-sharing website YouTube.

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini was born on Oct. 21, 1995, in Tarzana, outside Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish American mother and South African father. Her mother, Deborah Sawyer, worked as a graphic designer. Her father, Dumisani Dlamini, was an actor in New York. Doja Cat lived with her grandmother in Rye, New York, northeast of New York City, for five years before moving to Sai Anantam Ashram with her mother and brother. The ashram was a Hindu worship community run by the musician Alice Coltrane outside of Santa Monica, California. Dlamini’s family then moved to Oak Park, California. Dlamini studied dance and piano throughout her childhood. She attended high school in Los Angeles, dropping out in her junior year.

In 2013, Dlamini began releasing songs on the music-sharing website SoundCloud under the name Doja Cat. The American producer Yeti Beats invited Doja Cat to record in his studio after hearing her song “So High” (2014). Through Yeti Beats, Doja Cat signed a contract with Kemosabe Records, part of RCA Records, in 2014. That same year Doja Cat released her first EP “Purrr!” and a series of singles. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. She released the music video “Mooo!” in 2018. The single went viral—expanding rapidly in popularity—on YouTube. Doja Cat released her debut album, Amala, in 2018. Her other albums include Hot Pink (2019) and Planet Her (2021).

Doja Cat has received many music awards. In 2022, she won her first Grammy Award, for the song “Kiss Me More” featuring the American singer SZA. At the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, May 15, Doja Cat won four awards, including top R&B artist.