Changing the beat: Glizzy Glow wants Chicago rap known for more than violence

CHICAGO - To millions of fans, she's simply known as Glizzy Glow.

Her music fills stages, her videos rack up views, and just four months ago, she signed a record deal with Interscope Records.

But behind the growing fame is a story of resilience, responsibility, and a mission that reaches far beyond music.

The backstory:

Before the performances and the record deal, Glizzy Glow was a young girl growing up in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, raised by her grandmother.

"My grandmother's house was the house that all the kids came to if they didn't have food," she told FOX Chicago. "Later on, I want to open a Boys & Girls Club."

Those early lessons shaped how she defines success today.

While violence has often dominated headlines in Englewood, Glizzy Glow says her grandmother's home became a safe place for neighborhood children—a model she hopes to recreate for future generations.

Her own journey wasn't easy. She became a mother at just 17 years old.

Instead of allowing that challenge to derail her future, she says it became the motivation to build one.

"It was hard, but I finished school, I went to college," she said. "I had a reason to be everything I wanted to be."

By 19, she had built multiple businesses as a hairstylist and entrepreneur while raising two children.

Eventually, she made the difficult decision to walk away from those businesses to pursue music full-time.

"I just was like, 'Okay, this is my dream. This is my passion,'" she said. "'I'm gonna trust the process.'"

Today, that leap of faith has paid off.

Her career continues to grow, but she says she wants to represent a different side of Chicago's hip-hop scene.

For years, Chicago rap has often been associated with violence, gang conflicts, arrests, and the loss of young artists.

Glizzy Glow says she refuses to become another chapter in that narrative.

"I'm one of those artists that's not gang-affiliated," she said. "I'm spreading positivity and love in the city. When I make music, it brings good energy. I'm trying to shine a light on Chicago outside of what they call drill music."

Like many artists, she has also faced criticism about rap music's influence on young people.

Her response is simple.

"Everything starts at home," she said. "Sometimes music is entertainment... but I feel like a lot of this stuff starts with the parent."

Her perspective comes from experience.

Dig deeper:

Growing up in Englewood, she says she lost friends to violence.

"I did," she said quietly when asked if she had experienced that loss.

Those experiences continue to shape how she uses her platform.

Beyond performing, she hosts community events, supports local businesses, and says she wants to open nonprofits where children can gather safely, learn, and simply be kids.

"I want to advise all the kids to stay in school," she said. "It is cool to be in school. That's the best advice I can give, because you can never be too educated."

What's next:

For Glizzy Glow, success is no longer measured only by streaming numbers or sold-out crowds.

It's measured by whether the next generation believes their future can be bigger than the streets they grew up on.