21 Lil Harold

Unfiltered and controversial, the freestyle Southern rap of 21 Lil Harold represents an attempt to step away from the crime and violence that surrounded him during his formative years in Atlanta, Georgia.
Born Harold Glenn in the Summerhill area of the city, his family originated from nearby Decatur on its east side. Glenn’s earliest memories of hip-hop were created by his late father, who placed speakers in the trunk of their car to blast out the likes of 8Ball & MJG, Master P, and Fiend. Inspired to rap by the beats of Metro Boomin, Glenn got his first big break when he appeared as Lil' Harold on 21 Savage’s 2015 track “Whoa.” The pair were good friends, and both had links to Atlanta’s 2100 Street Gang, a tie that also eventually led Glenn to place 21 from his outset.
From its 2017 inception, 21 Lil Harold was involved behind the scenes at Savage’s Slaughter Gang Entertainment. In 2020, he struck out with Keep It 21, a Metro Boomin-produced EP which featured Real Recognize Rio and Young Nudy. In March 2021, his first large-scale project, Larry, benefited from the backing of Epic and Sony Music, given their association with Slaughter Gang. Titled in tribute to a mutual friend of Harold and Savage who lost his life in a 2011 shootout, each cut on the record was named after someone who knew him. Boosted by a June 2022 reissue and expanded edition, Larry had achieved over five million streams within 18 months of its initial release. Along the way, 21 Lil Harold issued the standalone single “Desperado” and guested on Chino Cappin’s “Ed Edd Eddy.” Released in November 2022, both “Robbin Season” and “Damn” were a taste of his next project, After the Curse, which appeared in January 2023. ~ James Wilkinson