Lil Mosey is looking to start his life over after a tumultuous two-year period. The melodic wunderkind who secured his first top 10 Billboard Hot 100 single, “Blueberry Faygo,” in 2019 watched the end of his teenage years go ablaze.
First, the pandemic stymied his fiery run and the chance of touring. Then, in 2021, Mosey was charged with second-degree rape after he was accused of having sex with a woman at a party in Randle, Wash., in January 2020 while she was intoxicated and incapable of giving consent.
The weight of a trial burdened the 21-year-old facing a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Along with passing two lie detector tests, Mosey was found not guilty in March after he and his accuser both took the stand during the seven-day trial. In his first interview since the verdict, Mosey speaks to Billboard about the case’s impact on him.
“It’s been tough, mentally. I had to rebuild my whole life,” says the Seattle star. “It sucks to have something like that be attached to my name, knowing I didn’t do it, and the whole world can see that.”
While Mosey released a few songs last year, he plans to flood the scene and release a slew of new music now that the trial is over. His extended absence allowed him to grow creatively and hone in on his voice — he can now hit notes he couldn’t land when he was in his late teens. “My voice is changing. Just me recording, I see myself hitting different types of notes — notes that when I was 16, 17 [would make] my voice would crack. Now, I’m a man. I can hit certain notes that I wasn’t able to hit. The songs that I’m creating are next-level.”
Mosey’s first offering came post-trial when he released “Flu Game.” The sing-songy anthem pays homage to Michael Jordan’s iconic 1997 NBA Finals game, during which he played under the weather but delivered a noteworthy performance.
While the artist continues to ruminate on his journey, he hopes to rebound and thrive as Jordan did in the late ’90s. “I feel like my last two years kind of been a sickness,” he says. “Right now, I’m playing through that Flu Game.”
Watch Mosey’s interview above as he talks about performing at Rolling Loud LA in March, being the CEO of his label and more.