What Happened to R&B Star Lil Mo? Find out About Her Journey in the Music Industry
Lil Mo made her major label debut when she appeared on the soundtrack to the musical drama biopic, ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love?’ with the single “5 Minutes.”
Published Sept. 9 2025, 10:29 a.m. ET
Beginning in the late '90s, Lil Mo made her debut in the music industry, working with the likes of hip-hop heavyweights Missy Elliott and Timbaland. However, it was her early 2000s work with Ja Rule and her successful solo career that made her one of the top R&B acts during that time period. After enjoying considerable success, Lil Mo took a step back from the industry. Let’s dive into why and where she is today.
In 1998, Lil Mo made her major label debut when she appeared on the soundtrack to the musical drama biopic, Why Do Fools Fall in Love? with the single “5 Minutes.” The following year, she landed the high-profile feature on Missy Elliott’s hit 1999 single, “Hot Boyz,” alongside Big Boi from OutKast and Eve.
What happened to Lil Mo?
In 2018, Lil Mo shocked her fans when she announced that she was retiring from music to pursue a career in law. “Today has been one of those days,” she began her Instagram retirement announcement, per The Jasmine Brand. “I usually hold it all together. But when it’s so much going on inside it’s hard to suppress something you have been wanting to do.”
“I've given 20 years plus to being LIL MO,” she continued. “I'm going to give you all NEW MUSIC and a NEW TV show in 2019. We are pushing for January!! Then after that, it’s time to be Cynthia Dargan. I've always wanted to be a LAWYER! The time is now. I'll use my influence to be great. Pray for my family and I. This is a decision I've been wanting to make but the time has come.”
“A b---h gonna give y’all an album and I’m bout to be somebody LIT A-- attorney,” her message read. “I can't wait. So for the next decade I need to be totally focused!! #LILMOvsCYNTHIADARGAN”
She also shared drug use and depression led her to take a step back from the industry.
“I’ve been at that low point. I’ve done the drugs but it never made the internet. I’ve been suicidal,” Lil Mo told REVOLT in a 2018 interview.
“Depression in this industry, I would say that’s one of the darkest clouds that plagues a lot of artists,” she continued. “That depression, that suicidal stage, honestly, this industry doesn’t prepare you for the mental illness.”
“Honestly, my anxiety is a direct connection to the music industry,” Lil Mo said at the time. “There’s no blueprint. You can read all the books, How to Make It… but when you’re actually in it, the sacrifices you have to make and the things you have to do.”
Since then, Lil Mo has returned to stages and music, with a renewed outlook.
After a stint on Love & Hip Hop: New York and launching a radio show, in 2023 Lil Mo revealed that she struggled with opioid addiction. “People don’t understand, addiction is real,” she said during an appearance on the Don’t Call Me White Girl podcast, per Yahoo!.
“I [was] spending at least a stack a week, and I’m making sure everybody good. … When I go to California, when we touch down, when I say everything was laid out — everything. Coke, pills, syrup — lit down. And I’ll get up there and sing, and you would never know that I’m literally burnt the f--k out.”