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Why you need to know Jacksonville's Grammy-winning songwriter, rapper, new VH1 reality TV star KaMillion

From rubbing elbows with celebrities to giving back to her city, here's why you need to know Jacksonville's Grammy Award-winning rapper before her big debut on VH1.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville rapper and Grammy Award-winning songwriter KaMillion will represent Duval County in the upcoming season of VH1's long-running reality TV show "Love & Hip-Hop: Miami," the same franchise that helped launch Grammy Award-winning rapper Cardi B to stardom. 

KaMillion announced her appearance on the reality show Tuesday via Instagram with a photo of her at the Viacom office and a caption saying, "Love & Hip Hop Miami got some real ones this season ... Duval in dat bih." 

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This will be Kamillion's first appearance on a TV show and the first time someone from Jacksonville will appear in the franchise's nearly 10-year history, but that's not the only reason you should get to know her.

From rubbing elbows with celebrities to giving back to her city, here's why you need to know the self-proclaimed "Lil Kim of the South" ahead of her reality TV debut.

She's worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry.

Love & Hip Hop is a franchise that follows the lives of artists in different cities navigating the music industry and will undoubtedly introduce KaMillion to a whole new audience. However, she is actually already a staple in the music industry, having penned songs for many chart-topping artists. 

In February 2019, her songwriting earned her a Grammy at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards for her work on R&B singer H.E.R.'s self-titled album. KaMillion is listed as a songwriter on the album's track "Rather Be." 

In 2011, KaMillion worked with Rihanna and is listed as a songwriter her track "Watch n' Learn" on the album "Talk That Talk," which went triple platinum. 

She's also captured the attention of one of the biggest icons in hip-hop.

“[Diddy] came into the studio, and [my team and I] had just recorded a record, and he said, ‘I need that. I need that record,’” KaMillion said in an interview with First Coast News back in 2018. “This dude has been in the industry for a minute, and he was acting like he was a new artist.”

And that's how she went on to write the song “Your Love” for Diddy featuring Rick Ross, Trey Songz and a duo Diddy founded called Dirty Money on the 2011 album "Last Train to Paris." 

Most recently, KaMillion opened the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards with fellow Jacksonville-native Lil Duval. 

WARNING: The following videos contain strong language.

She's Jacksonville born-and-raised and wants to give back to her city.

KaMillion was born and raised on the Northside on Pearl Street and has said that if an artist wants to work with her, they'd have to travel to Jacksonville to do it. 

“I want [musicians] to be able to come to Jacksonville like they go to Atlanta because we’re just as talented,” she said in 2018. “I think a lot of the experiences from our lifestyle and the backgrounds that we come from -- low income and impoverished communities -- make us tell our story differently in songs.”

She showed her love for her community a few days before Thanksgiving 2019 with a free turkey and food drive at the Clara White Mission in downtown Jacksonville. She bought 50 turkeys and held the drive until every turkey and canned good were given away to those in need.

"You have to take care of home before you do anything else," she said during the food drive. "My city has always supported me, so it's only right that I give back." 

RELATED: Jacksonville's Grammy Award-winning songwriter, rapper KaMillion gives away free turkeys, food at Clara White Mission

KaMillion also wants to inspire others to dream big and strive for their goals.

“All those little girls in Jacksonville that look up to me, I want them to get the courage to feel like ‘I can do that, too,’” she said. “I grew up in the Blodgett homes. My mom always taught me it’s not where you’re from. It’s where you’re going.” 

KaMillion is in the process of filming for the third season of L&HH: Miami, which will premiere Jan. 6 at 9 p.m. on VH1.

In the meantime, you can find KaMillion’s music on YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music.  

Erica Santiago is a digital journalist at First Coast News.

  

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