NLE Choppa’s Mom Instilled Sense of Music and Ownership in Him

Rapper NLE Choppa was raised in Memphis, Tennessee, in the Parkway Village area. He attended Houston High School and began freestyling with friends at the age of 14.

By 15, he started taking music seriously and his parents, especially his mom, helped him reach greater heights. 

His mother is renowned in the music industry as Choppa Mama aka Mama Choppa aka Angeleta Ellis Potts. 

Interestingly, the rapper’s mom and dad were not really into music culture when Choppa, whose real name is Bryson Lashun Potts, chose to pursue his career around it.

“My mom ain’t...I really just she never just really music I really just never really concern,” he revealed while speaking with Adam22 in December 2019.

Fast forward to the present, and Choppa is managed by his mother — and that, according to him [in a 2019 interview on AllHipHopTV], has kept him closer to his family.

NLE Choppa Credits His Parents for Guiding Him

In an interview with SideDoor in 2020, the rapper recalled listening to many Jamaican vibes growing up. He usually went for Bob Marley, Shabba Ranks, Lil Wayne, and Tupac.

Choppa then stated that he listened to them because his mom and dad usually preferred similar music.

He also credited his mother for helping him realize the importance of ownership. “I started my own brand because it was always implemented in my head since young that we are in this alone.”

When asked about his experience of his mother being his manager, he shared that once he kick-started his career, he always wanted his mother to look after his things.

NLE Choppa with his mother, Angeleta Ellis Potts. (Photo: AllHipHopTV/YouTube)

The rapper apparently called his mother after his first label and told her he needed her to be his manager. He described her reaction with:

She was like ‘huh? what?’, she was at work, I was like ‘mom this shit finna take off, it’s over with’, I was just telling her – but she hung up in my face, ’cause she thought I was lying. 

He continued to share, “Once we got on a call with the label, she knew I wasn’t playing. We flew out to LA a couple days later.”

NLE Choppa’s Mom and Dad Come from Two Different Ethnic Backgrounds

While Choppa was born in the United States and holds an American nationality, his parents have two different ethnic backgrounds.

His father, whose identity is still under wraps, is reportedly Nigerian, whereas his mother, Potts, is Jamaican.

In addition, Choppa’s mother went to John Overton Comprehensive High School and later studied accountancy at the University of Memphis.

According to her Facebook profile, she formerly worked at Shelby County Schools, a public school system in Tennessee.

NLE Choppa and his dad together. (Photo: FTY ENT/YouTube)

Speaking of his dad, he rarely appears public with the rapper. However, he occasionally makes his presence in Choppa’s social media clips.

He was once spotted showing his dance moves alongside Choppa backstage of an event the rapper was a part of. Similarly, the rapper had previously shared a video of him roasting his father.