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You know her voice within the first three notes of a song. Possessing one of the most recognizable, distinct voices in contemporary music, popular singer/songwriter Lil Mo, affectionately known as the Godmother of Hip-Hop and R&B, will release her anticipated new CD, “Pain and Paper” on August 28th, via her own Honeychild Inc., distributed by Koch Entertainment. Leading the charge to introduce Lil Mo’s stellar third CD is the bouncy midtempo song, “Sumtimes I” featuring Jim Jones. Destined to become a Summer smash, the track is accompanied by a video, which was filmed in Atlanta and directed by Gabriel Hart.

“Pain and Paper” will also feature a daring remake of the Shirley Murdock classic “Husband.” Lil Mo, ably assisted by producer Troy Taylor, treated that soulful tune to a complete makeover, replacing its former slow, brooding arrangement with a lighter and airier, yet equally engaging sound. “My Youngin,” which features rapper Da Brat, cleverly deals with the social and emotional nuances of a May/December romance, while pain is the star of the track “One 4 The Road,” in which Lil Mo’s vocals masterfully expose the all-too-familiar frustration of emotionally investing in a hopeless romance. Lil Mo’s “Lucky Her” delves into finding the right love at the wrong time, only to discover that they finally get it right—with someone else! “Pain and Paper” is a no-holds-barred lyrical journey into the soul of the experiences that have transformed Lil Mo from a girl into a woman. The album also features production by award-winning producer Bryan Michael Cox, on “Heartbeat.”

The diminutive (4′11”) vocalist, originally from Long Island, New York, captured fans in 2001 with her debut album, “Based On A True Story,” which yielded the smash hit single, “Superwoman (Part II).” Her sophomore album, “Meet The Girl Next Door, “ released in 2003, gave fans the wildly popular song “4 Ever,” which teamed Lil Mo up with rapper Fabolous. A great musical match, they team again on “Pain and Paper” for “Sumtimes I, Part 2,” a re-working of the CD’s first single. Lil Mo has maintained a presence on the music scene, as her numerous hip-hop collaborations and her radio deejay stint on Baltimore’s WXYV-FM demonstrate. Sought after for collaborations because of her chilling vocals, she is currently featured on songs on the new CD’s of rappers Fabolous, Yung Joc and Mike Jones. She also recently did a collaboration with legendary rapper LL Cool J, called “I Cry.”

Having come up in the church, due to having parents who are both preachers, proud mother of two Lil Mo considers her upcoming album her third child. And to be sure, there will be an inspirational song on it. All things considered, there is obviously nothing “little” about how Lil Mo approaches her music, as “Pain and Paper” will undeniably demonstrate.