Florida-born, Jersey-raised singer and rapper Lil Xxel (pronounced “zell”) used TikTok as a launchpad for his poppy blend of hip-hop, R&B and dance music. • Xxel’s real name is Alex, and his friends in high school called him Lexx. He flipped it backwards to create his pseudonym. • After his breakout 2020 single “LMK” earned him a deal with 300 Entertainment, Xxel returned with the follow-up single “MNU”. • He was inspired to make music—including “LMK”—by a messy breakup with his high school sweetheart.