SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) – Savannah McConneughey, who goes by “VanVan” and uses the handle @therealvanan, is a five-year-old rapper from Salisbury.
A precocious little girl who exudes confidence with her dance moves, she’s been rapping about the days of the week, the ABCs and 123s.
Her rise started soon after VanVan was born, says her mother, Kenya McConneughey.
“Everybody keeps saying, ‘She should be a model,’” Kendra said. “And so, we started taking pictures of her and stuff like that, and then we posted it, and everybody’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s gonna be a star!’”
Soon after Savannah began talking, her father, Reggie McConneaughey, noticed her aptitude for music and memorization.
“Watching shows, I noticed that she could mimic anything that comes on TV, word for word,” said Reggie, who now acts as VanVan’s hype man. “This is when she was two. She could mimic, dance, say word for word any cartoon that comes on TV.”
He started nurturing her natural abilities, encouraging her to expand her vocabulary through music. Savannah’s favorite old-school R&B song, “Saturday Day Love,” by Alexander O’Neal and Charrelle, is how she learned her days of the week.
He posted videos of her mimicking TV shows online, and VanVan started to amass a following. Last April, she garnered attention online, singing “Nothing Else Matters” at her grandfather’s church.
A few days later, her dad posted a video of her rapping the lyrics, “My name is VanVan / I ain’t no time to play / Playing outside, every day,” with the caption, “We are going to the studio with this 1.”
Shortly after, she became a viral sensation.
Her videos — especially her song “Play Outside Everyday” — have generated millions of views on Instagram and TikTok. Last year, she performed with some of hip-hop’s greats at the Kennedy Center Honors Tribute for Queen Latifah. MC Lyte, a rap pioneer, signed VanVan to her label and released her latest single, “Pull Out The Keys.”
MC Lyte’s label, Sunni Gyrl, will release VanVan’s first album in April. She also landed a regional Super Bowl ad with the fried chicken franchise Bojangles.
“Savannah is very talented,” Kenya said. “She has her head on straight. She’s very respectful, and we think that goes a long way. I think she’ll go far as long as she stays grounded in the Lord and keeps being that kind, sweet girl that she is.”
Kenya and Reggie insist they’re not pushing Savannah into the spotlight. They just want her to be herself.
When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, she said she wants to be exactly who she is today.
“I want to be the same thing that I am right now,” said Savannah.
“Rapping, singing, and doing my own thing.”
Rapid Fire Questions with VanVan
Favorite Movie?
Barbie
Favorite Color?
Purple, Pink, and Blue
Favorite Food?
Pizza and Donuts (with strawberry frosting)
Favorite song?
“Pull Out The Keys” By VanVan
Favorite Rapper?
MC Lyte
Favorite TV show?
That Girl Lay Lay
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