It’s the late 2000s, and hip-hop is dead – at least, that’s what credible sources are saying. Subsequent to the death of legendary rappers like 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G, and with the rise in popularity of less lyrical sub-genres like trap and drill, several extremely important figures in hip hop alleged the death of the genre. In a 2006 interview with AllHipHop, Nas famously said, “Hip-Hop is dead, it’s not a bad thing. It’s just the acknowledgement.” (Watkins). Hip-hop fans, critics, and artists alike claimed that rap was deteriorating lyrically and sonically, and that the genre was currently simply inferior to what it had previously been.
Consequently, several up-and-coming rappers made a name for themselves by attempting to revive elements from the golden age of hip-hop in their work. They replicated the sounds and lyrical complexities of jazz and gangster rap from the 1990s. Joey Bada$$ got his break by spitting conscious bars over old Public Enemy and Metal Fingers beats. Kendrick Lamar emerged with poetic lyricism and 90s-inspired production under the mentorship and influence of legendary producer and fellow West Coast MC Dr. Dre. Freddie Gibbs, J. Cole, and more were also among these rappers who attempted to replicate the sounds of 90s rap music.
But not Lil B.
It’s hard to imagine what hip hop would look like today without Lil B. In a time where all rappers were trying to restore the consciousness and artistic craft behind the golden age of hip-hop, Lil B attempted just the opposite. Rather than trying to fight complaints of hip-hop’s death like other rappers at the time, Lil B ignored them and followed his own vision. His lyrics were obscene and careless, his music was not mixed or mastered, and he released free mixtapes online almost weekly; some of which contained hundreds of songs which couldn’t have possibly been high in quality at such volumes. At times, he even seemed to put out intentionally nonsensical and almost unlistenable music. But he was authentic: Lil B advanced a theory of rap that suggested that it can be made up on the spot, that structure is unnecessary, that the best metric of a song’s quality is the joy with which it was created. Such a theory would go on to change rap music forever.
Most of hip-hop’s more popular artists in this time tried to falsely present themselves as hardened criminals, or wealthy, larger-than-life figures. But Lil B was always unapologetically herself. He put out good music. He put out bad music. He put out rap music, rock music, country music, and pop music. He released music videos online which pictured himself crying in commercial pet stores. He appeared on SportsNation sporting an flamboyant, ankle-length dress and gold hoop earrings. Lil B took his eccentric sense of humor and strange interests and turned them into a personality that was at times provocative, but simultaneously funny and endearing. Through simply being himself, Lil B took the pressure off the next generation of rappers to save hip-hop through intricate lyricism and storytelling, and instead enabled them to express themselves genuinely in their music and their self-presentation.
It is impossible to understate Lil B’s massive influence on hip-hop as we know it today. Many of the greatest figures in recent hip-hop history cite Lil B as a huge influence in their careers. In a 2015 tweet, trap pioneer Lil Uzi Vert said, “I got a song that’s gonna be huge and if it wasn’t for Lil B it wouldn’t exist.” (Woods.) In 2013, the celebrated hip-hop producer Metro Boomin tweeted, “Lil B is responsible for a lot of careers man. A true hip hop pioneer.” (Wayne). Hip-hop legend Kendrick Lamar said in a 2015 tweet, “Thank you [Lil B]…You and Wayne most influential.” (Lamar). A$AP Rocky, Chief Keef, Young Thug, and Earl Sweatshirt are also among the many rappers who have praised Lil B as important influences in their careers. Subsequent to the emergence of Lil B as a prominent figure in hip-hop, the standards of what was considered cool or popular changed entirely. Lil Yachty would soon become one of rap music’s most beloved figures with a playful approach to vocals and bright red hair. Young Thug – perhaps the most influential rapper of the trap movement in the 2010s – began wearing dresses in album cover shoots and to award shows; a trend that Lil B popularized in the hip-hop community. The way these rappers portrayed themselves would have never been acceptable in hip-hop culture just a few years earlier, but everything changed because of huge influence of Lil B.
I remember my first time browsing through Lil B’s discography. At first, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of music he had released, and not any less overwhelmed by his chaotic, almost joke-like sound. The beats weren’t polished or simply stolen, the lyrics were all over the place, and the organization of his projects didn’t make much sense. But something about it and its novelty stuck with me, and I found myself enthralled. As I listened more, I realized his music was doing something nothing else was at the time – he didn’t follow rules or care about perfection, and he didn’t release music for any intended audience, purpose or profit. I soon after started to notice his influence everywhere – only shortly after his first breakthrough projects did rappers begin to embrace eccentricities in their style, experiment sonically and lyrically, and release music at large volumes for no purpose but their own.
If you are looking for the genuine Lil B experience, listen to a few mixtapes from his Flame series. The mixtapes “Red Flame,” “Evil Red Flame,” “Pink Flame,” “Green Flame,” etc. all capture his outlandish and boastful energy. The music is by no means the peak of creativity and brilliance in hip-hop, but it is absolutely fun and infectious and enthralling. If several hours of loosely-structured, basketball-themed bars sound more appealing to you, his Hoop Life mixtape might be worth a listen. If you prefer even longer and more abstract projects, try out any of his “855 Song Based Freestyle” mixtapes – he has eight of them, all of which are worth exploring. I have at least dabbled in every one of Lil B’s early projects, and found some enjoyability and value in each one without failure.
Of course, it is also perfectly understandable if none of these options sound appealing to you. You may not enjoy or even find yourself able to appreciate his music, as much of it is truly bad. But his influence is simply undeniable and glaring. His appeal is unique because he is not designed for casual listening – at least, not for the untrained ear. He is more of a phenomenon which must first be truly observed to fully enjoy. Listening to Lil B’s music might start as irony, but more often than not ends in enjoyment purely due to appreciation of his influence and singularity. As Jon Caramaica of the New York Times said, “Lil B would be more easily dismissible except that he alternates between the most base banality and thoughtful lucidity.” (Caramanica). His music, at the volumes of which it is released, can be ridiculous and absurd, or even downright bad – but what makes it brilliant is that it can also be beautiful, carefully-crafted and original; and he puts it all out for the world to see without fear of judgment or criticism. He inspired a new era of creativity and innovation rather than circling back to hip-hop’s early roots, and he normalized showcasing the eccentricities and peculiarities of ones’ self in hip-hop. Lil B’s influence on modern rap music cannot be understated, and his careless yet endearing approach to music should was nothing short of outstanding in an era otherwise full of trend-following and unoriginality.
