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Bay Area Rap Star Lil B Impresses With Staggeringly Prolific Release Schedule[/h1]
Posted 21 hrs ago by
anthonybarker in
Artist to Watch
I think it goes without saying that Brandon "Lil B" McCartney grew up in the age of the LiveJournal. Formerly of Bay Area skater rap group
The Pack,
Lil B has spent the last two years revising his vision, committed to incorporating nearly every influence under the sun (except an editor) into his avalanche of "Based Freestyles". Rapping about whatever emotion or topic that moves him at any given moment, these "Based Freestyles" were unleashed to the world via a series of over one hundred distinct MySpace pages. Ranging from
exhuberant, ego-driven monotony anthems (at least a dozen variations of "I'm a pretty !*++$, I look like _________"), to fragmented, existential documents like last year's incredible
"I'm God", each facet of Lil B's dynamic personality is reflected somewhere in his catalog.
The man uses no filter, which can make his uneven, schizophrenic
catalog initially overwhelming. However, it's also part of the draw, as he constantly refines his craft, trying his hand at innumerable styles, and succeeding more than he fails. With the prolific nature of his output, there's no shortage of new material, often announced as a free download, from his endlessly updated
twitter feed. Most recently, bearing a hilarious picture of WWE superstar
Goldust, was the "Gold Dust Rare Golden Collection".
Neglecting two off-kilter soul songs where he tries his hand at
T.Q.-style balladeering, the remainder of this EP surprisingly focuses on straightforward rapping. Since the based freestyle aims to convey spontaneous feeling, typically there's a minimum of technically sound lyricism on display. While this doesn't actually detract from the quality of the work (considering the completely skewed experimental context that this music exists in), it also leaves him vulnerable to cranky, puritanical backpack-rap grandpas that (incorrectly) lament his lack of skills. These complaints are put to bed by tracks like "My History", however, where his rough, but measured verses bear many similarities to
"Return of the Mac"-era Prodigy. As a rapper that wears his influences on his sleeve, it's tempting to think Lil B sees the stylistic similarities as well, since he tackles Mobb Deep's
"Quiet Storm" instrumental later on, for the EP's title track.
Listening to a lot of Lil B is sort of like hanging out with a yoga instructor. There's ample vague positivity that, while occasionally naïve, also gently nudges you into optimism of your own. After half an hour or so, it's as if you're entering a portal directly into the man's head. Broadcasting his life digitally, in a sort of Bay Area-rap Truman show, Lil B lives by his lyric on "My History" where he states, "You know you can make history every day; it don't matter if you don't know where you come from." He's CONSTANTLY altering the trajectory of his own personal narrative, never content to rest on past successes, and endlessly redefining himself with each successive release. It's a bold move, considering how many artists deliberately manipulate their image, posturing for commercial benefits. Appreciating this authenticity, Lil B's audience is far more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt when a misstep
does occur, since the motivation behind a failure is always at least a genuine and passionate one. I, for one, am eager to see his next move; thankfully, I shouldn't have to wait long.
http://blog.mtvmusic.com/2010/10/24...-with-staggeringly-prolific-release-schedule/
