Guide to Lil B

Over the past few years, Lil B has been one of hip-hop's most prolific artists. He has also been one of its most polarizing. Not many people familiar with him are going to be passive when he is brought up in conversation: the Based God tends to inspire passionate reactions from both sides of the coin. He's been referred to as "the wackest rapper," a trendsetter, a "fount of ignorant shit" and even "a martyr of some sort." That is to say nothing of the many death threats he's received, or the countless fanatics who chant "TYBG" whenever appropriate.

One thing universally agreed upon, though, is that he's created a truly unique niche for himself. His freewheeling, optimistic and often surreal approach is unlike anything else out there. Stylistically, his works also tend to jump from style to style: 6 Kiss is pure cloud rap, BasedGod Velli has a dark west coast vibe, and Crime Fetish specializes in low-budget trap and gangsta rap. Etc., etc.

Let's get something really important out of the way: Many people DO unironically enjoy Lil B's music. Yes, he makes songs like "Wonton Soup" that are not meant to be taken seriously in the slightest. And yes, many Lil B fans like him solely for the comedic value of songs like those. But "The Growth"? "The Working Man"? Those songs have an entirely different, more serious appeal. And for many of us who have discovered tracks like those, they genuinely hit the spot.

Finding those gems can be daunting, however. After all, this is a guy who has released well over a thousand songs, and dozens of different mixtapes/projects. I haven't listened to them all - it's possible even Lil B himself hasn't - and if I covered every single tape of his I've listened to, this guide would be prohibitively long. However, I've made a guide that can hopefully help shine a light on this guy's bizarre career, and the best music that's come out of it. And rest assured, his best music is really damn good. Swag.

2000S: THE PACK, 6 KISS AND KICKING OFF CLOUD RAP

Brandon McCartney first donned the mic - and the Lil B name - for [The Pack,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pack_(group) a hyphy group from Berkeley, CA. They were best known for the song "Vans," which became a surprise hit. It's often noted that B's style was quite different back then; in fact, some still prefer his style from that era.

The Pack released two albums, an EP and several mixtapes before Lil B decided to kick off his solo career. I'm Thraxx was his first work; though "D.O.R. (Death of Rap)" and "I'm Heem" have remained cult favorites, and his unusually angry persona on the record has proven intriguing to some, the record ultimately left a minimal impact. Indeed, it was 6 Kiss, released only a few months later, that really caught people's attention.

6 Kiss was one of the pioneers of cloud rap, and it really is one hell of a record. The standouts are the first three tracks: "B.O.R. (Birth of Rap)," "I'm God" and especially "Walk the World." Lil B's optimistic, positive persona really began to shine through on this record, and it marked the beginning of several fruitful collaborations with the now-legendary Clams Casino. If you're new to Lil B, this record is arguably the best place to start.

2010: THE DELUGE BEGINS! MIXTAPES, FLAMES, "T-SHIRTS AND BUDDENS"... AND HOLY SHIT, HE RELEASED A PHYSICAL ALBUM

Lil B's reputation is still a mixed bag, but back in 2010? He was strongly maligned, especially by hip-hop purists, and often received negative comparisons to rappers like Soulja Boy. Though he managed to go viral with "Wonton Soup," many thought he was a flash-in-the-pan hack, and awaited the day he'd fall off the radar entirely.

Perhaps the first sign that B was truly in it for the long haul: "T-Shirts and Buddens," a diss track directed at Joe Budden. Hilarious, genuinely hard-hitting and backed by an incredible beat, it definitely took some listeners by surprise - and still does. It was later included in Everything Based, one of Lil B's best comedy tapes (and includes appearances from Soulja and WAKA FLOCKA).

2010 also saw the start of Lil B's "Flame" series of mixtapes, and saw his first - and to date, only - physical album: Rain in England. It's one of his ambient/new age releases, and received a CD and vinyl pressing from Weird Forest Records. It should be noted that his ambient projects are often considered among his worst, and tend to be really damn long; if your curiosity is piqued, I would recommend starting with Where Did the Sun Go. It offers a brief taste of his new age music, as well as a handful of more traditional Lil B tracks.

In general, Lil B in 2010 was all about comedy. If you love his SUCK MY DICK HO music, his '10 catalog is for you.

BEST RELEASES FROM '10:

• Everything Based (Key tracks: "T-Shirts and Buddens," "Wonton Soup," "All I Know" )

• Blue Flame (Key tracks: "Cold War," "Blue Flame Remix," "Free Lil Wayne" )

• Miscellaneous tracks: "Death Valley" (Red Flame), "Bitch I'm Bill Clinton" (Red Flame), "Straight Westside" (Gold Dust - one of his funniest songs, hands-down)

2011: PITCHFORK COSIGN, "BASE FOR YOUR FACE" AND THAT CRAZY-ASS ALBUM NAME

Lil B began 2011 with Angels Exodus, his first (and apparently final) release with Amalgam Digital. I would not consider it one of his strongest or essential projects, but it does have an amazing Clams Casino beat on "Motivation," and "The Growth" is a phenomenal track. The latter really foreshadowed the more serious, credible direction he was going to take in '11.

A huge turning point came from Illusions of Grandeur, and more specifically, "Base For Your Face." That track featured an all-star lineup of collaborators: Jean Grae and Phonte popped in for features, and 9th Wonder produced the beat. This collaboration made those who wrote B off shit bricks: "How did he get those guests?" In addition, Pitchfork began giving him a lot more coverage during this time, and the IoG tape itself got plenty of positive marks. The Based God's rep really benefitted from this perfect storm.

And then, of course, it happened. Lil B named his upcoming album "I'm Gay." This was an extraordinarily ballsy move from a guy who was finally starting to get some props. He once again found himself on the bad side of many in the hip-hop community, and though it was hands-down his most talked-about project up to that point, sales were disappointing. On the bright side, it easily received the best reviews he had gotten at that point, and it's indeed one of his best works. In spite of its controversial title, it's probably his "safest" release: the production is soulful boom bap, and B spits much more traditionally than usual.

2011 also saw the releases of Gold House, [The Silent President,](http://www.datpiff.com/Lil-B-The-BasedGod-The-Silent-President-mixtape.271697.html BasedGod Velli and several others. The latter tape received a very solid review from P4K, which further bolstered his popularity among that site's audience. And on top of all that, he even appeared on Lil Wayne's Sorry 4 the Wait mixtape. The Twitter reactions to his verse were fucking hysterical.

BEST RELEASES FROM '11:

• BasedGod Velli (Key tracks: "Never Came Out," "King Cotton," the legendary "I GOT AIDS" )

• I'm Gay (I'm Happy) (Key tracks: "I Seen That Light," "My Last Chance," "The Wilderness," "Gon Be Okay" )

• Gold House (Key tracks: "On God," "All I Have," "Gangsta's Smile" )

• Illusions of Grandeur (Key track: "Base For Your Face" )

• Red Flame: Devil Music Edition (Key tracks: "Don't Let Me Die," "Illusions of Grandeur" )

• Miscellaneous tracks: "Look Like Jesus" (N/A), "Great China Sea" (The Silent President), "Motivation" (Angels Exodus), "The Growth" (Angels Exodus), "The Based Life" (Angels Exodus outtake - VERY #RARE)

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