Lil B facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lil B
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Lil B in 2011
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| Birth name | Brandon Christopher McCartney |
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| Born | August 17, 1989 Berkeley, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
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Brandon Christopher McCartney (born August 17, 1989), who is better known as Lil B, is an American rapper and music producer. He is also known by his nickname, The BasedGod.
Lil B started his music career in 2005 as part of the hip hop group The Pack. The group was from Berkeley, California, and became famous for their hit song "Vans". This song was so popular that it made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.
After The Pack stopped making music together, Lil B started a successful solo career. He became very popular online by using social media to connect with his fans. This helped him build a large and dedicated group of followers. His music is known for mixing many different styles, including hip hop, new age, and even choral.
Lil B is famous for creating the slang term "based." He says it means being positive and true to yourself. He has been a big influence on many other rappers, including Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, and Tyler, the Creator.
Contents
Early Life and The Pack
Brandon McCartney was born in Berkeley, California. He went to Albany High School in Albany, California. When he was 15, he started rapping under the name Lil B. He joined the hip hop group The Pack with his friends.
The group became popular during the Bay Area's hyphy movement, a style of music and dance. Their song "Vans" was a huge hit. Rolling Stone magazine even called it one of the best songs of 2006. Because the song was so successful, The Pack released an EP called Skateboards 2 Scrapers. In 2007, they released their first album, Based Boys.
Solo Music Career
After his time with The Pack, Lil B began to focus on his own music. He became known for releasing a huge amount of music for free online. By 2010, he had already recorded over 1,500 songs.
First Albums and Mixtapes
In 2009, Lil B released his first digital albums, I'm Thraxx and 6 Kiss. The album 6 Kiss was very well-liked by music critics. In 2010, he signed with the record label of another rapper, Soulja Boy.
He released his first official studio album, Rain in England, in 2010. This album was very different from his other work. It featured him speaking poetry over soft electronic music. A writer for The Guardian newspaper described it as a "beatless, Beat poetry-style set."
Creating a Unique Style
Lil B continued to release music that surprised his fans. In 2011, he released the album I'm Gay (I'm Happy). The title caused some discussion, but Lil B explained that he was using the word "gay" to mean "happy." The album was successful and appeared on the Billboard music charts.
Over the next few years, he released many projects. These included an instrumental album called Choices and Flowers and a rock song called "California Boy". In 2013, he released a mixtape called 05 ... Em which had 101 songs. In 2014, his mixtape Hoop Life included a song about the basketball player Kevin Durant.
Recent Music
In 2015, Lil B worked with Chance the Rapper on a mixtape called Free (Based Freestyles Mixtape). In 2017, he released Black Ken, which he called his "first official mixtape." It was a tribute to artists who had inspired him.
Lil B has continued to explore different types of music. In 2022, he released a jazz album called Afrikantis.
What Does "Based" Mean?
Lil B is famous for creating and popularizing the word "based." He uses it to describe his style of music and his way of life. He explained the meaning of the word in an interview with Complex magazine.
Based means being yourself. Not being scared of what people think about you. Not being afraid to do what you wanna do. Being positive. When I was younger, based was a negative term that meant like dopehead, or basehead. People used to make fun of me. They was like, "You're based." They'd use it as a negative. And what I did was turn that negative into a positive. I started embracing it like, "Yeah, I'm based." I made it mine. I embedded it in my head. Based is positive.
His rapping style is often described as "weird" or "unusual." He mixes serious topics with funny ones and is not afraid to be different. He has said that he is inspired by many types of music, not just hip hop.
Other Projects
Besides music, Lil B has worked on other creative projects.
Author and Speaker
In 2009, Lil B wrote a book called Takin' Over by Imposing the Positive!. The book is a collection of emails and text messages about staying positive and living a "Based Lifestyle."
He has also been invited to speak at several universities, including MIT and Carnegie Mellon University. In his talks, he shares his life experiences and ideas about positivity, technology, and love.
Mobile Apps
Lil B has also released mobile apps. In 2015, he launched "Basedmoji," an app with emojis inspired by him. He also worked with a vegan food company to create "vegEMOJI."
Personal Life
In January 2015, the apartment building where Lil B lived caught on fire. He and six other people were saved by a 15-year-old neighbor who woke everyone up.
During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Lil B showed his support for Senator Bernie Sanders.
Selected Discography
- 6 Kiss (2009)
- Rain in England (2010)
- Angels Exodus (2011)
- I'm Gay (I'm Happy) (2011)
- Choices and Flowers (2012)
- Tears 4 God (2012)
