Lil B facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lil B
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Lil B in 2011
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| Background information | |
| 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), known as Lil B, is an American rapper. He is also known by his other name, the BasedGod. Lil B makes music by himself and was also part of a hip hop group called The Pack. This group was from Berkeley, California.
His solo music includes many styles like hip hop, new age, and jazz. Lil B calls his music "based." This word means living a positive and bold life. He is also known for using social media a lot to connect with his fans online.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Brandon McCartney grew up in Berkeley. He went to high school in Albany. When he was 15, he started rapping and took the name Lil B. He joined a hip hop group called The Pack.
The group released two successful mixtapes. During a popular music style called the hyphy movement in the San Francisco Bay Area, their song "Vans" became a big hit. Rolling Stone magazine even called it one of the best songs of 2006. Because "Vans" was so popular, The Pack released an EP (a short album) called Skateboards 2 Scrapers. In 2007, Lil B and The Pack released their first album, Based Boys.
Music Career Highlights
Early Solo Success and Collaborations
On September 24, 2009, Lil B released his first digital album, I'm Thraxx. He then released his second digital album, 6 Kiss, in December 2009. Many music critics liked this album.
In March 2010, he released his first mixtape, Dior Paint. Soon after, he signed with Soulja Boy's music label, SODMG Entertainment. Lil B released more mixtapes, including Base World Pt. 1 in May 2010. He also worked with Soulja Boy on a mixtape called Pretty Boy Millionaires. In September 2010, Lil B released his first studio album, Rain in England. The Guardian newspaper described it as a unique album with Lil B talking about love and beauty over calm, new-age sounds.
Mixtapes and Albums (2010-Present)
In December 2010, Lil B signed a deal with Amalgam Digital. He released an EP called Paint in July 2011. In January 2011, his fourth digital album, Angels Exodus, came out.
In April 2011, Lil B announced his next album, I'm Gay. This title caused some discussion. The album, officially named I'm Gay (I'm Happy), was released in June 2011. It reached number 56 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In May 2012, Lil B released his first album of instrumental music (music without singing). It was called Choices and Flowers, and he released it under his "The Basedgod" name. He also released a rock song called "California Boy" in September 2012. Later that year, he released another instrumental album, Tears 4 God.
In June 2014, Lil B released a mixtape called Hoop Life. In July 2015, he announced a collaborative mixtape with Chance the Rapper. This mixtape, called Free (Based Freestyles Mixtape), was released in August.
In 2017, Lil B was featured on a remix of the song "Come First" by Terror Jr. On his birthday in August 2017, he released Black Ken. He called it his "first official mixtape." This mixtape reached number 24 on the Top Heatseekers chart.
More recently, in June 2022, Lil B released Frozen and The Frozen Tape. In August, he worked with producer Keyboard Kid on Thraxxx Kiss. Lil B released Afrikantis, a jazz album, in December 2022.
Artistic Style
Lil B and music critics describe his rapping style as "based." Lil B also uses this word to describe a positive and bold way of living.
Rapping Technique
Jonah Weiner, a writer for Slate magazine, called Lil B one of a "growing number of weird-o emcees." He described him as a "brilliantly warped" artist from the Bay Area. Music critic Willy Staley said Lil B's work is "variegated," meaning it has many different parts. His music can be funny takes on hip-hop or a mix of new age and spoken word.
Staley also noted that Lil B uses many different music styles. These are often styles that other rappers do not use. In an interview, Lil B agreed, saying he can make a song like "Swag OD" but also enjoy artists like Antony and the Johnsons. He believes this wide range makes him different from other musicians.
Other Activities
Author
Lil B wrote a book called Takin' Over by Imposing the Positive!. It was published in 2009. The book is a collection of e-mails and text messages. It is written as if Lil B is e-mailing the reader. The book talks about being positive, optimistic, and living what he calls a "Based Lifestyle." In March 2012, he gave out copies of his book during a talk at NYU. In March 2013, he announced that he was writing his second book.
Motivational Speaker
McCartney has given inspiring talks at several colleges. These include MIT and Carnegie Mellon University. His talks usually focus on his own life experiences and current events. In May 2015, he gave a talk at UCLA. There, he spoke about topics like money, media, technology, and love.
Basedmoji and vegEMOJI Apps
Lil B launched an app called "Basedmoji" on January 16, 2015. The next day, he released "vegEMOJI." He worked with a vegan company called "Follow Your Heart" for this app. Lil B has said he is trying to eat less processed food.
Personal Life
On January 16, 2015, Lil B's apartment building in Contra Costa County, California, caught fire. A 15-year-old named Mateo Ysmael helped save Lil B and six other people by waking everyone up.
For the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Lil B supported Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. He mentioned Sanders' work in civil rights as a reason for his support.
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)
Images for kids
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McCartney in 2012
