Lil B “I Am” (2010, Internet)
Not to be confused with “I Am The Hood” released in May, this new “online only” single from B has an “Impossible” feel to it, with airy synths providing a distinctly cloud rap aesthetic. Also, as you might guess from the title, the subject matter is pretty meta.
I made this song for anybody that relates to now.
That line caught me the first time through the track, and there’s really quite a bit of truth to it. B’s music isn’t made for the Golden Era clingers or the strap-hangers, but for people who can relate to the “massive changes” (as the song says) taking place (in music, in art, in social constructs) currently. Lil B has been described as many things (some self-appointed): cult leader, princess, hack, talentless, rap’s Angel of Death, swagged out…the list goes on. But on his best days, I think this rhetorical from John Twell’s Rain In England writeup gets to the heart of his appeal:
Or could he be the leading light of a new hip hop underground, one that has finally wrenched itself from the grubby backpacks and the cynicism of the mid 1990s?
An artist for anyone who relates to now.
Edit: This was a RAER video that is no longer available. Looks like the BasedGod’s videos are as ethereal as his production.
Edit 2: Video is back up. mp3 available, as well.
