California State University East Bay

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California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

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A Big Controversy Around Lil’ B

Rapper Lil’ B, with his controversial lyrics, performs at Bayfest at the CSUEB campus last Friday.

With all the controversy leading up to Friday’s event, it was a surprise not to see a collection of detractors in front of the New Union with picket signs raised towards the night sky.

Last weekend, CSU East Bay held its annual Bay Fest, a celebration of local artists both known and unsigned, and with the last minute addition of Lil’ B, who also goes by the pseudonym “Based God,” it was clear that some faculty and students didn’t necessarily agree with the artist’s creed.

One glance at the Associated Students, Inc. Facebook page shows just how polarizing of a figure Lil’ B is, with comments ranging from the almost nonsensical “I hope Lil B cooks wonton soup with Miley Cyrus,” to the more angered “Lil B will make our student body that much stupider… jeez.”

Lil’ B, who’s real name is Brandon McCartney, first garnered attention as a member of The Pack with their hit song “Vans.” Since then, he has become an internet sensation, creating hundreds of free tracks and mixtapes, a multitude of Myspace pages, and a Twitter, which he updates ad nauseum. Lil’ B has even added author to his resume, writing his first book entitled “Taking Over by Imposing the Positive,” at the age of 19.

Ironically, alternative rock sites such as Pitchfork and Fader have shown more support for Lil’ B than some blogs in the rap community, a fact not overlooked by the artist.

“It shows how judgmental the rap game can be sometimes,” said Lil’ B, as he addressed his unusual fan demographic.

Another source of judgment and notoriety for Lil’ B is his remarkably different style, combining bass-laden, sample-heavy tracks with a stream of consciousness delivery, more commonly referred to as “based” rapping. According to Based God, the style “helps me to break down my thoughts into their purest form. I literally am just saying what I’m thinking.”

By simply searching YouTube, it’s easy to find the major source of resentment towards the self-styled almighty Based God. On his personal YouTube page, Lil’ B has dozens of do-it-yourself styled music videos complete with lyrics comparing himself and his swag to religious figures, various objects, non-sequitur ideas, and notable white celebrities such as Mel Gibson and Ellen DeGeneres.

Often, the content is very explicit, and filled with sexual innuendo and blatant requests for fellatio, a fact juxtaposed by the realization that most of his fans are female.

When asked about his sexual content, Lil B’ responded, “We’re all here. That means that somebody was having sex. I hate to say it, but our parents were having sex. I just choose to rap about it.”

Looking further into his musical catalog though, it’s clear there is more to his lyrics than meets the eye. On one of his recent songs, “Dark Skin,” Lil’ B creates a social commentary on the plight of minorities in lower-income communities. Another song titled “We Are the World” features lyrics saying, “It’s time to spend time, it’s time to see the earth, it’s time for rebirth, I want to see you smile.”

Perhaps his lyrical versatility is what has lead to a cult following of loyal fans, who leave him comments holding him up as some sort of modern day hip-hop reverend.

“I feel like there has to be a balance with artists,” said Lil’ B. “You can’t just give somebody all party lyrics, or all serious lyrics, because no one person is always in the same mood. My songs change with my mood.”

Even still, some people think an act like his is too lewd for the CSUEB campus—a campus that hosted a group at last year’s Bay Fest that performed tracks like “She Got Yams,” a song vilifying certain attributes of a woman’s physique. This is also the same campus that featured an artist who has performed songs affectionately titled “Pussy Police.”

In addition, the last two years of Spring Fest have hosted both Ludacris and E-40, two major artists that have come under fire in the past for degrading women and other suggestive lyrics. The question then becomes a matter of what is considered artistic expression, what is considered overtly obscene, and who determines where that line is to be drawn?

“I say things to test people, to have fun and make jokes,” said Lil’ B. “I know what to say to get under people’s skin. People act like I didn’t write a book on positivity!”

However, Friday night’s attendance proved that young Based God is doing something right—hoards of based disciples spilled into the Multi-Purpose Room, some adorned with star-spangled aprons lined with duct-taped messages reading “Thank You, Based God!”

Others filed in with stainless steel spatulas and custom shirts reading “Chef,” a way of paying homage to the cooking dance also started and popularized by the artist. After the night’s performance, one thing is clear: whether you’re a fan or not, the savvy young artist has, at the least, won your attention.

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A Big Controversy Around Lil’ B