We a faculty. And I’m the team leader.

For those who haven’t been paying attention to the internet, Lil B’s New York debut last weekend was an unquestionable success. This was a slightly unexpected turn of events. You never really know how internet buzz is going to translate to the real world, more often than not it simply doesn’t. Bombing seemed especially likely given both the locale and just how divisive B has grown in recent months. When I first walked into the sold out show and saw the crowd my initial concern was that a bunch of hating ass New Yorkers had paid $8 just to boo him. But no, the joint was packed instead with Master Chefs, kids who knew every song by heart and partied their brains out. Wooh!s and Swag!s filled the room and continued to echo out through the Manhattan streets for at least the 20 or 30 minutes that followed his performance. After more than a year of blogging about all things Based to such a mixed response, to walk into that room was a really fulfilling experience. Not in the flag planting, my support made this happen self importance that so many bloggcats wallow in – I’m well aware that B makes the internet, the internet didn’t make him – but rather for the simple realization that I’m not completely crazy. Other people, breathing people, are beginning to see what I saw in the kid so many months ago.^[1] There was a sense of pride to the whole experience, like watching your little brother graduate high school. I don’t think I was the only person in that room who felt that way either.

One of the early criticisms when I started posting Based music here so long ago was that I was just posting records from “my friend.” I suppose that was true to an extent, but only in the sense that everyone who listens to B’s music long enough becomes a friend of sorts. Or at least they feel that way. Admittedly this could be seen as a conflict of interests in my case, but if “friendship” is the primary currency and intent of his art – and I think it might be – then to not allow yourself to be one would be a critical misread. B’s gotten a ton of press in the aftermath of Santos – heat can make anything move – but the responses have been tentative, negative, cursory or confused. What you don’t see in the RealTalkNY video is the crowd’s margins, a minority of wall holders who watched curiously but rarely engaged. This was the audience that B’s internet detractors imagined would solely inhabit his show – mostly 25 and up, white, bearded, “hipster” chin strokers. I suspect this is where many of the people writing about the show stood, both physically and metaphorically, and I think that shows in their responses. If you’re observing B from a safe distance then you’re missing the point. The friendship model demands immersion. You ain’t in the game until you’ve heard a thousand songs. Or at least until you’ve tried to cook in the mirror. (more…)

This just in from the news nobody actually cares about but will talk about anyway because we’re bored on the internet department: Lil B and Joe Buddens have been embroiled in a twitter beef. I haven’t done a RAPP BEEF WRAPP UPP in a little while because that shit is just not interesting anymore but since people seemed worked up that I didn’t address the punch heard around the world (is this site usually your first stop for youtube/worldstar fuckery play-by-plays?) and because it has spilled over into the realm of rap music I guess I’ll have at it.

In a lot of ways Buddens, who is wholly insufferable as both a rapper and an internet persona, is like the evil version of B. Both are immersed in the internet at an almost creepy level and use it for the purpose of passion, productivity and attention grabbing antics. Except where B generally uses these techniques in the interest of positivity, Joe’s toxically negative in his approach. Joe’s easily the better rapper on a technical level but he’s got an extra ten years or so under his belt to account for that. And his music lacks the ideas, charisma and creativity that truly make the Based God worth paying attention to.

In chasing down the timelines it’s hard to tell exactly how the altercation started, but here’s my rough outline. (more…)

I recently began contributing to The Wire, a legendary UK based music publication with a focus on the avant garde. The May issue includes a short feature I wrote on Lil B as well as reviews of new music by Davinci, Meek Mill, Roc Marciano, Starlito and more. It’s on UK newsstands now and should be hitting your US Borders or Barnes & Noble in a few weeks.

It’s been a minute since we’ve formally checked in on Lil B. He’s still moving a the speed of fios, dominating the World Star front page, rocking SXSW, spreading positivity and generating a fair share of internet hate along the way. But at the same time he’s gaining in influence. One of the more exciting things about his Based Freestyles is their low cost of entry. Even more than the Jerkin or Crank Rap explosions, a Based Freestyle is something any kid anywhere can knock out in an afternoon all in the name of personal expression. We’ve already heard Soulja Boy’s entry into the Based cannon, but lesser known aspiring rappers all over the world have been tossing up their own Based Youtubes as of late. Of course, as with B’s own work, ease of creation is quality control’s worst enemy. But quality output is rarely high priority for a teenager.

Hit the jump for a selection of those clips. And, just to be clear, these videos are posted for purely anthropological purposes. I am not necessarily cosigning any of these artists. The music they’ve created, I don’t really listen to it. But the fact that they’re making it, I respect that. If you hated Lil B these are not for you. If you like Lil B these are probably not for you either. (more…)