Lil B, one of the more controversial figures in the world of modern hip hop. Many know him for his wacky style, doing things like wearing dresses and making really offbeat rap songs, but if you take a closer look, there is a genius at work.
Lil B a.k.a, Brandon Christopher McCartney, first made a name for himself through a San Francisco Bay Area rap group called “The Pack.” In 2006, one of their songs, “Vans” blew up and was ranked 5th best by Rolling Stones magazine, which put them on the radar of the hip hop world. Using this new found recognition, they released their debut album, “Based Boys”. Now, for those who don’t know, the term “based,” essentially means to be confident and not care about what people think about you. This is the concept that Lil B operates under in both his rap and personal life.
Often times, people hear his rap songs and they hear the offbeat rapping and silly lines that don’t make sense and think “This guy is wacky.” That might be true, but that’s where his being “based” comes in. He does what he wants, even if “society” frowns upon it simply because he is “based,” and does not care what society thinks of him. He also takes this beyond his music and is “based” in real life. Recently, he had an interview on ESPN and he wore a light pink dress, a sun hat, and long feminine like earrings. Many people laughed at him and hurled obscenities at him such as “gay” or queer.” Despite things like this, Lil B makes it a point to constantly say he loves everybody. This is the type of mentality Lil B wants the youth to feel and that is why he promotes it so heavily.
Using social media as a medium, especially Twitter, he sends out messages such as “Hispanic Latino or human? Which do you like better and what do you want to be called? I love you – Lil B.” He wants people to love each other and to get out of hateful mentalities. He also does something that almost no other celebrity does, he follows back everyone on Twitter. He cares about each and every one of us and wants us to feel loved. These types of things are what make Lil B an inspiration and role model to the people.