By Tomas Parzuchowski
Music Columnist
Underground music is oftentimes characterized by being avant-garde sonically, as well as being, by definition, away from the mainstream spotlight and underrepresented in the consumption and conversation of music. This is no different in hip-hop, a genre with countless avenues of expression, though the impact of certain artists in this genre is felt potently. I would like to shift the spotlight towards a couple of artists who have had a tremendous influence on the modern mainstream landscape of hip-hop–and modern music as a whole–while still remaining in the shadows.
The first artist I would like to highlight is Billy Woods, whose abstract lyrics and ear for experimental production enable him to create unique and compelling projects. Woods, a rapper born in 1978 in Washington D.C., had early academic influence from his PhD Marxist-Leninist father, who worked under the Zimbabwean government during the 1980s. This influence is displayed in his contemplative and thought-provoking lyrics. Billy Woods began releasing music in 2002 and has been creating consistently since that point, dropping an album every 1-2 years. During his two-decade career, he has collaborated with several rappers, the most notable being Aesop Rock, Elucid, Danny Brown, and Boldy James, as well as working with esteemed producers such as The Alchemist, Kenny Segal, and Blockhead.
While notable, his singularity as a rapper lies not in his collaborators, rather it is found in his lyrics that are hard to describe without using the words intellectual and interesting. In “History Will Absolve Me,” released in 2012 and sharing a title with a well-known speech by Fidel Castro where Castro attempts to defend himself against charges of leading an attack on a barracks in Cuba, Billy Woods displays his expertise in crafting a compelling and unorthodox concept album. The cover of this album is an image of Robert Mugabe, first Prime Minister and then President of Zimbabwe from 1980-2017. This album is full of intelligent and cohesive references, for example in the song “The Man Who Would Be King,” Woods writes: “Blue-eyed Prometheans in the heart of darkness. Land of the monsters. Walk like Quetzalcoatl amongst the conquered,” which is a clear depiction of colonialism and imperialism by Europeans and Americans. Even though his career is far from over, Billy Woods is immortalized through the influence of his delivery and lyrical prowess on several artists including Mach-Hommy, and Ja’king the Divine.
The next artist whose character and catalog I’d like to display is Lil B, arguably one of the most influential hip-hop artists in the past 20 years. Lil B, also known as The BasedGod, born in 1989 in Berkley, California, began creating music at the age of 15. Because of his lack of a secure home life, criminal activity became his reality. After spending time behind bars, Lil B made an intentional shift towards positivity and his “Based” mentality, which he defined in a 2010 Complex interview as “not being scared of what people think of you… being positive.” This idea became the central focus of his music, the act of being himself, and staying positive was his main emphasis. But Lil B’s positivity, while important, was not as crucial as the two pivotal aspects of Lil B’s persona. Those would be: his musical impact, and his influence on the realm of modern music creation as a whole.
Lil B is an enigma. He has released over three thousand songs, and over a hundred mixtapes, most of which were recorded and released between 2009 and 2014. He has had a critical influence on the mainstream, both genre-bending and forming. This is shown through his early collaboration with the acclaimed producer of A$AP Rocky, Clams Casino, which led to the album 6 Kiss, which is seen by some as the first cloud rap album, a genre now spearheaded by Swedish artists Bladee, Ecco2k, and Yung Lean. But Lil B’s influence, while clear in the sound selection of today’s artists, is more impactful to the modern marketing of music. Emerging to the music scene in 2006 with his group called, “The Pack,” Lil B was one of the pioneers of internet virality for music. Releasing songs on MySpace, and later YouTube, Lil B levied his internet savviness to gain success, and while the group that he was a part of never surpassed their initial virality, Lil B maintained himself in rap relevancy. One of the ways in which he stayed relevant was through controversy, some examples being the “curses” he put on Kevin Durant and James Harden, mystically disabling them from winning during critical moments, and the release of his album “I’m Gay (I’m Happy),” which he explained was an expression of his support of the LGBTQ+ community. More notably, Lil B has been immortalized through his use of meme culture and trends. Lil B started many trends; coining the term “Based,” and the phrase “Let that boy cook,” alongside his “cooking” dance that has been replicated innumerable times through athletes. His use of the internet as a whole to market himself has had a crucial impact on music today, even if he remains out of the spotlight.
Leave a Reply