Why Lil B is so polarizing

[jesseplatt93]

I have posted this before on numerous other forums because people can't seem to come to terms on why Lil B even has a fan base.

Lil B is a very confusing and polarizing artist. And when you jump into a thread about him and all you see is "WOW THANK YOU BASED GOD" and "#RARE," it can be confusing as to why he is so loved.

The most basic explanation of his appeal is that he makes the type of music that you watch on YouTube at first and are like "what the hell is this?" and then it becomes a big joke among you and your friends, and then a few months later you're bumping it in your car because it's so ridiculous and you're like "wait do I actually like this?," and before you know it you're at a Lil B show with that same group of friends because you've had such a blast listening to this guy. And that's the point. He's doing his thing, you're doing your thing, and somehow those two world's collide, even if it was initially a joke. A lot of people went through a similar process with trap and hardcore music.

To understand the more complicated explanation of his appeal, you have to know what being "based" is all about. Being "based" is about being who you are, being true to yourself, loving yourself, doing what makes you happy, and allowing the stuff you create to be an outpouring of who you genuinely are. This is a very cliche ideology that we've all heard a million times, but what makes Lil B so enticing is that he embodies it so well. We've all grown up hearing "just be yourself" from parents and teachers and role models who weren't really being themselves and weren't really doing what makes them happy. We've all heard rappers and rockstars who "don't give a fuck" but in reality they're concerned about their image and industry politics. Then you've got Lil B. He truly lives a "I don't give a fuck" lifestyle, not in a negative, arrogant way like we usually think, but in a positive, supportive way. This is a guy who, in the mid-2000s, released hundreds, if not thousands, of songs for free on MySpace. Anything that would come to his mind, he would make a rap about it and release it. He didn't care about what others thought of him, he didn't care if it was off-beat or bad, he just did what made him happy. He's the type of guy who can turn anything negative thrown at him into a positive, the type of guy who, if he became a bankrupt nobody tomorrow, would still be his positive, upbeat self that continues to do what he loves. And people are attracted to that attitude and that ideology, that's why people embrace Lil B so openly.

Now I'm definitely over-analyzing this, but hear me out. A lot of times in art, specifically in music, you'll have someone who creates an extreme example of something that causes you to go "what the hell?" initially, but then you realize that the point wasn't the final product, it was about the statement it was making, the discussion it creates and the questions it causes us to ask ourselves. Then other artists who are inspired by the idea of the message take that ideology and apply it more practically. For example, there was a composer in the 50's named John Cage who created a classical piece known as "4'33"" which is literally just 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence. The "piece" is the ambiance of your surroundings. Turning of papers, people adjusting in their chairs, the subtle sounds around you. The "point" of the piece wasn't about the final product, the point was about the statement, the discussion, and the questions it caused people to ask, specifically "what actually defines music?" and "can anything be used to make music?" This might seem silly today, in a day and age where anything can be used as a sample and basically anything can be turned into a musical instrument, but back then, when music was confined to specific little boxes, it was an important and inspiring statement.

Now, I'm not saying at all that Lil B is comparable to John Cage. Cage was obviously very intentional about creating discussion and causing people to ask questions, while Lil B isn't, he's just doing what he does. But they are both making statements. And whether or not Lil B did so intentionally, he is causing people to ask questions. Like "What is genuine music from the heart? Does it have to be emotionally compelling to be 'real,' heartfelt music? What does it actually mean to embrace whatever makes you happy? What does it actually look like when an artist is truly 'just being themselves'?" Which is specifically important in his lane of hip-hop which, like I mentioned earlier, is filled with a "I don't give a fuck" facade by people who are really way too concerned about their image and what others think. Combine these questions with the "based" movement explained above, and suddenly you've got an artist who, while seemingly ridiculous, is inspiring people to create art by tapping into who they are and not concerning themselves with what others might think as long as it makes themselves happy. Basically, a lot of people aren't inspired by Lil B musically, but inspired by what he represents, both creatively and in their own personal lives.

[Trebor17]

His music is good

[matious]

your the only one to figure this out

[(*The Noonward Race*)]

Based is a normative statement that self fulfills regardless of any fucking mediocrity.

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[Daily Routine]

lil b's music obviously sucks but that's not the only factor

obviously

[Ando!]

well yeah

liking lil b is at least partially an exercise in irony

worth emphasizing "at least partially"

[lukeskywalkertakingadump]

cool blog

[GiaNXGX]

cool, never thought cage would be mentioned on somethin that has to do with lil b haha.

[(*The Noonward Race*)]

Originally Posted by Ando!

well yeah

liking lil b is at least partially an exercise in irony

worth emphasizing "at least partially"

everything is post-modern these days and it's boring to explore it's in-authenticity/"irony" now, that might be a good way to say why lil b sucks

[HillaryClitTounge]

Hes not polarizing. He is an annoying distraction. Irrelevant except to the immature who can't understand wasting your time on childish nonsense satire is just as bad as wasting your life trolling online.

[Ando!]

Originally Posted by (*The Noonward Race*)

everything is post-modern these days and it's boring to explore it's in-authenticity/"irony" now, that might be a good way to say why lil b sucks

i dont know about that man, i can see how he's potentially still interesting (I havent listened to any of his stuff for awhile)

i mean people are still flipping out that kanye west wore a dress, for christs sake

[Ando!]

Originally Posted by HillaryClitTounge

Hes not polarizing. He is an annoying distraction. Irrelevant except to the immature who can't understand wasting your time on childish nonsense satire is just as bad as wasting your life trolling online.

wat

[Trebor17]

Listen to I Love You and try not to cry. The haters just aren't positive enough to enjoy Lil B