Why aint Little Brother Blow?

[ISO]

Phonte is more talented as an MC than Kendrick or Cole

Even so Cole is a lot more introspective than Phonte and a lot more marketable.

I heard the first LB albums, they dope AF, but Phonte never spit nothing introspective from the heart like this.

 

[Self_Born7]

they were supposed to have next
the listening will always be a classic... that album brings back so much memories....

 

[Zero]

Of all the criticism the group received over the name, none stood out more than what came from one of hip-hop’s elder statesman, BUN B of UGK.
PHONTE: That was the one moment where— I didn’t have any regrets, I’m always going to stand by my art—but that was one of those moments when I felt we maybe overshot it a little bit. Maybe we could have been a bit more nuanced. Maybe instead of a sledgehammer we shoulda used a chisel. It was an interview on Allhiphop.com and Bun B was like “I love their music but who are they talking about? I like to wear chains, etc.” I just remember reading that shyt and–first and foremost I had no idea he knew who we were–then to see him big it up and then ask if they were taking shots at me, my heart went right into my stomach. shyt, are we possibly alienating people who would otherwise ride for us? Later me and Bun talked and I said “Dude, I could never diss you, ever.” He was cool and said it’s all good, “I’m a fan.” So by the time it was time to do Get Back I did the song “Dreams” and I said “I still go to the crib and see my nikkas on the corner/ Chillin with the pounds on they waist, gettin old/Gettin round in the face and when I hang with them/They ask me if “The Minstrel Show” means I’m ashamed of them.”That was that moment of me saying I didn’t mean to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

9TH WONDER: I got a text and phone call from Bun B myself and that’s one of those calls where you don’t do a lot of talking, you do a lot of listening. So I did a lot of listening. You know what I mean. I heard what he was saying about being mindful. That was the time in our lives when we understood what Andre was saying on “Aquemini,” “Not every nikka with gold is for the fall, not every nikka with dreads is for the cause…” If you listen to Phonte’s verse from “The Yo Yo” and look at the video we had [for “Lovin It”] too, we’re basically saying don’t put us in a box. With the Minstrel Show it was a tight rope we had to walk.

Bun B friendly ass strikes again

@shopthatwrecks file it breh

 

[Zero]

It ain't that complicated. They couldn't make appealing catchy songs and weren't "cool." They really gave off the "nerd backpackers who complain on the internet" vibe. The songs just weren't hitting and they couldn't compare or adapt to what was poppin. They had no commercial appeal.


I really tried my best to get into them but I never could and seeing them complain really didn't help at all. You can have skills but if you don't know how to present them, it's all for naught, especially if you're trying to be above underground.



And the concert incident happened in 2006 at a Fayetteville, NC (their home turf) when they performed at a radio station's summer jam concert and the whole crowd just stared at them. Here's a repost of what Phonte posted on Myspace when it happened back in 2006.


There were pictures from the stage showing the crowd literally just staring at them like
. Funniest thing ever

I remember this and was posting about it when it went down

It honestly wasn't a good look. Blaming fans is never a good thing, and to be honest, they didn't have to clout to even kind of get away with it then.

 

[JustCKing]

Also of note, it wasn't that Atlantic didn't know what to do with lyrical artists, what kills most artists signing to majors is not inderstanding their own brand. Take Lupe for example, dude put a loose concept album with The Cool. "Supeestar" took the album Gold. His first album didn't do too well commercially, but he rebounded withe sophomore.

For all intents and puroises, T.I. is lyrical too. His biggest and best albums were with Atlantic. Unfortunately, after Paper Trail, they wanted to mold all their Hip Hop albums after it.

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

Even so Cole is a lot more introspective than Phonte and a lot more marketable.

I heard the first LB albums, they dope AF, but Phonte never spit nothing introspective from the heart like this.

Umm

 

[Easy-E]

The Listening
The Minstrel Show
Chittlin Circuit 1.5
Separate But Equal
And Justus for All
Sleepers
Charity Starts At Home



Stranded on an island; keep these wit me and I'm good

I'm favorite group eva

 

[Poh SIti Dawn]

Yea they were dope, like others said they kinda came out in the wrong era, they came out too late for their own good, I fit them in the run the jewels lane if done better

I don't like how people say this so fluently and it's only the first page. What is the wrong era of ignorant music has ruled the charts for dang near ever? Do,you just mean they didn't make commercial music?

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

I don't like how people say this so fluently and it's only the first page. What is the wrong era of ignorant music has ruled the charts for dang near ever? Do,you just mean they didn't make commercial music?

Dude...they were competing against Lil Jon, T.I., Jeezy and countless others out of the south. Plus, the whole boom bap soulful vibe them dudes were trying to bring to the game wasn't hitting in their own territory. When folks including myself say wrong era, it means on all grounds including region. For instance, Outkast came out in a perfect time during the mid 90s because the game was different. Sure they received flack from the East due to them being "bammas" in their eyes, but they still manage to make a impact in the game.

In Little Brother's sense, they had countless factors against them:

• Their region not being receptive to the east coast influences in their style
• Digital/Piracy epidemic (nobody wasn't buying cds during that time)
• Atlantic not marketing them the way they should (letting them eat on the Indie rap trend)
• Inner conflict

If Little Brother would have came out during the late 90s/early 2000s when Rawkus and the underground hip hop scene was actually having a movement, they would have been eating good.

 

[shopthatwrecks]

Bun B friendly ass strikes again

@shopthatwrecks file it breh

 

[Zero]

Wait...the police?

 

[shopthatwrecks]

Wait...the police?

yea right Bernard

 

[wizworld]

Chill young man its not that serious.

Don't be sensitive because I pointed out your ignorance. Love him or hate him, Doom is totally unique. Can't say the same for the other acts you named, regardless of how much you might like them.

 

[Poh SIti Dawn]

Dude...they were competing against Lil Jon, T.I., Jeezy and countless others out of the south. Plus, the whole boom bap soulful vibe them dudes were trying to bring to the game wasn't hitting in their own territory. When folks including myself say wrong era, it means on all grounds including region. For instance, Outkast came out in a perfect time during the mid 90s because the game was different. Sure they received flack from the East due to them being "bammas" in their eyes, but they still manage to make a impact in the game.

In Little Brother's sense, they had countless factors against them:

• Their region not being receptive to the east coast influences in their style
• Digital/Piracy epidemic (nobody wasn't buying cds during that time)
• Atlantic not marketing them the way they should (letting them eat on the Indie rap trend)
• Inner conflict

If Little Brother would have came out during the late 90s/early 2000s when Rawkus and the underground hip hop scene was actually having a movement, they would have been eating good.

I mean fast forward they still competing against thug migos future, etc. Let's keep it real, and only reason Kendrick gets play is,bc he's from LA and a PART of the machine.

They weren't gonna get love in the late 90s or early 2000s bc it was still gangsta rap east coast and West and a lil bit of South.

Truth is they still got love world wide it just wasnt like Wed want it to be But y'all needa stop tryna rewrite the history books or act like conscious rappers ever stood a chance. Y'all gonna say blu was in the wrong era too? Less keep it real. We facing the matrix over here breh

 

[wild100sboy]

[Phonte]
Right tack to business off a six-week tour
And I ain't never seen drama like this before
Got a lot of shyt to get off my chest
Some wild shyt to address, so I told Khrysis press record
I'mma put it on wax and give you the raw facts
And truth about life and the things I'm dealing with
Black folks saying that I'm too intelligent
And white folks saying I'm a little too ******ish
It got me in a strange predicament
I wish black embarrassment TV was judged more wisely
But I don't know what's worse
The fact that they ain't playing our shyt, or that it don't even surprise me
Because I shucking and cause I ain't jiving
Some of these crackers won't stand beside me
And cause I ain't killing and don't support pimping
Some of these nikkas wanna call me a Cosby
Well, I'll be that dude, I'll scratch that itch
I'll play that role, call me Heathcliff bytch
If this ain't what you want then fine
But somehow, someway we got to draw that line
And it goes without mentioning, I thought about censoring
This verse so my label and manager stay cool
But as of this recording we ain't even outsold The Listening
So really what the fukk I got to lose?
bytch it's Phontigga, lo the show ripper
Ho cause my hoes would change week to week
But now my flows be changing from beat to beat
Tell my nikka Jim Bowes he gotta beat the streets
Cause I know that they need us - there's got to be more to this generation
Than dranking and smoking all they weed up
This is my confession with the Embassy
You fukkin imbeciles can put your Rosary Beads up, now