Little Brother Show Bombs; Announces New Album for 2007

[AmerikazMost]

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...&MyToken=a6633d1a-55b2-4578-a2a9-74bfd8e0f43f

Summerjam in Fayetteville last night was, unquestionably, the worst LB show ever.

I'm talkin ICE COLD yo.....the 'WOAT'......I think a breakdancing midget woulda got a better response than we did.

Real shit, I was *this* close to rhyming with my back turned to them niggas.

Imagine this lineup:
-Three Six Mafia
-Rick Ross
-Young Dro
-Young Joc
-Dem Franchize Boyz
-The Musicianz
-and....
-Little Brother?

It sounds like the setup to a bad '...so these guys walk into a bar' joke, I know...

NOW imagine a sea of 8,000 faces......completely still AND silent.

Don't get me wrong, once we accepted the gig I knew we were up against impossible odds, but I'm never one to back down from any challenge. The worst they can do is boo a nigga, right?

Wrong.

The worst they can do is look confused, and stare at you like you're the only boca burger at a steak buffet.

I thought niggas would at least nod and act like they're *trying* to give us a chance, right?

Nope.
None.
Zilch.
Nada.

Its like I could hear Jamie Foxx's voice in my head, taunting me like ol' boy at that roast:

"Damn, I really don't belong in this motherfucker.
I am your conscience.
Black people really don't like me.
I am your conscience.
Maybe you niggas should do that 'Lovin It' song and wrap it up....yeah, that'll get 'em on your side.
I am your conscience."

I think me and Pooh looked at each other and burst out laughing mid-song at one point, cause we couldn't believe how badly we were bombing....lol

Don't get it twisted....I understand how the 'concept' of Little Brother and/or "Minstrel Show" can be off putting and even intimidating to today's mainstream Black audience (three college educated niggas who ain't trappin and/or reppin one particular hood or housing project = The Cosby Show in the eyes of most niggas....real talk)......

But c'mon, now....

The stage show is when all those notions are supposed to fall to the side cause that's the 'oh, noooow I get it!' moment. That's when you see me and Pooh jumping and bouncing and rocking and realize, 'oh, they some regular niggas just like me.' Right?

Nope.
None.
Zilch.
Nada.

Shit like yesterday makes me wonder if the Black 'masses' and/or urban radio will EVER get what LB is trying to do.....

I know 9th doesn't make 808 beats.
I know me and Pooh don't have a 'leanwidditpeanutbutterandtaffy' song with its own accompanying dance.
I know HotFoxy9102.5 ain't runnin our joint every hour on the hour.

But damn....

I really wonder sometimes if my music is that 'intelligent' or are niggas just that dumb? (Or 'conditioned' to be a little more PC about it?)

I'mma keep doin' me and sadly assume the latter.

Little Brother
Getback
Atlantic Records '07

We move on. Again.


Tay

lmao..at least he takes it well

glad to hear about the album

 

[KAMIKAZI]

I haven't heard any of their shit but reading that made me mad.

 

[Little Skittle]

Don't get me wrong, once we accepted the gig I knew we were up against impossible odds, but I'm never one to back down from any challenge. The worst they can do is boo a nigga, right?

Wrong.

The worst they can do is look confused, and stare at you like you're the only boca burger at a steak buffet.


That shit made me laugh pretty good.

 

[ARon]

I really wonder sometimes if my music is that 'intelligent' or are niggas just that dumb?


Ha. Man I love Phonte. Some of the shit he writes man, so hillarious.

 

[Big Will]

The Minstrel Show I Think Was One Of THe Best Cds Of 05

 

[roaches]

99% of hip-hop shows, it's impossible to hear some shit you've never heard before and enjoy it. I remember seeing the Roots perform "Stay Cool" a good six or seven months before The Tipping Point came out, and people were like "wtf", and this is the best live act in hip-hop debuting one of the best songs off their upcoming album.

Matter of fact, I can only think of two instances where I heard unfamiliar material for the first time live and enjoyed it:
* Talib Kweli performing "Get By" the summer before his first solo LP dropped
* (Same concert, actually) Freeway's "What We Do", but I don't know if this counts. I'd heard the song before as a two and a half minute solo song. I wasn't expecting Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel to drop verses, though. Pleasant surprise.

I don't think Little Brother got a bad response because of their style (in fact, it's kind of annoying how the members love overemphasizing that shit). It's more that they were an unfamiliar act performing unfamiliar material.

 

[7 Syns]

^^
Exactlomondo.

Half the people in the audience if not a vast amount more would've been there for the sounds more than anything. That old "get down, get crunk, smack a bitch in the face with a good ol' turkey slap" sound.

peace.

 

[LilProphet]

The Minstrel Show I Think Was One Of THe Best Cds Of 05

True that CD was dope.

 

[GhettoStar]

^^
Exactlomondo.

Half the people in the audience if not a vast amount more would've been there for the sounds more than anything. That old "get down, get crunk, smack a bitch in the face with a good ol' turkey slap" sound.

peace.

yep....thats how south peeps get down nowadyas'

 

[kman_69]

lol i would have only gone to that concert to see LB....all those other acts (except maybe 36) are trash in my eyes...i had no idea LB weren't that big....sucks to hear...

cant wait for the new LB album!..

 

[AmerikazMost]

lol i would have only gone to that concert to see LB....all those other acts (except maybe 36) are trash in my eyes...i had no idea LB weren't that big....sucks to hear...

cant wait for the new LB album!..

Yeah, you'd be surprised to know how many people who like hip-hop don't know them.


But roaches, this concert was in Fayetteville. Most hip-hop fans from NC know LB and have heard them. I don't think your "unfamiliar" argument applies to this occasion.

 

[roaches]

Most hip-hop fans from NC know LB and have heard them. I don't think your "unfamiliar" argument applies to this occasion.

Maybe they get love in their home base (from what I've heard - not really), and of course they're going to get love at Duke, NC State, and UNC, but Fayetteville is outside of the triangle. How're they going to know about a mildly successful underground rap group who outside of Sirius and XM have probably gotten the total radio airplay that Three-6 Mafia's "Stay Fly" got in a week?

 

[AmerikazMost]

Maybe they get love in their home base (from what I've heard - not really), and of course they're going to get love at Duke, NC State, and UNC, but Fayetteville is outside of the triangle. How're they going to know about a mildly successful underground rap group who outside of Sirius and XM have probably gotten the total radio airplay that Three-6 Mafia's "Stay Fly" got in a week?

Eh, maybe you're right. I never have discussed hip-hop with anyone from the Fayetteville area.

They did get a lot of love at Cat's Cradle, which isn't limited to college students, but still Triangle Area.

 

[AmerikazMost]

Phonte's blog hit some nerves..

http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=3078

This past weekend underground/backpack heroes Little Brother opened up for Three Six, Young Dro, Rick Ross, Young Joc, Franchise Boyz and The Musicianz in Fayetteville, NC. Above is a split screen between this show and the typical attendance at a show LB is headlining. See if you can guess which is which.

8,000 people in the crowd and not one of them cared.

Rather than accept his permanent underdog status (or, god forbid, actually go back to the lab to make a hit record), LB’s Phonte went on myspace (and then okayplayer) to basically call the audience too stupid for his groups self proclaimed intelligent brand of hip hop*. This is not the first time the LB boys have presented this argument. Since signing to Atlantic (and subsequently bricking) the group has done nothing but complain about how they’re too smart for BET.

Which is odd. Outkast or Kanye West (for example) didn’t seem to have a problem making “smart” songs with a message and still selling truckloads of records. This is because they both have an aesthetic that, while definitely informed by the true school, is simultaneously pushing things forward.

Little Brother, on the other hand, continue to make throwback revivalist boom bap rap and continue to have zero commercial appeal. This isn’t even a matter of their music being boring (a claim some have made), merely outdated. If Mecca & The Soul Brother dropped today, it would be a resounding flop commercially. This is not because it’s a bad record. This is not because the audience is too stupid to understand all that vast knowledge that CL dropped (set to hurdle when I pop a girdle…) . This is not because the south is ruining dat real hip hop, yo. It’s because popular music moves forward. Interests and styles change with the times. Either try to come with a sound that the masses are going to feel or play your position and deal with reality that the shit will only ever appeal to coffee shop chicks and white dudes. It’s that simple.

The whole situation is akin to a doo-wop revival group opening for Chris Brown and catching feelings when his audience isn’t into them. Except I’ve never heard a doo-wop group complain about how Chris Brown and his ignorant fans are ruining the culture.

But it’s likely that all of this has very little to do with Fayetteville’s indifference. Like it or not. most people don’t go to a concert to discover new artists. They go to see the ones they already love. And Little Brother may have carved out a little niche in their corner of the internet, but in the grand scheme they are still pretty much unknowns. I doubt anybody was mad about their subject matter or album title. That crowd probably didn’t even know the name of the album. LB were just another faceless act on the bill until Triple Six or Rick Ross or whoever they came to see hit the stage. A pre-”Goin’ Down” Young Joc would’ve probably evoked a similar response. People prefer what they know. This isn’t ignorant, this isn’t the product of clear channel conditioning - it’s just human nature.

Really LB should be thankful if this is the first time something like this has happened. More talented artists have played to disinterested crowds for their entire careers. I once saw a pre-Gnarls Cee-Lo perform to a dust and tumbleweeds arena. The Roots and Outkast were headlining. So ign’ant!

*It would seem that humility is the curse of the intellectual.

His response..

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...&MyToken=5a4e894c-cbb7-4e0b-b679-3a36e6136be9

I, apparently, got the innanet goin' nuts (c) P. Wall

When I decided to write about what me and Pooh experienced at Summerjam in Fayetteville, it wasn't in hopes of turning this shit into a "Get Well, Phonte" party. It really wasn't THAT major. After the show, me and Pooh rode home bumpin "The Shining" advance and laughed about the whole shit....

I come to this site to share with my fans both my highlights and my lowlights, in hopes of giving people an honest look into the life of a blue collar, working-class musician. My blogs about porn, niggers, vegetarianism and cuddle buddies are all well and good, but the minute I wanna talk about the OTHER side of this rap shit I'm a whiny bitch all of a sudden?

Y'all crackers ain't playin fair (c) Clipse

First off, I never said that niggas who don't like LB are 'dumb.' Never would I EVER, ever, ever, ever, ever make such a pompous, arrogant, and polarizing statement. Noz at XXL is just looking for page hits, and we all know this.

But on the flipside, if y'all really think the vast majority of the listening audience makes choices on their own, and that LB's poor response has anything to do with our music being 'too backpack' and 'not southern enough' and 'not club enough' then YOU'RE dumb.

I've been called everything from 'backpack' to 'conscious' to 'uppity' to 'holier than thou.' Cool. I'll be that. Fact is, if I was HALF as uppity as niggas thought I was, I woulda turned down the gig from jump and refused to play:

"Fuck that shit.....I ain't playin in front of a buncha Clear Channel drone ass niggas.....we walkin into certain death....."

That honestly was my first thought when we were presented with the gig.

But the thing with me is, I always give people a chance to either prove OR dispel my notions about 'em. Take it however you want, but I think there's something to be said about ANY person who would listen to the same 20 songs being programmed into their heads day in and day out without questioning anything. Still, I gave the audience a chance.

Point blank, my instincts were right: the majority of radio listeners are fucking drones.

They have to be told what TO like (i.e. the South's current dominination), as well as what NOT to like (i.e, post-50 era Ja Rule). Hence, no 'boos' at the show, which I woulda respected and appreciated a million times more. At least that woulda been a sign of independent thinking. But as you look at their faces in the pics, you can see that it wasn't hate, so much as it was apathy and indifference. All because they more than likely hadn't heard us before, which in their minds probably equated to us not being 'on.' I mean, they can't be any good if I ain't heard it before, right? If niggas ain't quackin (i.e. heavy radio and video rotation) they must not be ducks, right? (c) Bun B

Not responding to LB because you simply don't like the music = fine by me.

Not responding to LB (or any other group)all because you haven't heard them on the radio before and it hasn't been drilled into your head 20x a day = dumbass follower.

Hell, one of my boys even told me that he saw an early Dem Franchize Boyz show where the audience just looked at 'em dumbfounded, but a few months later they came back to the same spot after "White Tee" went into heavy rotation and niggas acted like it was the hottest shit ever. Nevermind DFB had actually performed that same song 3 mos. earlier to crickets... Radio niggas is drones, and I realize that now.

I hate to admit it, but Ahmir (?uest from the Roots) was right: us hip hop niggas (on BOTH sides of the spectrum and all points in between) done drunk the kool-aid and don't even realize it. So much of what is considered a 'hit' record and who is considered a 'star' in hip-hop today ain't got JACK SHIT to do with the music, so much as it has to do with:

How they dress....who they affiliated with....how rich they are or perceived to be....who they fuckin.....who gave 'em a 'cosign'......who their producer is.......are they a hustler/d-boy/baller/metro pretty boy or any other image.....what city they're from, what label they're on, etc....

The media outlets done tricked niggas so good, that we as listeners don't even realize that we take all this bullshit into account and 'accept' hit records, before we even hear ONE NOTE of actual music. (I know Ahmir, your royalty check is in the mail..)

So.....Take in the fact that LB are three niggas from the South who stick out like sore thumbs against their southern contemporaries.......AND the fact that we solely push our music and aren't attached to any 'image'......AND the fact that we're on a label who looks at niggas like red-headed stepchildren.....Add all that up and what do you get?

80,000 copies of "Minstrel Show" sold, and blank stares at any Summerjam in America, that's what. Am I making sense, or am I making TOO MUCH sense?

I realize that the road I've chosen to travel as an artist is alot less rewarding and alot more stressful at times, so I'm not complaining for what is ultimately my own choice. I am who I am. Of course, it gets frustrating at times just like any other job.....but overall......a nigga's blessed yo. I thank God for this life everyday.

I have no problem with cats disagreeing with my views, but at least come correct and have your shit straight about me. Either way, I hope this conversation keeps going. There's nothing like free publicity.

LB will continue to hustle, elevate our formula, perfect our craft, stay on our grind, and show love to the cats who show love to us....but we ain't fitna change our shit up and tapdance for nobody. No matter how slow the grind may be.

If you can't understand me FOR ME, then maybe I just ain't for you.

Peace and love to all those supporting the movement. We live, we learn, we move on.

Tay


This has been a Real Nigga PSA (R), sponsored by the Percy Miracles Foundation.

 

[kman_69]

Not responding to LB (or any other group)all because you haven't heard them on the radio before and it hasn't been drilled into your head 20x a day = dumbass follower.

exactly.....you have to AT LEAST respect LB for not following the pop trends....and doing their own thing.

 

[7 Syns]

One of my friends believes he is a hip-hop head, yet all he listens to is gangsta rap. My friend believe's 50 is the greatest thing since sliced bread which is fair enough I can accept that. Yet then he bags 50 for doing melodies, (but wait didn't you just say 50 was your favorite rapper ever? Showing him hate for his musical directions is some bullshit especially considering you're a fan).

He bumped D12 World for 2 weeks straight, then on the 3rd week when I heard D12 (minus) Eminem were coming to my city and I told him about it he goes "D12? who would go see them?".. I thought to myself, well after bumping them non-stop for 2 weeks I thought you'd show some support.

He can't stand rap from the 80's, he can't stand rap from the mid-90's. If the message in a song isn't "Im gonna shoot you, then shoot your mother and kids" he just doesn't dig it. That's all fine and well because thats him and how HE is.

But don't you FUCKEN DARE! call yourself a hip-hop head and a loyal fan if that's the state of mind you are in and how you treat your music.

Whats that got to do with this? Everything because my friend represents how 90% of these rap fans are these days. In the US, in Europe, in Asia and in Australia it's the same fucken bullshit. if you dig a cd, a song, an artist then fine and good for you. But just because that artist doesn't get the same mainstream love as 50 etc don't you motherfucken dare put that artist down or talk shit about them near me. Because friend or not, I will sock you. I am passionate about this hip-hop shit and flip-flop fans fucken shit me off.

peace.

 

[GhettoStar]

One of my friends believes he is a hip-hop head, yet all he listens to is gangsta rap. My friend believe's 50 is the greatest thing since sliced bread which is fair enough I can accept that. Yet then he bags 50 for doing melodies, (but wait didn't you just say 50 was your favorite rapper ever? Showing him hate for his musical directions is some bullshit especially considering you're a fan).

He bumped D12 World for 2 weeks straight, then on the 3rd week when I heard D12 (minus) Eminem were coming to my city and I told him about it he goes "D12? who would go see them?".. I thought to myself, well after bumping them non-stop for 2 weeks I thought you'd show some support.

He can't stand rap from the 80's, he can't stand rap from the mid-90's. If the message in a song isn't "Im gonna shoot you, then shoot your mother and kids" he just doesn't dig it. That's all fine and well because thats him and how HE is.

But don't you FUCKEN DARE! call yourself a hip-hop head and a loyal fan if that's the state of mind you are in and how you treat your music.

Whats that got to do with this? Everything because my friend represents how 90% of these rap fans are these days. In the US, in Europe, in Asia and in Australia it's the same fucken bullshit. if you dig a cd, a song, an artist then fine and good for you. But just because that artist doesn't get the same mainstream love as 50 etc don't you motherfucken dare put that artist down or talk shit about them near me. Because friend or not, I will sock you. I am passionate about this hip-hop shit and flip-flop fans fucken shit me off.

peace.

Real Talk. Majority of hip-hop fans are the biggest hypocrites in the galaxy.

 

[AmerikazMost]

One of my friends believes he is a hip-hop head, yet all he listens to is gangsta rap. My friend believe's 50 is the greatest thing since sliced bread which is fair enough I can accept that. Yet then he bags 50 for doing melodies, (but wait didn't you just say 50 was your favorite rapper ever? Showing him hate for his musical directions is some bullshit especially considering you're a fan).

He bumped D12 World for 2 weeks straight, then on the 3rd week when I heard D12 (minus) Eminem were coming to my city and I told him about it he goes "D12? who would go see them?".. I thought to myself, well after bumping them non-stop for 2 weeks I thought you'd show some support.

He can't stand rap from the 80's, he can't stand rap from the mid-90's. If the message in a song isn't "Im gonna shoot you, then shoot your mother and kids" he just doesn't dig it. That's all fine and well because thats him and how HE is.

But don't you FUCKEN DARE! call yourself a hip-hop head and a loyal fan if that's the state of mind you are in and how you treat your music.

Whats that got to do with this? Everything because my friend represents how 90% of these rap fans are these days. In the US, in Europe, in Asia and in Australia it's the same fucken bullshit. if you dig a cd, a song, an artist then fine and good for you. But just because that artist doesn't get the same mainstream love as 50 etc don't you motherfucken dare put that artist down or talk shit about them near me. Because friend or not, I will sock you. I am passionate about this hip-hop shit and flip-flop fans fucken shit me off.

peace.

This is one of the greatest rants I ever read. Thank you, Syns.

 

[linx]

Word up. I won't even speak on it cause i'll just say what has already been said.

 

[AmerikazMost]

http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=3132

Are certain types of hip-hop too smart for poor black people? This seemed like a reasonable enough argument to me when Phonte, the best rapper in Little Brother put it forth the other day.

There was a great article in the Village Voice some time last year about how black hip-hop groups with political content like the Coup and the Perceptionists couldn’t get black people to show up to their concerts. The Roots are notorious for being enjoyed mostly by white people.

I guess the crux of the argument is whether black people aren’t showing up to these shows because the music sucks or because their too dim to understand the content of the the music. I like all of the aforementioned groups, but none of them are so great that you couldn’t justifiably not like them.

XXL’s own Noz, who opened up a jar of ether and spread some on Phonte, put forth Kanye West and OutKast as examples of smart hip-hop groups who would’ve been able to play Fayetteville’s Summer Jam. But I’m not sure if I buy that argument, since I don’t find Kanye West particularly intelligent and OutKast is no longer worth a shit.

Little Brother may not be a particularly great or original group, but I’d still put them as being better than almost anyone on the lineup at Fayetteville’s Summer Jam, which would also give the lie to the theory that the crowd wasn’t feeling Little Brother because they just weren’t good enough.

Three 6 Mafia made arguably the best rap song that came out last year, but I don’t know that there’s anything else in their catalog approaching that level. Some of the rest of the groups they had playing there were pretty shitty even by southern hip-hop standards. (Sorry, I had to go there).

You could argue that acts like Yung Joc, who’s got the most popular rap song out right now, and Dem Franchize Boyz are playing a style of hip-hop that’s just much more popular right now. But popular doesn’t necessarily constitute better. I think we can at least agree that Little Brother is as good, if not better than either of those groups.

So if these other groups and Little Brother are comparable in quality, but the crowd responds much better to the other groups because they’re currently being favored by the Tall Israeli-run media, I think you’d have to conclude that the audience is just dumb, which is the conclusion Phonte arrived at before he started furiously backpedaling.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?f...&MyToken=b5f061ae-3ce3-405c-836b-3a2275b4d957

So, Byron Crawford did the honor of shouting me out in his blog today on XXL, saying that I was right for stating that certain hip hop is too smart for poor Black people. He later accused me of ' furiously backpedaling' from this statement, which ironically, I never made in the first place.

Ain't nobody backpedaling over here, but I do appreciate the shout out nonetheless, Bol. (You can read his blog here at http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=3132 as well as check out a new Little Brother/ DJ A-Trak joint in the 'bangers' section. Somebody call VH1, stat. Phonte is truly having the best week ever.)

Anyways, I DO think that the majority of the hip-hop audience is dumb, but not because they DONT LIKE Little Brother (as I've been misquoted as saying several times over), or because our music is too intelligent for them (which I never said), but because they have to be TOLD what to like or not like.

This has been proven time and time again on both sides of the spectrum, from a pre-heavy rotation DFB performing "White Tee" to crickets, to a pre-'College Dropout' Kanye performing "All Falls Down" to crickets.

This has NOTHING to do with race and/or class (although his 'too smart for poor black people' was a great attention-catching leadline), and everything to do with a lack of independent thinking in our society at large. (I mean, you do realize that "tastemaker" is an actual term used in the music business, right?)

In this country, everything from Top 40 radio to the war on 'terrorism,' all operates on one principle: if you play it/say it enough, eventually the people will believe you. Repetition is law.

For the cats who purchased "Minstrel Show" or any other LB project and genuinely wasnt moved, hey, at least you gave it an honest shot and I appreciate it. Everything ain't for everybody.

However, if you think the SOLE reason that LB isnt selling is because our music just 'isnt that good,' you're very naive.

Tastes are made, not chosen.

Now, if Atlantic Records pours a fuckload of money/promotion/called-in favors, etc. into "Getback," and niggas still do 80K, Ill be the first one to say "yall told me so."

Until then, your best bet is to fall back and watch me. (Which, judging from all the hit dogs hollering on the internet over my simple comments, yall are obviously doing).

And doing it very well, I might add.

Peace,
Tay




This has been a Real Nigga PSA (R), sponsored by the Percy Miracles Foundation.