Description
Brandon Christopher McCartney (born August 17, 1989), known professionally as Lil B and Lil B The BasedGod , is an American rapper and record producer. He began his career as a member of the Berkeley, California-based hip hop group the Pack in 2005, who signed with Too Short's Up All Nite Records, an imprint of Jive Records the following year. The group became best known for their hit song "Vans", their sole entry on the Billboard Hot 100, later releasing two studio albums before disbanding in 2010.
McCartney's extensive use of social media in his solo career and online persona has yielded a cult following. His work spans several genres, including comedy hip-hop, new age, jazz, indie rock and choral music. He calls his alter ego the BasedGod, and is credited with having coined the slang term "based", which originally denoted a lifestyle of positivity, impudence or boldness. By the late 2010s, the phrase had been used to describe stances or actions that negate political correctness; by the 2020s, the term had entered the mainstream and regained a neutral connotation.
Lil B has been credited as "the godfather of internet rap", a pioneer of the cloud rap subgenre, as well as one of the "most influential rappers" of the 2010s, influencing artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Playboi Carti, Young Thug, Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Chance the Rapper, Yung Lean, Earl Sweatshirt, Black Kray, Bladee, Xaviersobased, and Tyler, the Creator, as well as actor Timothée Chalamet.
