Image via Complex Original
As an artist who promotes positivity on a daily basis, regularly reassures women that they are God's gift to the world, and make sure his entire fan base feels loved, it's discomforting that people still find a way to hate Lil B. Rappers, especially.
His rare music might be a blessing to some, but that hasn't stopped artists like Freddie Gibbs, Kreayshawn, and now, Joey Bada$$, from throwing shade at the former The Pack member. SInce emerging as a solo act, he's been consistently crucified for his music, style of dress, and general outlook. Apparently, not everyone thinks it's cool that there's a rapper releasing classical mixtapes and letting his cat perform on songs.
It's not fair, and last night's negativity was a breaking point. Lil B released a diss track in response to Joey Bada$$ tweeting him to not quit his day job (a reference to Capital STEEZ's lyric on "Survival Tactics") and Joey Bada$$ came back with his own diss track later that night.
These scenarios are exhausting, but not unfamiliar for Lil B. This isn't his first, and most likely not his last, beef. And he's never the instigator, either. Here's A History of Rappers Picking Fights With Lil B.
Written by Lauren Nostro (@LAURENcynthia)
Nico a.k.a. The Guy Who Sucker Punched Lil B
Date: June 2010
Remember this brawl? This is Nico. He's from Berkeley, too. He was interviewing Lil B and Nico asked if he could put him on with Soulja Boy. Lil B laughed at him, and then got sucker punched. Nico comes back apologizing and tries to preach positivity. It didn't phase Lil B.
Joe Budden
Date: June 2010
This beef is tricky. Lil B took personal offense to Joe Budden not following him on Twitter after Budden wrote a string of tweets that seemed to mock Lil B's #based positivity. Here's what Lil B said:
"It was crazy ’cause I felt like he was making a mockery of me over Twitter, so [I tweeted], “Joe follow me. I’m a supporter of you. Check me out. Let’s do some work.” He didn’t follow me. I’m like, “Okay, Joe, I’m getting very emotional right now. I feel like you’re making fun of me. Follow me.” He didn’t follow me, I said, “Fine, Joe, I’m a better lyricist than you. You cannot see me lyrically.”
Then he started tweeting, like, “Ooh, really,” he’s like, “I wouldn’t wanna be dissed by somebody that looked like Jesus,” and really making fun of me. And you know, I’m thinking in my head Joe Budden is really a worthy opponent ’cause a lot of people aren’t worthy of me to address them. He’s worthy of me to address and so, I destroyed him and you know, it’s done now."
He then went on to release a diss track aimed at Budden, where he raps: "Joe Budden, Joe Booty, what the fuck is your name." Listen below.
Freddie Gibbs
Date: April 2011
During a show at Brooklyn's former Southpaw venue, Freddie Gibbs bashed Lil B for his lyrical content and the way he presents himself as an artist. He later went on to clarify saying that he liked Lil B at first but now the joke has gone too far, even calling his actions a "modern day minstrel show." Of course, Lil B responded with positivity in an interview with MTV:
"I have nothing to prove because, you know I've been through struggles and I want to be happy now, and I want to live a happy live. I pick and choose what I wanna. It's things you do and something's you don't do. These guys have their opinion. As an adult, how I want to live my life, I can take a step back and breathe, before I react to something. Some of the words they might have said that might have been the best, or whatever, but at the end of the day, rap is rap. Rap draws emotions. I have my opinion and they have theirs…some people just miss it."
Kevin Durant
Date: May 2011
Yes, Kevin Durant is a rapper. Remember "Tha Formula"—by Sniper Jones, his moniker? Durant went on Twitter and said he couldn't believe Lil B was relevant and Based God went crazy over it. He even placed the BasedGod's Curse on Durant:
KEVIN DURANT WILL NEVER WIN THE TITLE AFTER HE SAID "LIL B" IS A WACK RAPPER,"THE BASEDGODS CURSE"#THEBASEDGODSCURSE ON DURANT - Lil B
— Lil B From The Pack (@LILBTHEBASEDGOD) May 26, 2011
Lil B challenged him to a 1-on-1 multiple times and called him out in a video called "Warm Ups." Durant went at him again on Twitter and told him to shut up, but deleted the tweet. The curse has since been lifted.
Odd Future
Date: May 2011
First, Lil B was on stage performing alongside Odd Future at Coachella. Then, a month later, when asked about Lil B at a press conference, Odd Future's Left Brain replied: “Fuck Based God, this is an Odd Future press conference. Y’all be talking about other shit. Stay on topic, girl. It’s Goblin. Tyler, The Creator right here. Fuck Lil B."
Game
Date: August 2011
Game called Lil B the "wackest rapper of all time" in this video for VladTV. "He's gotta get it. I heard him on Sorry 4 the Wait and that was it." Game admits that's all he's really heard of Lil B's but damn, shots fired. Wackest of all time? Lil B responded by saying in an interview, "Game's talking about me, but right now, and I respect Game. I got Live From Compton 2, so Game already know, you're a legend in my book. But he's irrelevant. Based God!"
David Banner
Date: August 2011
David Banner dropped "Swag," a song that subliminally took aim at Lil B, where he raps: “Let a white cop shoot a black kid/You'll see a few tweets, that's it/He'll march for a minute, that's it/Get a new outfit and dance like this/Cook! Swag! Woo! Cook! Swag! Woo!” Lil B fired right back with the song "I Own Swag" and claimed to be more famous than Banner. The beef is squashed now, but still, Lil B went hard.
Kafani
Date: August 2011
While on house arrest, Oakland rapper Kafani—he released "Fast (Like A Nascar) a few years back—released a personal video on YouTube aimed at Lil B. He claims that Lil B was talking behind his back and after a failed DM conversation on Twitter, Kafani blasted the Based God in this video for allegedly "pillow talking to bitches" and making fun of his "tight ass jeans." Lil B responded by preaching positivity on Twitter that day.
A$AP Rocky
Date: October 2011
In an interview with Complex, A$AP Rocky went in on Lil B, saying:
“Don’t get it twisted: I don’t fuck with Lil B or that 'I’m Gay' shit. But as a kid, as a person, I probably would fuck with him. I’m not getting on the record about him anymore. I like the, ‘Woop! Woop!’ but I can’t.
“He wears my grandmother's earrings. [Laughs.] I’m just being serious. It’s not going down. I mean, I can’t talk but this nigga be wilding. The nigga said, 'I’m Gay' and [in parenthesis put], I’m happy. Come on, Brandon. What are you doing? That’s all I can say.”
And then Lil B had a hilarious response in an interview with XXL:
“[Rocky] doesn’t realize I’m like the young Lil Wayne of the generation for us, minus the money,” he added.
Kreayshawn
Date: December 2011
Kreayshawn got very emotional over Lil B. She shot videos for Lil B ("Fuck Yo Hair," "Like a Martian," "Insane" and "Basedworld 1989") and hung out with the Based God when he was working on "Rain in England." In the video, she says she created his first based video. Apparently, he "ignored" her and left her "in the dust." Lil B spoke to Complex on Kreay's career saying, “She was a dope artist. I wanted to give her a chance so I let her shoot some videos for me. I put her in the game."
Joey Bada$$
Date: January 2013
On "Survival Tactics," Pro Era's late Capital STEEZ rapped "They say hard work pays off/Well tell the Based God don't quit his day job" and when Joey was caught tweeting that lyric yesterday, all hell ensued. Lil B responded with "I'm the Bada$$"and Joey fired right back with "Don't Quit Your Day Job."What is Lil B's day job, though? He could be anything—a veterinarian, a chef, a motivational speaker. We're confused.
