The Best Lil Playlist in Hip-Hop
By
March 29, 2011
FROM LEFT: LILS CHUCKEE, KIM, AND JON. HEIGHTS ARE APPROXIMATE.
HEIGHT CHART COURTESY OF SWIFTGOLD
Lil Wayne may be at the forefront of rappers with a diminutive prefix, but he’s far from the only, or first, to bear the moniker. Favored by rappers with petite statures or those who appear on the scene at a young age, “Lil” gives away nothing about its bearers’ personalities; rather, it usually suggests just the opposite: small bodies that house gigantic personas. Below, find some of Interview‘s favorites from these “lil” stars. (Hint: One of these things is not like the other…)
Lil Jon: “Get Low”
Triple-threat rapper, producer, and DJ, not to mention King of Crunk, Lil Jon hails from Atlanta and rarely leaves home without his pimp goblet. Above, his timeless call to “Get Low.”
Lil’ Kim (feat. Lil’ Cease, The Notorious B.I.G.): “Crush on You”
Allegedly at work on an album that will be released sometime this year, the 4’11” Lil’ Kim is the only woman on this most illustrious list of Lils, a staple in the industry, and, like Lil Wayne, a person familiar with the perils of lockup. “Crush on You,” from Hard Core, her debut album, features fellow Lil—Lil Cease—and The Notorious B.I.G.
Lil B: “The Age of Information”
Lil B, or Based God, an eccentric, slightly manic, Bay Area-based performer, conforms to and tears away at rap’s stereotypes in a style that often echoes Lil Wayne, waxing poetic about topics ranging from Ellen Degeneres to social media—he’s uploaded enough beats to fill over 150 MySpace pages—and herewith waxes poetic on “The Age of Information.”
Lil Twist (feat. Lil Chuckee): “Girl I Got You”
Lil Chuckee, who was only nine years old when he was signed to Young Money, making him its youngest member, collaborates with 18-year-old Lil Twist on “Girl I Got You” for a double dose of Lil.
Li’l Abner: “Namely You”
To change gears in just the slightest, in the 1959 film Li’l Abner (first a musical), a town full of yokels is about to become the site of serious nuclear testing, a fact that doesn’t stop Abner, the title character, and Daisy Mae, his crush, from serenading one another before the Sadie Hawkins Dance in “Namely You.”
