When Lil B titled his last digital label released mixtape I'm Gay, he received several death threats. Although he is heterosexual, he says the title is a message of support to the LGBT community. Referring to the alternative definition of gay, he says he is gay because he is happy. Following the death threats, he added "I'm Happy" in parenthesis to the album's title. I'm Gay received positive reviews with many fans commenting on the album's wide variety of positive messages and noting the unique beats and lyrical styles not common to mainstream hip hop. He raps about many controversial issues including race relations, poverty, humanity, and the justice system. The album also, according to many fans, shows the "true" side of Lil B. It entered the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart at #56 and the Heatseekers Albums chart at #20 for the week of July 16, 2011. It is for sale on iTunes but Lil B also uploaded it to the Internet for free, posting a link to it on Twitter and Facebook saying, "for all my fans who don't have $10 to buy my album, here it is for free."
Lil B typically releases at least one mixtape every month; so far in 2012 he has released 13 mixtapes - 4 in July alone. One of those released in July was the massive 848-song, nearly 5GB collection of Based Freestyles, which is his largest release to date. In 2013, hip-hop listeners voted Lil B as the greatest rapper of all time.
Cold War
Lil B Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They tryna take my life
I guess I'm a human sacrifice
Lil B.. what you gon do?
Cause they coming for you, feel me?
[Verse 1 - Lil B]
Time after time, gotta replant, snakes is behind us
Plus they pocket-watching and they feeling like flodging
Make you wanna strap up and murder everybody blocking
What's really going on? You know, what's really going on?
Everybody want the throne and then you gonna die alone..
And the game is getting shady/outlandish
There's voices in my head and I can't really understand em
What they saying.. speak to me.. it's Lil B
[Verse 2 - Lil B]
They tryna kill me.. haters want me dead..
Nigga, we dying over muthafuckin jewelry
Masculine niggas acting hard for reactions
All for the bitches, all for the fashion
Niggas 35 acting 25 while I sit back in my room and I think..
The world's all perfect: let me fantasize..
What we fighting for? We dying to live
Going up, now we living to die
Put my hands in the sky, looking up man, asking for guidance
It's not the world's fault, it's the people inside it
This shit turned me shady
You seen the reaper inside him
Now they feel it in the air, see the evil inside him
Separate from the fake cause you sleeping beside them
Underground 6 feet nigga..
Lyrics taken from rapgenius.com.
The lyrics of Lil B's song "Cold War" shed light on the current state of the world, with Lil B referencing the chaos and violence that seem prevalent everywhere. The lyrics begin with a question, asking if people know what they are fighting for in this "cold war." The artist highlights the threats to his life he has seemingly encountered and the many individuals willing to make sacrifices for their selfish reasons. There is a strong sense of disillusionment and desperation in the first verse, with Lil B describing a world blinded by materialism and greed.
In the second verse, Lil B describes an intense situation, wherein people are dying over superficial things such as jewelry, and others trying to kill him. With this, he questions why they are even fighting and dying, as everything appears to be just for show or validation. Lil B emphasizes that people seem to be acting a certain way, masculine, and hard, just for the sake of reactions, bitches, or fashion. While Lil B sits, keeping himself to himself, contemplating the world's imperfections, he realizes that people are in a dilemma regarding why they are even living, and that everything appears to be going haywire.
Line by Line Meaning
They tryna take my life
There are people out there who want to kill me
I guess I'm a human sacrifice
I am being targeted to be killed as part of some larger plot
Lil B.. what you gon do?
What plan of action do you have in response to this situation
Cause they coming for you, feel me?
The people who want to kill me will also come after you
Most of the world live in blindness
Many people in the world are unaware of the true dangers that exist
Time after time, gotta replant, snakes is behind us
We must always be vigilant as there are people who will try to harm us
Plus they pocket-watching and they feeling like flodging
They are also motivated by greed and personal gain
Make you wanna strap up and murder everybody blocking
All of these threats and obstacles make me feel like I need to resort to extreme violence
What's really going on? You know, what's really going on?
I am questioning the true nature of the danger and what is motivating these violent actions against me
Everybody want the throne and then you gonna die alone..
Everyone wants to be on top, but this quest for power ultimately leads to isolation and death
And the game is getting shady/outlandish
The situation is becoming increasingly corrupt and dangerous
There's voices in my head and I can't really understand em
I am experiencing confusion and paranoia due to the constant threats against me
What they saying.. speak to me.. it's Lil B
I am trying to make sense of the whispers and inner voices that are plaguing me
They tryna kill me.. haters want me dead..
More directly stating that he is in danger of being killed
Nigga, we dying over muthafuckin jewelry
People are killing each other over material possessions with no real value
Masculine niggas acting hard for reactions
Men are trying to appear strong and tough for the sake of eliciting a response from others
All for the bitches, all for the fashion
People are living their lives only to impress others, rather than for personal fulfillment
Niggas 35 acting 25 while I sit back in my room and I think..
People are engaging in childish behavior and I am reflecting on the state of the world
The world's all perfect: let me fantasize..
A sarcastic remark highlighting how imperfect the world really is
What we fighting for? We dying to live
We are struggling to survive in a world where we face constant threats and danger
Going up, now we living to die
Despite our efforts to succeed, we are all ultimately going to die
Put my hands in the sky, looking up man, asking for guidance
He is feeling overwhelmed and is seeking some kind of divine help or intervention
It's not the world's fault, it's the people inside it
The world itself is not to blame for our problems, but rather the individuals who inhabit it
This shit turned me shady
The corruption and danger of the world has made him feel untrusting and suspicious
You seen the reaper inside him
The evil and corruption within others is becoming more apparent to him
Now they feel it in the air, see the evil inside him
Others are beginning to sense the same darkness and negative energy that he is experiencing
Separate from the fake cause you sleeping beside them
It is important to distance oneself from people who are not genuine or sincere, even if they are close to you
Underground 6 feet nigga..
A reference to being buried in a grave, symbolizing the danger and mortality of life
Contributed by Christian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ian M
played this in history class as my project on the cold war and got an A+. thank you basedgod.
Drew Ski
I been listening to this since I was 15 😂now I’m 28 shit crazy. Dope ass song bring backs so many good memories 🔥
PSILO SAGE
Real.
Snoozinn
it go hard
CESVR.
Same af lol
Jarvis Jovan Johnson
Lil B can rap when he take it serious! Remember that!
C M B
joe learned it the hard way
CONSCIOUS_TALK_ENT.
These were his ghost writes. That's the only way he rap as trash as he does sometimes
UGLYBITCHSTOPIT
Aaron Calderon boy you a fool if you think lil b gets help from anyone he’s FULLY independent in everything he does
savantGK3
Came back to this classic as we enter a new Cold War. Lil B got the answer