Brandon "Lil B" McCartney (born August 17, 1989 and also known as The Based… Read Full Bio ↴Brandon "Lil B" McCartney (born August 17, 1989 and also known as The BasedGod, Lil Boss, Based Lord, Captain 66, Based Legend, The #1 Bitch, Tiny Pants Mobsta, Masterchef and Pretty Bitch) is a rapper/author/producer/composer/director/soothsayer from Berkeley, CA. He has been rapping since age 16 with hip hop group The Pack and leading a successful solo career, garnering popularity through the use of social media websites. He created many MySpace pages in order to upload all of his music and recorded over 1,500 tracks as of July 2010. He signed with Amalgam Digital in 2010 for a multiple album deal. He released his first studio album, Angels Exodus, on January 18, 2011 through the digital label. The album serves as a prelude to his forthcoming album Glass Face.

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.

I Been Ready
Lil B Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah
H-Town all stars in the building, that's right
Lil Keke the don, yes
Check it out

Seven-thirteen homey, I been on
Yeah we been here and y'all sho been gone
Screwed up captain, still repping the south

And can't none of y'all cut me off, I'm alive
Make 'em southside, cause that's Texas pride
Pimp C got me swangin' it wide, so be quiet
Bey still repping it right for H-Town
Don Keke's draped up, chopped and screwed down

I've been on, I've been on
Since back when I had braids on my dome
Underground king, sitting on my throne
Me and Bey done did number one songs
Riding candy and chrome, this Texas
Could buy a Bentley cash with this necklace
This H-Town, we drive reckless
We make 'em bow down, they gon' respect us

I been on, I been on, I been on
Tell me who gon' take me off
Take me off, take me off, take me off

I been on, I been on, I been on
Tell me who gon' take me off
Take me off, take me off, take me off

I am Houston, rep it hard
Cup with R, candy cars
Geto Boys, Willie D
You're plexing with Bey, you're plexing with me
These dudes in the streets, be acting mob
But go to the pen, and be playing with them boys
They are not me, they're carbon copies
If God got me, who gon' stop me

I been on, now who you goons gon' get to knock me off
I've been boss, been on slabs, been on paint
Been on fours homey, I've been on drapes, I've been half-baked
Twenty-five years and ain't fell off yet, cause my flow that wet
You don't want no plex, they talk that sh-
The Queen Bey said you better bow down, bow down

I been on, I been on, I been on
Tell me who gon' take me off
Take me off, take me off, take me off

I been on, I been on, I been on
Tell me who gon' take me off
Take me off, take me off, take me off

On, I could never be off
Hit the boulevard so hard, it'd never be soft
Yellow bone so long, looking like they reach out
Set of diamonds and gold in damn near each mouth
They call it Styrofoam City; Houston, Texas to be exact
Swangas on anything, it ain't gotta be a Lac
If I say I got sixteen, it ain't gotta be a rap
All them d-boys in them traps, they gotta feel that

We the big ballers and big bodies in fresh foreigners
Fresh up off the road from hustling and rap touring
While you sleeping and snoring, we creeping and pouring
BaddieBey and the Bun, baby, you can't ignore 'em
Represent from Port Arthur, get it right off the water
How you want it hard or soft, put in your order
Never the hesitators, shaking off all the haters
Ridin' for Pimp, Screw and all the Lone Star Staters, hol' up

I been on, I been on, I been on
Tell me who gon' take me off
Take me off, take me off, take me off

I remember my baby hair with my dookie braids
Frenchy’s, Boudin in the parking lot
Shout out to Willie D
I was in that Willie D video when I was about fourteen, looking crazy
Shout out Pimp C
You know we used to sneak and listen to that UGK
Didn’t do your girl but your sister was alright, damn
In ya homeboy’s Caddy last night man, haha

Hold up, Texas trill
H-Town going down, man

Overall Meaning

The song "I Been Ready" is a collaborative track between Lil B and Lil Keke. It is a homage to H-Town (Houston) culture and rap music, specifically highlighting the Screwed Up Click (SUC) culture that originated in Houston. The lyrics reflect a sense of pride in their city, referencing other Houston rappers such as Beyonce, Willie D, and Pimp C.

The opening line "Seven-thirteen homey, I been on" is a reference to the area code of Houston, Texas. The line "Screwed up captain, still repping the south" pays homage to DJ Screw, an influential figure in the SUC rap scene who pioneered the screwed and chopped remixing technique. The line "Bey still repping it right for H-Town" acknowledges Beyonce's Houston roots and her contributions to the music industry.

Throughout the song, Lil B and Lil Keke assert their dominance and longevity in the rap game. They assert that no one can take them off their throne and that they have been putting in work for years. They also reference their experiences in the streets and their commitment to their craft.

Line by Line Meaning

Seven-thirteen homey, I been on
I've been around since 713, and I've been on the scene ever since

Yeah we been here and y'all sho been gone
We've been holding it down, and y'all have disappeared

Screwed up captain, still repping the south
I'm still representing Screwed Up Click and the whole southern region

And can't none of y'all cut me off, I'm alive
Nobody can stop me, I'm still alive and thriving

Make 'em southside, cause that's Texas pride
I represent the south and the pride of Texas

Pimp C got me swangin' it wide, so be quiet
Pimp C's legacy inspired me to rep Texas proud, so don't interrupt

Bey still repping it right for H-Town
Beyonce is still holding it down for Houston

Don Keke's draped up, chopped and screwed down
Don Keke is pimped out and representing the screwed up sound of Houston

I've been on, I've been on
I've been established, I've been around

Since back when I had braids on my dome
I've been around since my younger days with braids in my hair

Underground king, sitting on my throne
I am the underground king, reigning over my domain

Me and Bey done did number one songs
Beyonce and I have collaborated on number one songs

Riding candy and chrome, this Texas
Cruising in fancy cars with candy paint and chrome rims, that's how Texas does it

Could buy a Bentley cash with this necklace
I have enough money to buy a Bentley with the cash value of my necklace

We make 'em bow down, they gon' respect us
We demand respect and others have no choice but to bow down

I am Houston, rep it hard
I am Houston through and through, and I rep it hard

Cup with R, candy cars
Riding in cars with candy paint

Geto Boys, Willie D
Shout out to the Geto Boys and Willie D

You're plexing with Bey, you're plexing with me
If you're messing with Beyonce, you're messing with me

These dudes in the streets, be acting mob
These guys on the streets act tough like the mafia

But go to the pen, and be playing with them boys
But once they go to prison, they become submissive and weak

They are not me, they're carbon copies
They are not original like me, they are just copying others

If God got me, who gon' stop me
If God is on my side, nobody can stop me

Been on slabs, been on paint
I've been around riding in cars with fancy paint jobs

Twenty-five years and ain't fell off yet, cause my flow that wet
I've been in the game for 25 years and still going strong because my flow is on point

I Been ReadyLil B Lyrics

I Been Ready
Lil B Lyrics